NAZIS REGROUP

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24828, 26 February 1944, Page 7

NAZIS REGROUP

BAD WEATHER IN ITALY ATTACK PREPARATIONS CONFIDENCE OF ALLIES (Hoed. fi.HO p.m.) LONDON, Feb. '2*> After heavy rain and high winds had swept the Allied positions in the Anzio beachhead in Italy, the weather started to improve, and this may decide the Germans to hasten the resumption of their assault. A reporter says our troops face this with sober confidence. The Germans, he says, have been using the spell of bad weather to regroup their forces with less interference from Allied aircraft. The Germans have brought another infantry division from Northern Italy. They now have ten divisions facing the Allied forces in the beachhead. Constant Patrolling

There have been no major moves against our perimeter, but there is constant patrolling and the Germans are continually edging forward to try to win small pockets of ground as jumpingoff places for their next attack. Our artillery is a powerful weapon for stopping these moves. We have many guns in the beachhead now and their fire generally has excellent results.

The lull indicates that the disorganisation of the Germans after their defeat last Saturday is possibly greater than was at first believed, says Renter's correspondent in Algiers. Another correspondent says that as a result of the rain the light, sandy soil was quickly churned into sticky mud and trucks splashed axle deep through pools along the roads. Efforts at Infiltration The correspondent of the combined British press says that behind the rain screen the Germans continue to reorganise their forces comparatively safe from the eyes of the Allied air forces. The ground which the Germans have gained is not enough for a firm base from which to launch a new attack and. therefore, they are ceaselessly trying to infiltrate. The Rome radio says that increasing numbers of Allied prisonerSj brought in from the beachhead, are being marched through the streets of Rome, after which they are sent to "concentration camps in northern Italy. The German overseas news agency commentator Walter Plato says Kesselring does not intend to send troops to the area covered by the Allied naval guns. "This beachhead fighting," he adds, "has developed into a duel between Allied naval guns and German long-range artillery, which maintains constant fire from well-protected mountain sites."

ATTACKING CASSINO ALLIED MOVE EXPECTED (Real. 11.10 p.m.) LONDON. Fob. 24 There is every indication that a new Allied assault on Cassino is imminent, stated Jean Paquis on the Paris radio. He added that New Zeal antlers under General Freyberg, and colonial units were replacing the American divisions. Walter Plato, the German overseas news agency commentator, also says that fresh Allied divisions have been identified on the Cassino front, where new battles are considered to be imminent. SPAIN AND PORTUGAL ALLIED WARNINGS HEEDED DENYING SUPPLIES TO AXIS (Reed. 3Lls'p.m.) NEW YORK, Fob. 25 The Herald-Tribune's Washington correspondent learns authoritatively that the State Department will soon announce that the Anglo-American diplomatic and economic offensive against Spain and Portugal to dry them up as sources of strategic materials for the Axis has been successful, thus permitting the early resumption of oil shipments to Spain. Spain is now expected to give a satisfactory reply to Allied demands for curbing the activities of Axis agents, withdrawing Spaniards from the Russian front, releasing Italian ships interned in Spanish ports, and disposing of Italian warships laid up in the Balearic Islands. The United ; States will continue to elaborate the checking system when oil shipments to Spain are resumed to ensure that the oil is used only in Spain. There is no question of applying the oil embargo against Portugal, because it might obstruct the use of the sea and air bases granted to Britain in the Azores and might affect Atlantic Clipper operations. The acting-Secretary of State, Mr. E= Stcttinius, said that the United States Government had expressed identical views with the British Government in warning Portugal to halt all shipments to Germany of wolfram and other strategic metals. SHANGRI-LA LAUNCHED LARGE AIRCRAFT-CARRIER LONDON, Fob. 24 The new United States aircraftcarrier Shangri-la, 27*000 tons, costing over £16,000,000, was launched at the Norfolk navy yard, states a message from Portsmouth, Virginia, by Mrs. James Doolittle, whose husband, MajorGeneral James Doolittle, is now commanding general of the United States , Eighth Air Force in Britain. General Doolittle led the first United States air raid on Tokyo. The launching gives the United States a total of 14 first-line carriers, in addition to nine converted cruiser types and Bome 60 or more escort carriers. The Shangri-la is the eleventh vessel of the Essex class. It will have a complement, of over 2000, carry over 80 planes and is fitted with 16 sin. guns. The Bennington, another earner of same class, will be launched,on Sat-■ urday at the Brooklyn navy