ITALIAN CAMPAIGN

Grey River Argus, 13 May 1944, Page 5

ITALIAN CAMPAIGN

ENEMY ANXIETY CASSINO FRONT. LONDON, May 11. A Reuter correspondent stated: Marshal Von Kesselring 'is nervous about Cassino. Front-line dispatches to-dav report that in the past 48 hours the Germans have been nurrleaiy rushing up defences. The Germairs on Monastery Hill keep the Alliea lines north-west of Cassino and aiso the railwav station area constantly lit up at night by flares. These piecautions are backed up bv increased enemy shelling and mortar fire. Spasmodic "artillerv and mortar fire have been the only action on the mam front in the past 24 hours. The must spactacular action occurred on thu beach-head where Americans carried out a successful raid. Nearly 2,000 sorties were flown by the Mediterranean Air Forces yesterday, for the loss of 33 aircraft. At least 14 enemy aircraft were destroyed.

ALLIED AIR RAIDS.

THE POPE’S VILLA BOMBED

LONDON, May 11. The Vatican radio announced that' the Pontificial Villa of Castel Gandoifo, ’ which enjoys extraterritorial rights, was bombed to-day for the fourth time. There were no victims, but the damage was considerable. The villa was previously damaged on three occasions. The Rome radio stated that Allied ’planes attacked Genoa and surroundings last night. LIBERATOR CREW SAVEDLONDON, May 11. A remarkable landing of a crippled Liberator is described in a dispaten from an Allied bomber base in Italy. The Liberator was engaged in me Wienerneustadt raid yesterday when flak killed the pilot and knocked out the hydraulic system operating rne brakes and the landing-gear. The bombardier and the turret-gunner baled out over Austria. The copilot, Second Lieutenant Shober, instructed the remainder of the crew to sit tight and the ’plane reached ns base, where the engineers, after one hour’s circling overhead, succeeoed in getting the landing-gear down Uy hand. Shober instructed the .crew to put two narachutese in the "side and when the wheels hit the runway the members of the crew pulled the ripcords; so that the parachutes acted as brakes. The nose-wheel collapsed and the Liberator overturned halfway down the runway, but the men !h the rear jumped 25 feet to the ground unhurt. ITALIAN LIBERATION CORPS. LONDON. Mav 11. The Algiers radio stated that battalions from famous units of the Italian Army are now included in the first group of the Italian Corps oi Liberation which is fighting alongside the Allies in Italy. Marshal Badoglio broadcast an appeal to the people in liberated Itaiy to co-operate in the Governments scheme for the establishment of people's granaries, states a Naples correspondent. Marshal Badoglio said the Italians must demonstrate how xo utilise the country’s resources.