DEVELOPED ON GREAT SCALE AND WITHOUT LOSS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 February 1944, Page 3

DEVELOPED ON GREAT SCALE AND WITHOUT LOSS

Against Germans in Italy IN SPITE OF ENEMY DEFENSIVE EFFORTS NAZI ATTACKS ON BEACH-HEAD REPELLED LONDON, February 9. All day yesterday in the clear skies of Italy, Allied aircraft wereXeen going in to attack German communications, airfields and troop concentrations. Altogether about 1,500 sorties were flown and not a single plane was lost. Heavy bombers were back on the job and attacked railway targets and airfields. Enemy forces massing round the Pontine beach-head, and aiso tanks, were attacked. Five German planes were shot down during the day. A correspondent at the beach-head, writing on Monday night, said the Germans were doing all they could to build up their anti-aircraft defences against the mounting Allied air attack. That was before yesterday’s big attacks. The enemy is still massing troops and tanks round the beach-head, and is constantly probing the line for any sign of weakness. Another correspondent describes four of these German thrusts. Two fizzled out almost at once under withering fire. The other two made some initial headway. A party of about 50 German machine-gunners gained positions which opened the way for a stronger force, backed by tanks. Other tanks dug into the ground acted as supporting artillery. By daylight the enemy had made a slight dent in the Allied line. The Allies counter-attacked and bitter fighting took place. Finally, the enemy was ousted, leaving behind prisoners and dead. By yesterday afternoon the enemy attack had been cleared up. On the main Fifth Army front bitter fighting continues in and around Cassino. The Americans are attacking the town with tanks. On the Eighth Army front a German patrol was routed. It was using flame-throwers, which were left in Allied hands. Beaufighters made a daring low-level attack on enemy shipping in the Aegean. They hit every ship in a convoy. One sank at once, another was left sinking and the others were damaged.