BIG DAY IN AIR

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 127, 24 February 1944, Page 5

BIG DAY IN AIR

Allied Aircraft From Mediterranean QUIET ON LAND

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn—Copyright) LONDON, February 23.

Yesterday was a record day for the Allied air forces in the Mediterranean. Approximately, 1600 sorties were flown, not only over German-occupied territory, but into Germany itself.

It was a day of comparative quiet ou land. Allied troops repulsed two small attacks in the beach-head, and on the Fifth and Eighth Army fronts there was patrol activity. The air activity included the raid on Regensburg, which was co-ordinated with other daylight attacks on Germany from Britain, On this, the greatest force ever sent on one mission from the Mediterranean bases was dispatched. Other aircraft attacked widely dispersed targets, including Zagreb in Yugoslavia. Fighters and light bombers operated against objectives in and round the beach-head.

The enemy flew approximately 130 sorties over the beach-head. Fifty of his aircraft were shot down. The Allies lost 15 planes in all the above operations.

ENEMY REGROUPING Preparing Further Attack

Toward Anzio (British Official Wireless.) (Received February 23, 7 p.m.)

(i . RUGBY, February 22. “We are all set for a new enemy attempt,” says a correspondent cabling from the Anzio beach-head yesterday. “How soon it will come depends on the speed with which he can reorganize after the rough handling we gave him.” • The correspondent added that there were signs of something happening soon. On some sectors last night there began an intense artillery duel. This morning we counted more than 500 dead in front of our positions. The latest reports state that the artillery duel has developed to furious intensity with the enemy concentrated particularly on one of our units. It is officially stated that the Allied line begins on the coast 10 miles north of Anzio and runs almost due east inland for 15 miles just below Carrocetto and Cisterna, then cuts south along the fringes of the Pontine Marshes behind the northern bank of the Mussolini Canal to the coast 10 miles beyond Anzio, The line is substantially the same on which we dug in a month ago. What little ground we have lost extended beyond these main defences.

There was considerable air activity over the beach-head this morning. - House to house fighting continues in Cassino but fighting elsewhere along the main Fifth and Eighth Army fronts has died down, with snow impeding operations, specially on the Adriatic sectors. Truces As Protest.

Reuter’s correspondent at Fifth Army headquarters says the British in the lower Garigliano sector took prisoner a German company commander and a senior n.c.o. who approached the Allied lines seeking a truce for burial of the dead. The correspondent adds that it is understood that such requests will be disregarded in future because the Germans are using them as a pretext for reconnaissance of the British lines. The German news agency’s commentator, Praegner, stated that the Americans this morning began an attack along, the Anzio-Carrocetto road. Heavy fighting ensued,' in which American reinforcements which tried to breach the German lines were cut off from the rear and wiped out. Praegner also said the remnants of the British First Division, which had been encircled west of the road, were still fighting in ravines and eaves. He added that a new offensive on the Cassino front was expected at any moment. The Americans had brought up strong reinforcements and increased their heavy batteries. •

Rome radio declared that the most violent attempts by the British and Americans to break through the German ring in which the Allied forces were encircled at Carrocetto had failed again.

PRESS CENSORSHIP Mr. Churchill’s Action

LONDON, February 22. “I myself sent a telegram asking for stricter censorship on the alarmist reports about the position of the Anzio beach-head, not from correspondents there, but from persons in Naples and Algiers,” said Mr. Winston Churchill in the House of Commons, replying to Mr. E. Shinwell, who asked about the restrictions imposed on war correspondents in Italy. Mr. Churchill added that such words as “desperate” ought not to be used in a battle of this kina when they were false, and still less if they were true. (Laughter.) In the first case they needlessly distressed the public, and in the second encouraged the enemy to attack. “I am glad radio facilities have been restored to the correspondents in the beach-head,” he said. "These were not the people who caused the trouble, but others far in the rear.” Asked if it was clear that General Alexander himself did not personally complain of the statements about the position, and if it was true that newspaper correspondents generally acted with the greatest discretion. Mr. Churchill replied: "I take full responsibility for trying to do my best to see that these matters were conducted in the proper manner. I certainly thought from some headlines and from telegrams coming from people in Algiers and from reporters, in many cases of the American Press, that a wrong impression was- being given both to our people and to the enemy of the situation at the beach-head. I therefore issued some reassuring statements myself based on statements from our commanders and simultaneously telegraphed, asking that there should be stricter censorship on alarmist phraseology.” Sir Herbert Williams said that members of the Canadian aud American Governments, and not the Press, should be blamed for the alarmist statements.

CROSS-COUNTRY TREK N.Z. Division’s Speedy Move

(N.Z.E.F. Official News Service.) DIVISIONAL HEADQUARTERS, ITALY, February 6 (delayed). ■Spanning the breadth of Italy in fast convoys by day, the New Zealanders moved by roads and mountain passes from the Orsogna sector to beyond the Volturno River. The utmost secrecy was observed in the preparations while the division was still engaged against the enemy. When it actually moved only a few high-ranking officers knew it was not just going out for a rest. ‘ When the trek started it was a. dismal and drizzling night, and as lights were forbidden, the trucks inched forward between dirty snowbanks at the roadside. Drivers could not afford a second’s relaxation till lights could be used, and in the early morning a halt was called for hot drink and two hours sleep. At daybreak the convoy . restarted over improving roads in bright sunshine, and the men had an opportunity to observe the countryside. By mid-afternoon a dispersal area was reached in a fertile valley below the frowning old castle of Lucera. Orders were issued to take on petrol for -vO miles, and next morning the convoy moved quickly off across plains unmarked by war and dotted thickly with communal farm settlements. After miles of this the troops entered country like the New Zealand gorge districts; where the roads passed bush-clad hills and swiftly-running streams. Old World additions were the ancient stone villages and hillside battlemented strongholds. The road led into the mountains, weaving and twisting through narrow passes and beneath menacing cliffs. Late in the afternoon the last of the pusses was cleared, and the convoy entered better going. -Late in the evening a turn-off was made in to a grove of oaks and olives in the broad Volturno Valley, our iefflPfliaU-fesSQs