Evening star., 1944-02-13
War Review
Italian Beachhead
Fight Is Crucial
By Howard p. Bailey,

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so easily expanded and is now being
subjected to fierce Nazi attacks
which threaten disaster although
courageously resisting American ano
British forces so far have yielded
but little of the territory they cap
tured in their first victorious sweer
ashore.
On the other war fronts, the
developments of the week have been
very encouraging.
Additional German divisions have
been entrapped in the Dnieper Bend
as the Red Army goes Systematically
about the business of eliminating
them.
Frankfurt, one of Germany's
most important industrial cities
appears to be next on the list for
total destruction and last week un-
derwent series of saturation raids
which blasted it far along the road
toward complete devastation.
American naval forces carried the
war to Japan's home islands when
a task force swept in close to Para
mushiro and for 20 minutes poured
shells ashore amid the completely
confused japanese defenders.
Mopping up of the Kwajalein Atoll
and attacks on other Marshall
Islands continued, and down on New
Guinea a trap was closed on what
ever Japanese remain on the Huon
Peninsula which juts out toward
New Britain and which has been
virtually in Allied hands for many
weeks.
Hospital Tents Bombed.
The tempo of the fighting beyond
the Anzio anchor of the Allied
beachhead below Rome has in
creased to point where it appears
evident that the Nazis intend to
knockout the Allied position regard
less OF the cost. At least five divi-
sions and one brigade have been
identified among the forces now
smashing at Carroceto, the northern
corner of the Allied line. They in
clude the reorganized 65th Division
which was badly mauled by the
British 9th Army on the Eastern
front, the Hermann Goering and
the 26th Armoreds Divisions, the
29th Armored Grenadiers, 715th
Infantry Division and the Reichs-
fuehrer SIS Brigade.
Anger of the Allied forces in the
area was greatly increased when
two German bombers Tuesday at
tackled plainly marked hospital
tents killing % and injuring So
others, several nurses being among
the casualties.
The Nazis struck with such force
Monday they drove a temporary
wedge into the Allied lines which
penetrated about miles, but strong
counterattacks restored the original
positions. All week the fighting
mounted in fury and the air cover,
which had been one of the main re-
liances of the Allies, was limited due
to bad weather conditions.
However, despite the ferocity of
the assaults and the loss of full use
OF the aircraft, American and Brit
ish units clung to their positions and
took heavy toll of the enemy, who
appeared to replace losses and add
to the numbers as the week pro-
gressed.
Friday even Flying Fortresses and
Lioerators were called in to aid the
defenders when high winds abated
sufficiently to permit $50 sorties
against enemy positions and lines of
supply. Yesterday heavy units of
the British feet poured many shells
ashore to take some of the pressure
off the defenders.
Race for Time.
AS the week ended the battle ap-
peared to be a contest to determine
whether the Nazis can eliminate the
beachhead before the other units of
. the 5th Army crack the Gustave
Line to the south. AS matters stood
yesterday, the beachhead was hold
ing firmly, though the troops were
taking punishment, while Casino
anchor of the Gustave Line. was al
most completely in Allied hands as
1t. Gen. Clark strove desperately to
break through and rush up the Via
Casalina to the relief of the forces in
the bridgehead SO miles to the north.
American elements in the 5th
Army suffered 2,25S casualties dur
ing last week, of which number 323
were killed and 304 missing.
Seven Red Armies in Drive.
With seven Russian armies
smashing at the Nazis on the east
ern front there were increasing
signs of disintegration among the
enemy. Nikopol, center of the vital
manganese area upon the output
of which German war industry is
largely dependent, fell into Russian
hands Tuesday and at the present
time Krivoi Rog, key to the Ukrai-
nian iron industry, is under heavy
pressure and may be expected to
fall soon.
At least five divisions were caught
IN the Russian trap at Nikopol
while at Korsun, the net is being
drawn closer and closer around the
remnants of the 100000 men en-
shared in an encircling movement.
Heavy guns are pouring death into
the ranks of the Nazis whose plea to
Hitler for the right to surrender
Der Fuehrer would not even receive.
On the northern end of the 1900
mile battle line, the Reds are pene
trating deeper into Estonia and dis
lodging the Nazis from their posi-
tlons along Lake Peipus. The vital
Moscow-Pskov railroad is menaced
i