Fifth Army Advancing in Ruins of Cassino

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 63, 17 March 1944, Page 5

Fifth Army Advancing in Ruins of Cassino

Offensive Follows Record Blitz Fr§m Air (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Friday, 12.40 a.m. LONDON, March 16. An Allied communique from Italy states: “After a heavy bomoardmenu the town of Cassino was attached by mlantry and tanks strongly supported by artillery. The Allied beacuhead force attacked and took two enemy strongpoints, holding them against heavy counterattack. Patrols wero active on the Fifth and Eighth Army fronts clashing with the enemy and taking prisoners. Very large forces of Strategic Air I’orce heavy bombers in coordinnation with strong iorces of Tactical Air Force medium bombers attacked the town of cassino in support of the groimd forces. Strong forces of medium and heavy bombers last night successfully attacked Sofia. Medium bombers attacked San Benedetto and Coastal Air Force bombers bombed Viareggio harbour, also Follonica. A Junkers-88 was destroyed by fighters on Tuesday night in a raid on the Naples area. Six Allied planes are missing from the operations yesterday. The Mediterranean Air Force flew approximately 2500 sorties over the battle area and only about 40 enemy planes were sighted. Tank-supported Fifth Army infantry after overcoming fierce resistance in the northern part of Cassino are now reported to be engaging tbe enemy on a small hill between Cassino and Monastery Hill, which the Germans still hold. Correspondents declare that not a building remains standing in Cassino following the catastrophic bombing which the Daily Telegraph describes as a ghastly and horrible vision of the potentialities of modern mechanised war. The Daily Mail says it was one ot the most appalling sights seen in this war. The British United Press says tanks went into the battle in the afternoon amid tremendous Allied shelling and renewed bombing which followed up the morning’s gigantic assault. “Let the Germans ponder. What we have done to Cassino we will do to every stronghold in which they elect to make a stand,” declared General Eaker (Commander of the U.S. Air Force), broadcasting from Naples. He added that more than 3000 sorties were flown and more than 2500 tons of bombs were dropped—half of them on targets less than a mile square. Never before have air forces concentrated so much destruction on a target of comparable size in a single mission. The Allies struck suddenly and with devastating effect on the Italian front to-day, when our air and land forces combined in a tremendous assault on the German positions in and around Cassino. The attack opened with what is described as the greatest bombing operation in the history of Mediterranean warfare. The full weight of both the Strategic and Tactical Air Forces was hurled into a series of raids on Cassino and surrounding area. From 8 a.m. until midday wave after wave of bombers of every type, from Fortresses and Liberators to fighter-bombers, rained bombs on the towfi. They flew about 3000 sorties and unloaded more than 1400 tons of bombs on an area of less than a square mile. Reuter’s correspondent says that the weight of the air attack on Cassino showed that the Allies this time are determined to smash through the Cassino positions towards the Liri Valley and Rome. It is officially stated that this large-scale air effort was part of a coordinated plan. One bomber group is reported to have attached whistling devices to as many of their bombs as possible, in order to “see how the Germans like being on the receiving end of screamers. * ’ The Exchange Telegraph Agency correspondent says that the Allied air forces simultaneously dropped about the same weight of bombs on bridges and communication centres north and northwest of Cassino—places where the Germans might have attempted another Cassino-like stand. The British United Press correspondent says that the air onslaught established a record for the number of planes used, in addition to the weight of bombs dropped. As many as 72 heavy bombers simultaneously unloaded bombs on Cassino, and over 500 planes were around the target at one time. A gigantic sheet Gf flame enveloped the southern part of the town before midday. A new huge pall of smoke rose up after every wave of bombers had swept over the target. General Alexander and General Clark both watched the great air attack.