STUBBORN ENEMY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24850, 23 March 1944, Page 7

STUBBORN ENEMY

BITTER PASSIM) FIGHT GERMANS REINFORCED (N.Z.E.P. Official War Correspondent) NEAR CASSINO, March 20Cassiuo and the slopes above the town were to-dav the scene of more bitter fighting, which appears to have made little difference to the positions of either side. Every effort is made by our patrols to prevent infiltration into the town, but it is clearly evident that the Germans have some means of reinforcing their hard-pressed troops. They were there to-day in much greater numbers, and they fight on desperately. Most opposition to the New Zealanders in the town comes from mortar and machine-gun fire from enemy-held positions above those on the lower slopes, which are still lirnilv held by our troops. The hillside below the monastery is being raked by a great concentration of fire from our medium machine-guns, and the Germans must be no less uncomfortable than our own men in spite of their advantage of higher ground. Artillery support is difficult owing to the close proximity of our own troops to the enemy, but accurate fire has been brought to bear with good results. Much of the enemy fire from the hill has been directed against our troops engaged in street lighting with tank support. The railway station area has , been quieter than elsewhere to-day, but at times the shelling there has been i fairly heavy. Engineers continue with the work of« clearing grelat quantities of rubble which are hindering the movement of armour, and they have constructed a 70ft. box giijder bridge across another great bomb crater.

Twice to-dgy Mustangs flew in over the lower slopes of Monte Cassino dropping parachute supplies for our troops. American pilots flew in so low over the area that we could see the shadows of the planes sweep across places for which the supplies were intended. Parachutes with their attached containers floated down to what seemed to be handy positions. Fighter-bombers to-day concentrated on the deep ravines on the western side of Monastery Hill. Great columns of black smoke which rose behind the monastery indicated the effectiveness of these raids. No place here seems really safe these days. The enemy switches his harassing fire from one spot to another very persistently, especially at night. While New Zealand medical units on the Fifth Army front were preparing for the battle of Cassino they were visited by the Director-General of Medical Services, Major-General Bowerbank, who was on his first tour of inspection of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force Mediterranean area. General Bowerbank spent two days seeing the New Zealand dressing stations, one being within a few thousand yards of the ruins of Cassino, and meeting medical and dental officers, nursing sisters in field hospitals and the fighting units. He stayed for the night at General Sir Bernard Freyberg's headquarters. FIRE RISK PREMIUMS (S.R.) WELLINGTON. Wednesday A statement that he understood that other insurance companies were making considerable reductions in their charges was made by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Eraser, when replying irt the House of Representatives to-day to a question by Mr. F. Langstone (Government —Waimarino). He said that the State Fire Office had reduced its fire, risk premiums from March 1 last.