ITALIAN FRONT

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24877, 26 April 1944, Page 5

ITALIAN FRONT

NO LAND FIGHTING ENEMY RAID ON NAPLES (Reed. 31.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 21 Fighting has died down in all sectors, states the British United Press correspondent at Allied headquarters in Italy. Prisoners taken in the Anzio beachhead area recently were from a German infantry division which has been on this front since early in February. One prisoner quoted General Greiner as saying: "We do not leave until what is left can get away in one lorry." There has been a marked falling off in enemy activity along the upper (larigliano. A force of 30 to 40 enemy planes to-night raided Naples and did some damage. The raid lasted about an hour and Cjost the enemy a number of aircraft destroyed by our night fighters and ground gunners. Only 243 ships, including landingcraft, participated in the landing operations at Anzio, compared with 2000 ships used for the landing in Sicily, says Renter's correspondent at Allied headquarters. Warships have carried out many bombardments in the Anzio area since the landing. The British cruisers Penelope and Spartan and the destroyers Laforey and Janus are among the ships lost. The Spartan wa3 set on fire after bombing, after which the magazine exploded. The Janus, which was dive-bombed, sank within 22 minutes. Units of the Italian Air Force are now fighting on the side of the Allies, reports the Times correspondent in Southern Italy. They are posted on the eastern coast of Italy and are engaged in operations across the Adriatic with Italian aircraft salvaged from Africa and Sicily and rebuilt by Italian engineers. The planes now total hundreds. The Italians go on missions in the Balkans and harry German supply lines among the Dalmatian islands.