Evening star., 1944-02-12
Allied Warships Help Turn Back
New Nazi Assault on Beachhead:
F Front Lines Remain Unbalanced
Americans Score
Further Gains in
Casino Sector
By the Associated Press

AbL1ED RUARlERS, Al
giers, Feb. 12.-Allied warships
laundering into action have
helped repulse a new German
assault on the storm swept in
vasion bridgehead below Rome,
and a headquarters officer de-
clared today that despite Nazi
pressure the front lines there
have remained relatively un-
changed during the last few
days"
On the Casino front to the east,
American forces made new gains
IN bitter struggles within that town,
and in the hills to the west drove
within mile of the Via Casilina,
the Germans only corridor into the
city.
Rain, snow, sleet and gales can
celed Allied air blows against the
Germans pressing against the inva-
sion bridgehead, leaving the Ger
mans free to move up troops and
supplies harried only by naval and
land artillery bombardment.
Americans Repulse Attack.
The single Nazi attack yesterday
was flung unsuccessfully against
American troops in the area west of
Cisterna, where hard fighting con-
tinues, Allied headquarters said.
Naval units including the British
cruisers Mauritius of 5000 tons and
Dido of $3.50 tons moved close in
shore to shell the left flank of the
Germans as they attacked. The
Mauritius is equipped with nine and
the Dido with six 6-inch guns.
They can hurl shells 10 miles in
land.
Forty-five-mile gales were reported
sweeping the battlefield, holding air
activity to a minimum. Sixty mile
gales roared over the front yes
terday
Weather Impedes Operations.
"On all fronts operations were
impeded by rain, snow and sleet,'
the communique said.
(kenneth L. Dixon, Associated
Press war correspondent, in a
dispatch from Naples today, said
stormy weather which has been
favoring the Germans for the
last two days, appeared to have
given the 5th Army's amphibious
forces a break at least tempo
rarily by begging down the
enemy's armored attacks.
(Allied airmen continued to
pace their advanced bases, hop
ing a rift in the cloudy skies
would permit them to unleash
their superior aerial power in
support of the beachhead, he re-
ported. and there was some sign
that the airmen would get such
a chance before the day was over.
The suns rays were shining
through the overcast at intervals
limiting at clearer skies, he said
(CBS Correspondent John
DAILY said this morning that
latter four anxious days, the
core of the Allied beachhead be-
low Rome remains secure"
(Today's German communique
broadcast by Berlin said Nazi
artillery broke up heavy Allied
tank attacks against new Ger
man lines near Aprilia," knock
ing out II tanks)
Resistance at Jail Broken.
The gains by American troops in
bitter fighting in Casino included
the Jail which the Germans had
converted into one Of their main
fortresses, continuing to hold out in
Its basement even after Allied artil-
lery and tanks had leveled the struc-
ture. The Germans are resisting
there no longer.
The American units also knocked
out a number of strong points in the
northern part of the town. Their
push in the hills to the west threat
ened to choke off the Nazi supply
route into Casino.
Fighting in the mountains around
Casino was impeded by heavy snow
fall, but more artillery was brought
up to back up the American in
fantry.
Three thousand Germans have
been captured on the beachhead and
on the main front in the last week,
for a total of $4,000 Nazis taken
since the invasion of Italy began last
September, headquarters announced.
That is the equivalent of about one
division. The enemy also has suf-
fered heavy tolls of dead and
wounded.
Determined Local Attack.
In the Garigliano sector west of
Casino the Germans put in a de-
termined local attack against the
British near Mount Ornito, miles
northeast of Castelforte. On the
CONTINUED on Page "A, Column H.