WAR IN HILLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24760, 7 December 1943, Page 3

WAR IN HILLS

MOVES IN ITALY

BITTER FIGHTING VITAL HEIGHTS TAKEN GERMAN LINES BROKEN (Reed. 12.50 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 6 Correspondents report that British patrols are now in a ruined village at the southern end of the Camino Hills, three miles southwest of Mignano, on the Fifth Army's front in Italy. Bitter fighting continues on a hill behind a monastery in the heart of the Camino mountain block. British troops fought their way into the monastery itself. They found a group of Germans holding out in positions on a hilltop behind the building and the enemy could be approached only by scaling a 50ft. high cliff. The German rearguard is surrounded, but when last reported they were still holding out. A special communique issued by General Eisenhower's headquarters says that three of the most important heights of the Mount Camino area are now in Allied hands. It also states that troops of the Fifth Army have broken into strong German positions on Mount Camino and Mount Maggiore. Enemy Attack Broken Up The Germans mounted a counterattack in considerable strength early on Sunday, says a correspondent with the Fifth Army, but our defensive fire broke it up completely. Our troops have taken a small hill village and have got patrols into a second village further on, he adds. Both are important as communication centres and might have been used by the Germans as assembly areas for more counter-attacks. Allied aircraft coming back from sorties over the Cassino area report meeting considerably less anti-aircraft fire than before, says a correspondent. He points out that always when the Germans fall back they send away their anti-aircraft guns first. '* Shortest Road to Borne British and, American forces, after breaching the enemy's strongly fortified outer defences on Mounts Maggiore. and Camino, are battering through the. gateway barring the western entrance to Liri Valley, through which runs the Allies' shortest road to Rome, reports Reuter's Algiers military corresponent. A commentator at Allied headquarters stated that the positions penetrated by the Fifth Army were among the principal anchor points of the whole German defensive line guarding the road to Rome. Reuter's correspondent adds that the Allies are developing a serious outflanking threat to the German Mignano gap, where the 3000 ft. passes have been the scene of the bloodiest fighting since the Allies launched their attack on December 2. The main focus of the attack at pre sent is toward a valley five miles south of Cassino, but high-pitched activity is being maintained along a 15-mile stretch northward in the direction of Filigano. Drive lor Road to Rome The Mount Camino heights which have been captured were the,principal anchor points in the German defence lines. They were the main objectives of the Allies to open th 9 road to Rome. The Allied attack on these two points began on Thursday, when hundreds of Allied guns only a few yards apart subjected them to shattering fire. Tbe Fifth Army now holds positions dominating the_ south-east corner of the Cassino plain. A correspondent says of the Fifth Army advances that, although these are localised successes they are very important, as the positions now in Allied hands are extremely strong and carved in the rocks of the mountains to give better protection to the troops. Amen* can troops captured four positions av< consolidated those already gained on * 1500 yards front. Man-Against-Man Struggle Mount Camino, which guards t-be road from Naples to Rome, has been conquered and' the most formidable heights in this vicinity are in Allied hands, says Reuter's corresponden: with the Fifth Army. There remains a small force of Germans on Monaster Hill. 3000 ft. high, facing death or surrender. The Allied breaching of the German \vinter-line defences in the Mount Camino area was one of the toughest jobs of this campaign, the- correspondent states. The British and Americans have been conducting a "man-against-man" struggle with the Germans in the mountains and the weather has reduced the offensive to one of desperate individual combat. * The Algiers radio, describing the action in which British and American troops drove up over Mount Caminc Pass in the Fifth Army's lightning blow, says it proved to be one of the fiercest battles of the Italian campaign The Germans fully realised the enormous strategical importance of the positions guarding the Mignano gatewav and moved up every available unit to meet the Allied attack. The German} 7 most important defence position i\v Camino, which is a bare, isolated peal< commanding the road to Rome. Furious Bombardment All the fury of the Allied air and artillery bombardment was unleashev" against this height. Hundreds of guns ranged in a savage semi-cirole, battered the target, while American' planes struck from the air. Fighter-bombers all day long at tacked the centre of this winter line dropped tons of high explosives anc 1 hundreds of fragfiientation bombs anc blasted a 10-mile stretch of the enemy'.' defences. British and American infantry then moved forward in two columns anc began a most successful hand-to-hanci assault against the mountain slopes. American forces west of Filignano, in the North Venafro area, repulsed vicious German counter-attacks. Rain has kept down air support to * minimum.

GERMAN DISPOSITIONS 100,000 MEN FACING ALLIES (Reed. 6.35 p.m.) LONDON. Dec.rf The Allied armies in Italy are new facing over 100.000 Germans, who arc disposed as follows: Against the Eighth Army Front.— The 26th Panzers, 90th Panzers (formerly known as the 90th Light Division), Ist Parachute and 65th Infantn Divisions. Against the Fifth Army Front.—The 15th and 29th Panzer Grenadiers, 44th. 94th and 304 th Infantry, while two divisions of the Hermann Goering 3rd Panzers are held in reserve. ATTACK ON CALCUTTA FIRST RAID SINCE APRIL CALCUTTA. Dec. 6 The Japanese raid on Calcutta to-day was the first since April and the. first .Japanese daylight raid on the city. Residents of Calcutta took the raid calmly. The official communique states that Japanese bombers, escorted by fighters, attacked Calcutta this morning in two waves. Reports indicate that two of the raiders were destroyed and four others probably shot down by fighters and antiaircraft batteries. The bombs caused slight damage and a number of casualties, some of which were fatal.