Nazis Fight Still In Ruins Of Cassino

Northern Advocate, 17 March 1944, Page 3

Nazis Fight Still In Ruins Of Cassino

(Received 11.30 a.m.)

LONDON. March 16

German troops still are lighting back" savagely behind the rubble of Cassino, laying down the maximum possible fire against the engineers who are clearing a way through the ruins for Allied tanks and infantry, says Reuter’s correspondent at Cassino.

The Fifth Army already has fought its way through hellish conditions of torrential rain and mud to occupy three-qifarters of the town. The bulk of the opposition is coming from mortars and machine-guns, with snipers keeping up nuisance fire. German artillery also is active, but many hillside batteries are firing indiscriminately and inaccurately. The effects of yesterday’s bombing so far have not been completely assessed, but the primary objective of wiping cut German strong-points was achieved.

Heaviest fighting is going on in the trianglie where the highway from Piedmonte enters the southern part of Cassino. Allied tanks and infantry also made further progress in hills north-west of the town. The threat to Monastery Hill increases hourly, but the whole operation is contingeent upon a number of local actions, of which the most important is securing firm bridgeheads across the river. Allied guns put up a smoke-screen covering the highway over which tanks are entering Cassino. A British United Press correspondent says it must be stressed that the enemy still is putting everything he can into defending the entrance to Liri Valley.

Beachhead Attack Allied forces in the Anzio beachhead also went over to the offensive yesterday, when the Americans captured two strong-points in the centre of the perimeter, says Reuter. Von Maekensen immediately threw in a counter-attack, but the Americans are clinging on to their newly-won positions in a hammer and tongs battle, which is reported to be still raging. The Germans now are using a new grappling device in the beachhead area in an effort to explode Allied mines.

The German News Agency commentator Praegner stated that the Allies this morning continued an air assault against Cassino. He claimed that small German formations penetrated Anglo-American positions west of the Anzlo-Carrocetto road.

Main Objectives Achieved

Replying to criticism of ijhe slow progress of the Italian campaign, the Secretary for War (Mr Stimson) told a Press conference at Washington that all the Allies’ broad strategic purposes had been achieved: (1) The opening of the Mediterranean to Allied shipping. (2) Knocking out Italy as an Axis partner. (3) Seizure of air bases in Southern Italy. (4) Allied control of a large part of the Adriatic. (5) Indirect help to the Russian winter campaign by pinning down 19 German divisions. (6) Inflicting German casualties substantially exceeding Allied casualties.

Mr Stimson pointed out that the weather had caused slow progress in mountainous areas, both on the ground and in the air. For example, yesterday’s concentrated bombing of Cassino was delayed a fortnight by impossible flying weather. An attack on Wednesday afternoon, following the devastating aerial pounding of Cassino, resulted in infantry and tanks making progress into the town and hills north-west, writes a correspondent. The great devastation resulting from • bombing has proved an initial hindrance to ground forces in impeding their progress as paths had to be cleared by sappers through debris to allow tanks to go forward. Taking advantage of this, the enemy is resisting fiercely, using multi-barrelled mortars very extensively and raining bombs on sappers working desperately to clear a passage for troops. Early in the morning an enemy force, strongly supported by artillery, attacked Colleabate, a mile north-east of Terrelle and five miles north of Cassino, in a sector held by the French. On the beachhead there has been patrolling on a small but aggressive scale. Tank-supported Fifth Army infantry, after overcoming fierce resistance in the northern part of Cassino, is now reported to be engaging the enemy on a small hill between Cassino and the monastery which the Germans still hold. 2500 Sorties To 40 Very large forces of the Strategic Airforce heavy-bombers in co-ordination with strong forces of Tactical airforce medium-bombers attacked the town of Cassino in support of ground forces. Strong forces of medium and heavy bombers last night successfully attacked Sofia. Medium-bombers attacked San Benedetto. Coastal air force bombers bombed Viareggio Harbour also Follonica. A Junkers 88 was destroyed by fighters on Tuesday night in a raid on Naples area. Six Allied planes are missing from operations. Yesterday the Mediterranean air force flew approximately 2500 sorties over the battle area, About 40 enemy planes were sighted. Foretaste of Future Correspondents declare that not a building remains standing in Cassino following the catastrophic bombing which the "Daily Telegraph” describes as “a ghastly and horrible vision of the potentialities of modern mechanised war.” The “Daily Mail” says it is one of the most appalling sights seen in this war. The British United Press says that tanks went into battle in the afternoon amid tremendous Allied shelling and renewed bombing which followed up the morning’s gigantic assault. “Let the Germans ponder that what has been done to Cassino, we will do to every stronghold in which they elect to make a stand,” declared General Eaker broadcasting from Naples. He added that more than 3000 sorties had been flown and more than 2500 tons of bombs dropped —half of them on a target less than a mile square.