Evening star., 1944-03-17
Nuzis Now Hold
Only One Corner
Of Ruined own
By the Associated Press.


ALLIED HEADQUARTERS,
Naples, Mar. 17.-Fifth Army
forces have now fought their
way through bomb demolished
Casino to it's southwestern out
skirts and have captured sew
eral prominent heights over
looking the ruined town, Allied
headquarters announced today.
New Zealand troops who plunged
into the rubble Immediately after
Wednesdays 2,500-ton aerial bonn
bardment encountered strong re-
sistance from Germans fighting
back from the ruins, but finally
drove them from all except one
corner of the town.
From that point strategic route 6,
known as Via Casilina, leads into
the Liri Valley and on to Rome.
Nazis Still Hold Abbey.
The Germans still were occupying
the ruins of ancient Mount Casino
Abbey overlooking the town and
from there were directing artillery
and mortar fire on Allied positions
in the valley.
The Germans were reported fight
ing hard to retain their hill posi-
tions west and northwest of the
town where, the communique said,
Allied forces also were making
progress.
On the beachhead below Rome
American troops beat back German
counterattacks aimed at regaining
two strong points taken two days
ago near Carano, east of Carroceto.
Casualties were inflicted on the Ger
mans and some prisoners were taken.
Inside Casino Allied engineers
played major role, filling huge
bomb craters and clearing a path
through the rubble for tanks and
foot soldiers. At one point it was
necessary to build a 70-foot bridge
to permit tanks and other vehicles
to cross a water-filled obstacle.
18 Nazis Captured.
Eighteen Germans were taken
prisoner soon after the New Zea-
landers entered the town, it was Of
flcia1y announced, and two German
tanks were knocked out west of the
town.
New Zealand and Indian troops
met obstinate German opposition in
the hills west of Casino, but made
short advances, occupying several
heights not Immediately identified.
Fifth Army artillery poured
streams of shells late yesterday into
the ruins of Mount Casino Abbey,
which Is atop Monastery Hill, in
support of the ground troops climb
ing slowly upward against the the
enemy's fire. Allied smoke shells
spread heavy pail around the hill
top, hiding activities in the valley
from German observation.
Writing from just outside Cas-
sino last night, Associated Press
War Correspondent Lynn Heinzer-
ling said:
THE astonishing thing about to-
days fighting was the fierceness
which the Germans displayed after
the smothering aerial attack of yes
terday.
Strong Machine Gun Line.
"The Germans had been driven
from many of their reinforced dug
outs or buried in them under an
avalanche of debris, but they still
clung to their positions at the i'm
portant crossroads in the southern
part of the town, and they were in
trenched behind a formidable line
of machine guns"
Mr.. Heinzerling said some of the
Germans apparently had fed from
Casino at the beginning of Wed
nesday's bombing, hiding out in
caves along the slopes of Mount Cas-
sino and elsewhere in the vicinity
and returning that night to meet the
Allied ground advance.
The Mediterranean Allied air
forces flew 1,l44 sortieS in all opera
tions yesterday, losing four planes
and destroying three enemy aircraft
LeghOrn Docks Raided.
Coastal Air Force medium bomb
ers hit the docks at Leghorn and
fighter-bombers attacked shipping
on the west coast of Italy.
In support of the Casino fighting
medium bombers of the Tactical
Air Force plunged beyond the
wrecked town and attacked enemy
gun positions in the Liri Valley and
In and around Piedimonte and
southwestWard toward Pontecorvo
Flghter-bomberS also unloaded eX-
plosives on German guns at Esperia,
just outside of the perimeter of the
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