Evening star., 1944-03-16
Ruins in Fortress
Help Slow Down
Infantry, Tanks
MAP on Page A-3.)
BY EDWARD KENNEDY,
Associated Press War Correspondent.

plunged INTO Cne ghOSt city O.
Casino today, and Allied head
quarters reported steady prog,
ress, although the advance wa!
impeded somewhat by continu.
Ing German resistance and thu
ruins left by yesterdays recore
aerial bombardment.
The enormous destruction causet
by the weight of some $500 tons O.
bombs hampered the Allied armo
and from surrounding hills the Ger.
mans were laying down heavy NOR
tar fire on the town to hinder sap.
pers struggling to clear the debris.
Steady progress also was reported
In the hills to the northwest OF
Casino. AS the troops drove into
the rubble left by history'S mos
concentrated air attack, severa
hundred British and American ar.
tillery pieces pounded the enemy
back.
Counterattacks Checked.
On the beachhead below Rome
Allied ground forces also were or
the move, taking two German de-
fense points and holding them
against forceful enemy counter
attacks.
1t. Gen. Ira C. Eaker, commander
of the Mediterranean Allied All
Forces, called the Casino lombard
ment "a fumigation" and expressed
the belief few enemy defenses were
left intact.
On the basis of information avail
able at headquarters this morning
1t was certain some German still
were holding out in the immediate
vicinity of Casino, but whether
remnants remained in the town it.
self was not Immediately deter
mined. 1t was known, however
that there were many underground
hldeaways in the town.
At any rate, the Germans were
obeying Hitler's orders that this key
strong point on the way to Rome
must be held at all costs and were
fighting to the end, official reports
indicated.
Nazis Hold Strong Points.
In the northwest hills, where
Allied infantry was penetrating, the
Germans still hold many strong
points Immediately adjacent to the
town. The enemy was reported
fighting stubbornly from these
points, many of which are concrete
emplacements reinforced by steel
plate similar to that used in tanks
1t. Charles M. Keranen, an air
support officer who observed the
Casino attack from the ground,
said:
Just as the second wave of heavy
bombers came into sight l saw 20
German soldiers dash from a build
ing at the south end of town. They
were running like mad for some
dugouts outside town"
In the $500 sorties sent against
Casino and other targets in Italy
yesterday, the Allied air forces lost
six planes, it was announced Off
cially.
Nazis Use New Device.
Although 5th Army forces on the
beachhead threw back first enemy
efforts to regain the two enemy
strong points taken yesterday SOUTH
west of Carroceto, latest reports
today said fighting still was going
on under harassing enemy artillery
fire.
The Germans were said to be
using new graphing device" in
an effort to explode Allied mines
along the beachhead perimeter.
During the height of the air at
tack on Casino yesterday, the Ger
mans rocked French forces with a
strong assault miles north of the
battered city, but eventually were
repulsed. Another enemy assault
blunted itself against an Indian
Army formation near Casino with
heavy casualties.
Some prisoners were taken in pa
troll actions on both the 5th and
9th Army fronts. Increased enemy
shelling by night was noted in two
9th Army sectors.
Far-Ranging Air Attacks.
Allied aircraft made far-ranpinp
attacks yesterday. Spitfires bombed
Durazzo Harbor in Albania, hitting
the Jetty, and also attacked am
munition dumps north of Rome and
small ports along the Italian west
coast, Light and medium bombers
attacked the railway station at San
benedetto, on 1taly's Adriatic coast
and Kittyhawks bombed the rail.
road west of Terni, above Rome.
Other Allied planes sank three
German Siebel ferries and three
other small craft off the Dalmatisr
coast while Boston bombers reported
hits on highways north of Rome
and in Velletri.
But 1t was the Casino aerial at.
tack that claimed most of TODAY.
conversation among Allied airmer
In Italy.
Eaker Praises Operations.
Gen. Eaker voiced satisfaction owe,
the results. The performance of hi.
bombardiers, he said, was more de.
structive than he had expected.
Undoubtedly, never before in war.
tare have air forces concentrated
so much destruction on a target O
comparable size in a single mission,
he declared.
Bombers of all sizes and type.
took part in the obliteration effort
some loosed one load of bombs, ther
returned with another before The
day was out. Medium and light
oombers finished off the job in thu
afternoon after heavies struck dur
ing the morning
Of1cial photographs released las
nlght indicated that no building.
remained in the town.