Evening star., 1944-02-15
Allies Shell Casino Monastery
After Attack by 100 Fortresses;
Artillery Rakes Fleeing Germans
Smoke Pours
From Wreckoge
OfAbbey
BY LYNN HEINZERLING,

WITH THE 5th ARMY AT
CASINO, Feb. 15.-Waves of
Flying Fortresses dropped bombs
on the centuries-old Benedictine
Monastery atop Mount Casino
today to help clear the road to
Rome, routing nearly 800 Ger
mans from the lofty observation
post where they had directed
murderous fire against American
troops.
AS the smoke of the earial bonn
bardment died down. Allied big guns
started shelling the abbey.
The first aerial attack came about
$50 am. (4:30 am. Eastern war
time) and sent from so to 100 uni
formed German soldiers running
from the monastery, ground OBJ
servers reported to Allied head
quarters.
Once they appeared in the open,
Allied artillerymen opened up with
a barrage of shells which covered
the terrain over which the Nazis
were fleeing.
A second wave of bombers fol-
lowed sending an estimated 200
more Germans out of the monastery.
They also were engaged by artillery.
Overlooks Town of Casino.
The monastery, founded IA CEN
turies ago. overlooks the town of
Casino and dominates the road
which the Germans hold as a cor
ridor for their desperately resisting
troops in Casino.
Because of its strategic position
the Germans had converted the
monastery into fortress and an
important key for their network of
Notifications, 70 miles southeast of
Rome.
Direct hits were scored by the
Fortresses - estimated to number
about 100-but there was no imme-
diate Allied estimate as to the extent
of the damage inflicted.
Ground troops of the 5th Army
were onlookers as our air force
dropped bombs on the monastery
and German network of defenses on
Abbey Hill this morning." an AL
lied headquarters statement said.
Ground observers reported direct
hits on the massive structure.
High explosives from at least two
strings of bombs smashed directly
on the roof of the sturdy old abbey.
Smoke Pours from Roof.
Smoke poured from the roof of the
abbey itself, and the earth-shaking
bombs sent up great plumes of gray
and black smoke
CA German communique
broadcast by Berlin said the
abbey was bombed although no
German soldiers were either in
the monastery or the vicinity.
Heavy damage was caused"
(Another German broadcast
asserted the monastery was
destroyed by British bombs"
(NBC Reporter Max Hill in a
broadcast estimated that the
monastery received about so di-
rect hits and said it was in par
tial ruins. The outer walls of
the .ancient monastery are still
standing, but the blue dome with
its cross is gone, and there are
gaping holes in the walls'D
Machine Gun Nests in Area.
The 5th Army has fought for
nearly two weeks to seize the town
of Casino and the rocky peaks
around the abbey without dam
aging the monastery.
But the slopes of Abbey Hill
have been honey-combed with Ger
man machine-gun nests and sniper
positions, and Allied officers asserted
the enemy has been using the mon
astery itself for machine-gun posts
and artillery observation, and also as
a cover for Germans defending the
hill.
German use of the monastery un-
doubtedN has brought death to
Allied soldiers, and Allied officers
said lives of more soldiers would be
saved by removal of the monastery
as dominatin point of the battle
field.
Many of the relics stored in the
buildings are believed to have been
removed to Rome, and perhaps other
safekeeping places.
Raid Follows Warning.
Today's bombing followed warn
ing, carried by bursting time shells
which scattered leaflets over the
area yesterday, advising the monks
and any Italian refugees there to
leave.
The leaflets said:
italian friends, beware! We have
until now been especially careful to
avoid shelling Mount Casino Mon
astery. The Germans know how to
benefit from this. But now the fight
ing has swept closer and closer to
its sacred precincts. The time has
(See MONASTERY, Page A-3D