Alexander Confident Of Beachhead Success

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 57, 10 March 1944, Page 5

Alexander Confident Of Beachhead Success

b C “OTHER THINGS e ARE HAPPENING’ ’ y ' Received Thursday, 8.15 p.m. LONDON, March 9. t “I am absolutely confident that we will pull off this landing. Things are t much better in the beachhead than 3 i when I was last here three weeks ago,’ ’ ! stated General Alexander co war corre- } spondents after concluding arother inspection of the beachhead General Alexander admitted that the situation was not easy ar.d things had not gone as he had originally hoped but he i*s “quite confident it will be all t right now.” He added that, it wae j, difficult to say when we shall be able 3 to break out of the beachhead, but } other things are happening ? Exonerating beachhead correspond--3 ents from all blame for causing unL . easiness to British and American public opinion for which he recently censured t them, General Alexander said: “1 have gone into this matter and am ! pleased to tell you—that is you good » chaps who have stayed here —that we i are full of admiration for your work. 1 Tho Press can play an enormous part in reporting the war. The only thing l would say to you is that you should , always try to strike a confident note. , -I am not lecturing you, but I say this for the sake of the soldiers and people at home with brothers and husbands in the army who see the war through you.” Another air raid on Rome is reported by the Rome radio. Many districts severly damaged in the last two Allied raids were hit again in an attack before noon yesterday, says the radio, borne persons are still buried under the ruins of houses and air raid shelters. The raid is believed to have caused a large number of casualties, added the radio. The Allies repelled two small attacks against the beachhead positions, states a communique from Advanced Headquarters in Italy. Patrols engaged the enemy on all fronts. Medium bombers yesterday attacked railways at Orte, north of Rome, and the harbour of Porto San Stefano. Fighterbombers and fighters bombed targets in the beachhead area, also at the Mont Alto road-rail crossing. Fighters carried out shipping sweeps in the Adri- | atic and Tyrrhenian Seas. Six enemy planes were destroyed and nine of ours are missing. The Mediterranean Air Force flew approximately 900 sorties over the battle area where about fifteen enemy planes were sighted.