POSITION CLARIFIED

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

POSITION CLARIFIED

EXTENT OF BRIDGEHEAD ENEMY FORGES MASSING RUGBY,. Jan. 25. The position on the Nettuno beaches is now clarified, reports a correspondent at the front. “We hold.an area 15 mile* long and some miles deep in a circle. The Germans are recovering from their first surprise, and are massing for counter-attack. Patrols of the enemy got across the bridges on the Mussolini Canal on our right flank, but all were pushed back by to-day. " The enemy is active also in the air, ■ but. not in great strength. Last night" he attempted a raid at dusk on shipping in the British sector. The A.A fire was a spectacular sight. There is no doubt that the enemy will try to hold us off the high ground at Colli Lazjali with a policy of vigorous coun-ter-attack, but there is equally no doubt that we shall be able to hold him. To-day hit-and-run raids on shipping continue, and the weather is improving again. ; According to a United Nations commentator for the Algiers radio, the. beachhead south of Rome has been pushed inland just over 12 miles, and is-within one . mile and a-quarter of the double track of the Rome-Naples. electric railway. German resistance to the new landing

’in Itiy began to stiffen on Sunday evening, says a correspondent at Allied > headquarters. The opposition probably came from enemy combat troops, but despite this the Allied gains have been consolidated. Patrols pushing further inland past the 12-mile perimeter of the bridgehead may have reached the. Rome-Capua road. . The actual bridgehead is out of range of all enemy guns except long-range 170m.m. guns, and shells fall only once in a while. The main difficulties come from profusely-laid mines both on land and in the sea. Anzio particularly was heavily mined.