Record Sorties Flown by Allied Air force in Italy

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 59, 13 March 1944, Page 5

Record Sorties Flown by Allied Air force in Italy

Railway Yards in Florence Paraded (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Monday, 12.25 a.m. LONDON, March 12. Patrols were active on all three ' fronts in Italy, says a Headquarters i communique. Clashes occurred and * prisoners were taken. French artillery , fire drove off two strong enemy patrols i on the main Fifth Army front. The Bari radio says Allied reinforcements under artillery cover continue to land on the Anzio beachhead. ; The Allied Air Forces yesterday flew the record number of 1700 sorties on i the Italian front including heavy raids ’ on Toulon and Genoa. | Naval activity in tfie Adriatic continues, says Allied Headquarters in tfle Mediterranean. British destroyers en--1 gaged on a sweep on Wednesday shelled towns on Korcula Island, which is ( reported to be occupied by large numbers of Germans, and on the same night in the channel between the eastern end of the island of Hvar and the mainland British light forces attacked a small coastal vessel which was left abandoned in flames. Our ships sustained no casualties or damage despite the accuracy of the enemy shore batteries. The Tiburtina and Littorio railway yards in Rome were attacked on Friday by medium bombers and the bridge at Orvieto was also attacked. Main enemy positions and troop concentrations in the beachhead area were bombed by Allied bombers. One enemy aircraft was destroyed and five of ours are missing. The Allied air forces flew about 800 sorties. Enemy air activity was about 25 sorties over the Rome area. Despite continued adverse weather Polish, Indian, Canadian and British troops of the Eighth Army were engaged in active patrolling and clashed with the enemy at many points. Two small-scale enemy attacks were repulsed , by Indians. Fifth Army troops were engaged in patrolling on both the main front and the Allied forces’ beachhead at Anzio. DEPRESSSION IN GERMAN RANKS Prisoners captured in the Anzio beachhead revealed that there was considerable depression among the Germans at their continued failure to make any impression against the Allied troops, says a war correspondent at Allied Headquarters. Their morale is officially described as “considerably affected.” The Germans have suffered severe casualties and many lives have been lost in Kesselring’s three costly attempts to throw the Allies back into the sea. After these major offensives were launched German morale was high. They had been told tbey would be given terrific air support and the attack would be* headed by 300 tanks, half of them the latest Tigers. Even Hitler boosted the Fourteenth Army’s morale by sending a special message saying they would push the Allies into tho sea in three days. The prisoners said the beachhead battles were hellish and the Allied artillery fire much worse than anything they had encountered on the Russian front. The British Second Field Regiment and the Fortyfifth American Division distinguished themselves in the recent beachhead fighting. Giving details of the operations in the past 24 hours the correspondent says British troops raided the village of Pisavini in the mountains and further south the Poles cracked hard at the enemy with fighting patrols. New Zealand artillery shelling Cassino town started large fires. It is believed they exploded an ammunition dump. Allied patrols carried out several successful raids in the Littoria sector of the Anzio beachhead. The Germans persist with their efforts to infiltrate southeast from Carrocetto, but every time tbey are pushed back by tbe Americans. One recent attack cost them 100 casualties With 33 dead from one company alone. FLORENCE BOMBED TOR PIRST TIME Florence was bombed for the first time on Saturday, says a war correspondent in North Africa. A strong formation of Marauders attacked the railway yards and heavy damage is reported. The official statement regarding the attack drew attention to the severe handicap the Allies incurred by leaving tbe railway yards alone in order to avoid the possibility of damage to the unique art treasures of the city. 4 * There is no doubt that in Florence as in Rome,” says the statement, “the Germans made deliberate use of the Allies’ obvious reluctance to risk incidental damage to the artistic, historic and religious objects of tbe city. Photographic reconnaissance showed heavy concentrations of rolling stock and equipment. Only the most experienced and accurate bomber squadrons were used for the job and every possible precaution was taken in briefing the crows and in execution of the attack to avoid damage to the city itself. British and American bombers have for months attacked the lines in and out of Florence without ever venturing over the rail targets within the city. ’ ’ Major-General John Cannon, Commander of the Mediterranean Tactical Air Force, in a message to the crews oi the Marauders after the bombing of Florence, said: “You hit the most vital railway target left in Italay and hit it without damage to the city’s priceless art treasures. You smashed another supply artery the Huns sorely needed. You were picked for the job because you had demonstrated against other pinpoint targets—bridges, harbours and tho Rome railway yards—that you sharpshoot without wasting bombs. ’ ’ The railway yards lilt by the Marauders were only about 2000 yards from historic churches and palacos. The Rome radio said the Liberators bombing Florence hit closely-populated parts of the city and left a trail ol destruction and many casualties. Liberators on Friday attacked Toulon and scored hits on submarines and submarine pens. They also attacked Padua (Italy) where they encountered tierce fighter resistance culminating in the biggest air battle since Regensburg on February 25, says Reuter’s Mediterranean correspondent. Rome was raided again on Friday morning according to tlio Rome radio. The raiders swooped down and raked the city’s streets with machinegun . fire. The suburb of Salario particularly , suffered.