LULL IN ITALY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24827, 25 February 1944, Page 3

LULL IN ITALY

GERMAN INTENTIONS THIRD ATTACK EXPECTED Reed. 8.30 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 2i Allied troops in the A.nzio beachhead in Italy are being kept in close contact by the Germans without any major action developing, but it is officially stated that further German attacks against the beachhead must be expected. The Germans are still shelling the Anzio area. Renter's Algiers correspondent says that Allied air reconnaissance has observed considerable movement in the rear of the German Sines, indicating that Kesselring is regrouping his forces. Presumably some of the three German divisions which have not yet been engaged in heavy fighting are now being moved into position for a third assault against the Allied perimeter below Carrocetto. There were sharp encounters at several points yesterday, says the Allied communique. Estimates o! Casualties German casualties in the second attack were the highest of any comparable period of the whole Italian campaign. Five hundred German dead were counted in one small sector south of Carrocetto. Severe casualties were suffered by the inexperienced 114 th Alotorised Infantry Division from Yugoslavia, which was not accustomed to the tremendous power of the Allied artillery. The combined British press correspondent estimates that tlie Germans in tour weeks ol fighting have lost •-JIUKM) killed, wounded and prisoner. The number of prisoners was 2800, and the eiisuitities from tank lire, gun fire and bombing arc roughly calculated to be tell times greater. Allied casualties, although heavy, do not approach the German hisses. Cabling from the beachhead yesterday, the British United Press correspondent reports that Allied troops are putting up tents over some of the trenches in the beachhead area against the torrential rain, which is at present keeping tank activity to a minimum. The "Anzio Spirit" What is coming to be called the "Anzio spirit" is growing in the beachhead, according to a correspondent there. He reports: "We are a self-con-tained world of our own. The newcomer who steps ashore feels himself in a compact, self-reliant community which has gone through many dangers and may lace many more. "But it is also a community which now has great achievements to its credit. We are proud that we met and broke six German divisions. The Anzio spirit has been an important factor in our success. We expect the Germans will not accept the rebuff we recently gave them. They will try again. Our troops are imbued with the Anzio spirit and are ready to inflict more heavy losses." The Wiltshire Regiment has been fighting in Italy under the command of both the Eighth and Fifth Armies. This regiment landed with the Eighth Army in tlie first days of the campaign. and it previously took part in the Sicilian campaign. DUTIES AS SOLDIERS GERMAN INSTRUCTIONS (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 24 Before German troops go into the front line they are obliged to sign two documents, says Renter's correspondent at Allied headquarters in Italy. The first document reads: "I am fully aware that I am behaving like a criminal and a murderer to my comrades, and I endanger the security of the Reich and my family, if in captivity 1 give more than my name, rank, date and place of birth and home address." The second document reads: "I declare that I have been instructed repeatedly that I must not allow my machine-gun or mortar to fall into enemy hands." The correspondent adds that the Allies yesterday took prisoner eight drunken Germans in the Anzio region. This is not the first time that drunken Germans have been captured in the beachhead. PORT OF NAPLES FULL WORKING ORDEfI (Reed. U. 30 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 24 The Allies now have Naples harbour in working order again. When the Germans left they blew up the port installations, but Allied engineers built new landing stages. They rest on sunken hulls, and there are now facilities for handling more ships in the harbour than there were in peacetime. AIR OPERATIONS CURTAILED BY WEATHER (Reed. 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 24 Weather curtailed air operations over Italy yesterday, but fighter-bombers and fighters patrolled over the beachhead. Light aircraft attacked shipping off the Dalmatian coast. During Tuesday night light bombers attacked communications in the beachhead area. Thirty-six enemy aircraft were shot down yesterday. We lost seven. Approximately 850 sorties were flown by the Mediterranean Allied air forces yesterday, including the attack on Stoyr. in Austria. Over the beachhead enemy activity amounted to six sorties. PEACE' TALKS FAIL ENVOY RETUKNS HOME UNITED STATES HOPEFUL (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 23 The Finnish envoy, Al. Paasikivi, with his wife, has left Stockholm, as all indications pointed to a continued lack of any substantial progress toward getting Finland out of the war, says the Stockholm correspondent of the Associated Press. M. Paasikivi still adamantly refused to discuss the negotiations. He gave the impression of a man whose mission had not been too successful. Reports from Stockholm received in Washington state that M. Paasikivi has returned to Helsinki, indicating that his pence efforts have collapsed. The Fluted States Acting-Secretary of State, .Mr. Fdward R. Stettinius, said the United States was still "hopeful of getting Finland out of the war." He refused to elaborate his statement According to the Helsinki correspondent of the Stockholm newspaper Svenska Daghladet, the Finnish Foreign Affairs Committee met yesterday to hear a report from the Foreign Minister, Dr. Ilenrik Ramsay. The return of M. Paasikivi has heightened interest in the peace talks and a feeling of expectancy reigns in Helsinki. FUNERAL OF MRS. GANDHI NEW DELHI, Feb. 23 The body of Mrs, Gandhi, wife of the Indian civil disobedience lender, was cremated on a funeral pyre at Poena to-day in the presence of her husband and many prominent Indians, also some of Gandhi's followers who had not been detained hv the authorities, including the Fnglish-borti follower Miss Slade. Gandhi, who broke down and wept at the funeral, was presumahlv taken back to his (dace of detention. The Indian press sharply criticises the Government of India for refusing to release Mrs. Gandhi from prison belore her death ONE QUADRUPLET ALIVE NEW YORK. Feb 23 Only one o! the quadruplets born te Mrs Spencer Hutto, aged 2.'i, wife ol a paratrooper, now survives. Following the boy's death, two of the girls died.