ON THE GERMANS IN ITALY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 May 1944, Page 3

ON THE GERMANS IN ITALY

Heavy and Simultaneous Allied Blows ON SOUTHERN FRONT AND FROM ANZIO BEACH-HEAD HITLER LINE GRIPPED AND PENETRATED LONDON, May 23. The Allies today struck two heavy and simultaneous blows at the Germans in Italy. The Fifth Army launched an attack on the Anzio beach-head and the Eighth Army a new assault on the main Italian front. The operations are officially described as opening a new phase in the battle of Italy. A correspondent in the beach-head said the attack was preceded by a bombardment of the German positions by Allied warships and hundreds of guns massed behind, the Allied infantry and tanks. The men of a famous British unit, which took part in the original landing four months ago, were given the honour of striking the first blow. At 8.30 last night they attacked in the most northerly part of the beach-head. They were followed at 4.30 by another British attack m the next sector and two* hours later a strong American force, including tanks, also took the offensive further down the line. The lull weight of Allied aircraft has also been thrown into the attack and the whole front is aflame. Oiie correspondent says tanks and infantry moved forward, over fields red with poppies, after a tremendous artillery barrage *had softened up the enemy defences. Picked troops, specially trained for nearly a month behind the lines, made the Twenty miles south of the beach-head, American troops have occupied heights overlooking - the bastion of Terracina. At the other end of this section of the line the Germans admit the fall of Pico. In the Liri Valley, on the Eighth Army’s front, hundreds of guns hammered the enemy positions while Fifth Army guns battered the Hitler Line between Pontecorvo and A.quina. The bombardment was as heavy as anything yet known on the Italian front. After an hour, the barrage was lifted and crept forward over to the enemy defences. This was the signal for Eighth Army tanks and troops to go into action. They had soon driven a hole into the enemy’s line, took prisoners and inflicted considerable losses on the enemy. They were last reported to be fighting their way through the enemy defences. A correspondent says this has been a bad day for the Germans. Allied troops have a firm grip of both ends of the Hitler Line and have battered a hole in the centre. At the same time the enemy is being attacked powerfully from the Anzio beach-head..