Failures Depress Germans At Anzio

Northern Advocate, 13 March 1944, Page 3

Failures Depress Germans At Anzio

(8.0. W.) RUGBY. March 12. Prisoners captured on Anzio beachhead have revealed that there is considerable depression among the Germans at tiie continued failure to make any impression against Allied troops, says a war correspondent at Allied headquarters. Morale is officially described as “considerably affected.” The Germans have suifered severe casualties and many lives have been lost in Kesselring’s three costly attempts to throw the Allied armies back into* the sea. After these major offensives were launched, German morale was high. They had been told that they would be given terrific air support and the attack would be headed by 800 tanks, half of them the latest Tigers. Even Hitler boosted the 14 th Army morale by sending a special message saying they would push tiie Allies into the sett in three days. Prisoners said that beachhead battles were hellish and Allied artillery fire much worse than anything they had encountered on the Russian front. The British second field regiment and 45th American division distinguished themselves in recent beachhead fighting. N.Z. Guns Hit Target

Giving details of operations in the past 24 hours a corresponcient says that British troops /aided the village of Pisavini in the mountains and further south Poles cracked hard at the enemy with fighting patrols. New Zealand artillery shelling Cassino town started large fires. It is believed that they exploded an ammunition dump. Allied 'patrols carried out several successful raids in Bittoria sector of Anzio beachhead.

The Germans persist with efforts to infiltrate south-east from Carrocetto. but every time they are pushed back by the Americans. One recent attack cost them 100' casualties with 88 dead from one company alone. 800 Sorties to 25

Tiburtina-Littorio railway yards, Rome, were attacked yesterday by medium bombers and a bridge at Orvieto was also attacked. Main enemy positions and troop concentrations in the beachhead area were bombed by Allied bombers. One enemy aircraft was destroyed. Five of ours are missing. Allied air forces flew about 800 sorties. Enemy air activity was about 25 sorties over the Rome area. Despite continued adverse weather, Polish, Indian. Canadian and British troops of the Eighth Army engaged in active patrolling and clashed with the enemy at many points. Two small-scale enemy attacks were repulsed by Indians. Naval activity in the Adriatic continues, says Allied headquarters in the Mediterranean. British destroyers engaged on a sweep on Wednesday shelled towns on Korcula Island, which, it is reported, are occupied bv large numbers of Germans and, on the'same night in the channel between the eastern end of the island of Hvar and the mainland, British light forces attacked a small coastal vessel which was left abandoned in flames. Our ships sustained no casualties or damage despite the accuracy ol' enemy shore batteries.