GRADUALLY INCREASING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25444, 27 January 1944, Page 5

GRADUALLY INCREASING

NEW ALLIED BRIDGEHEAD 0 HOSPITAL SHIPS BOMBED

(United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Rec. 1.15 a.m.) . LONDON, Jan. 26. German resistance is gradully increasing against the British and American forces pushing inland from the new bridgehead south of Rome, but it is still described as light. The bridgehead itself is bein'g expanded as more men and supplies are brought ashore, but there is no official news of the extent of the expansion. A correspondent with the forces states that the first stage of the Allied landing is safely over, but the real test is yet to come. -- Allied tanks have already crossed one of their biggest obstacles so far, the Mussolini Canal, and have wiped out German machine-gun nests which tried to hold up the advance. , ■, The Germans are stated to be bringing up reinforcements by plane and dropping the troops by parachute well behind the front. The Germans made their first big air attack on the Allied bridgehead on Monday night and caused considerable damage. For five hours they bombed three hospital ships in Anzio Bay and sank one. All the ships were brilliantly lighted and carried Red Crosses.

Thanks to the assistance of naval men it is believed that the casualties on the sunken ship were not heavy.

On the Fifth Army front German counter-attacks have fallen off in intensity, but the fighting is still fierce. French troops have been forced to withdraw from Monte Croce, but in other sectors they have made slight advances. . The position in Cassino, which the Germans announced * had been evacuated, is not yet clear. American patrols which penetrated the town were pinned down by heavy artillery fire from the hills beyond and had to withdraw.

American forces are reported to be advancing through heavy but it has not been stated definitely that they have recrossed the Rapido River.