FIGHTING GROWS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21384, 20 April 1944, Page 3

FIGHTING GROWS

ANZIO BEACH-HEAD NAZI THRUSTS REPULSED PLANES HAMPERED (10 a.m.) LONDON, April 19 The Allies repulsed four enemy attacks yesterday against one position on the Anzio beach-head, states a communique issued from Allied Headquarters in Italy. The enemy suffered heavy losses in these attacks. Allied patrols and artillery were active over the entire front. Artillery fire destroyed an enemy ammunition dump. Fighting has increased in all the battle areas of the Fifth Army’s beachhead. The forces holding the west flank made another thrust-and-cut raid against enemy strong-points between the sea and Borgo Piava yesterday, varying their tactics from silent approach with which they carried out their earlier raid in this area, writes a correspondent with the Fifth Ax - my. They preceded the thrust to-day with an artillery concentration of 1000 rounds. While the artillery was firing, 'our tanks moved across the Mussolini Canal under an overcast sky and joined in the fire upon strong-points located in four houses about a mile and a half beyond our lines. Fire was then put down on two sides of the houses and when, at the pre-arranged time, it ceased, the infantry ran across the open ground and rounded up eight Germans holding the position and killed nine others.

A German attempt on Monday at a similar raid against the British in the Moletta sector was a failure. The enemy launched three companyscale attacks against one of our units holding the line in the wadi country. All were beaten off with heavy artillery fire. Bad weather and poor visibility yesterday curtailed all major air operations, but fighter-bombers attacked bridges and the railway in the Arezzo area and Marni. Fighters during a sweep over the airfield in the Udine area attacked planes on the ground. Patrols were maintained over the battle area by fighters. Nine enemy planes were destroyed in combat. Eight Allied planes are missing.