Evening star., 1944-03-01
Nazis Launch Major Anzio Drive
Using New SecretWeapon Tank;
Attacks at Two Points Repu|sed
Germans Claim
EncircIement of
Large Force
MAP on Page Az
BY the Associated Press.
AITTED HEADOIIAPTFPS G

fMUp OF rage Az
BY the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS
NAPLES, March German
troops, armed with a new "Se.
cret weapon" tank loaded with
explosives, have slugged out ir
new assaults against the Anzic
beachhead, and Allied head
quarters said this may be a thirG
great offensive aimed at driving
the invasion troops into the sea
The Nazis opened heavy attack
midway between Carroceto and Cis.
terna yesterday morning, and thi.
was growing stronger. The Cisterns
area has been the main American
theater in the beachhead.
Artillery duels thundered anC
front-line dispatches last night sale
the enemy had pounded the beach
head with the heaviest bombardment
since the initial landings.
(Today's German communique
said "a major enemy group
southwest of Cisterna" had been
encircled and that the Nazis were
maintaining strong artillery pres
sure against the Allied position.
cBy means of shock-troop oper-
ations, we succeeded in mopping
up enemy strong points," the
communique, broadcast from
Berlin, said.
(The Germans claimed their
bombers sank 5,000-ton trans
port in Anzio Harbor and dam
aged four others totaling $4,000
tons and a landing barge)
IA New Tanks Exploded.
Allied headquarters disclosed the
Germans had used new radio-con-
trolled tanks, bearing 1000 pound
charges and designed to blow ur
within Allied lines, but that artillery
had exploded IA of them before they
reached the lines. The blasts
probably caused great damage to
Nazi positions instead.
The Germans struck at the beach,
head at two points Monday and
Tuesday night and continued to "ex-
ert pressure" without result, head
quarters said.
There were no details on the thrust
against the eastern half of the
beachhead between Carroceto and
Cisterna, but if it develops into a
major offensive, it would be the
third attempt to wipe out the
strongly held Allied sector.
Allied artillery and bombers lashed
back, with American planes ham,
mering Nazi troops and tanks
massed in the Cisterna area.
NaZis Probing Lines.
The Germans were probing the
beachhead lines, apparently seeking
soft spot, and their tanks appeared
in increasing numbers.
Allied artillery and mortars broke
up small but determined attack or
British positions in the ravine cu
were close fighting continued. ThL
was the third attack there in three
days of skirmishing in which foul
Nazi tanks were knocked out.
A British company on patro
captured prisoners in this area.
The Germans heavily shellec
American positions southeast o.
Carroceto Monday night and ther
two strong enemy patrols pressed
forward but were thrown back
Allied shells scored hits on what
seemed to be two enemy ammuni-
ton dumps
Artillery also repulsed German
patrol in the coastal area along the
northern part of the beachhead.
Bad Weather Reported.
The beachhead battle was de.
veloping in cloudy weather with
showers.
On the Casino front to the east
British troops threw back a Naz
attack near Mount Ornito in the
lower Garigliano River bend anc
Allied guns successfully shelled Ger
man motor-borne troops on High
way 6 near Casino.
Along the Adriatic sector 9th Army
forces improved position on a ridge
south of Guardiagrele and Allied
patrols felt out Nazi lines. Heavy
guns were active.
An official announcement de-
scribed the Nazi-controlled tanks as
having a low silhouette, with a ra-
dio aerial for directing it and then
exploding it by remote control
against a chosen target.
The former Lehr Regiment, a
crack unit which had been stationed
permanently in the great German
training center of Doeberlitz to dem
onstrate the latest weapons and tao
tics, was brought to Italy to put the
tanks into action.
Staged Demonstration.
With great fanfare, the regiment,
now known as the 309th Infantry
paraded before the main Nazi forces
and staged an abortive demonstra-
tion of the new weapon.
The tank wheels spun around
but the tanks themselves failed to
move at that time
None of the tanks actually reached
Allied lines, falling victim to ar
tillery fire.
Allied airmen flew about zoe
sorties over the beachhead yester-
day-compared with 80 by the Ger
mans-and delivered their heaviest
blow at enemy concentrations
around Cisterna.
IA Tons of Bombs Dropped.
American Invaders dumped IL
tons of bombs in an hours attack
there, an average of 500 pounds of
explosive a minute ripping into the
Nazi camp. .Warhawks drove home
the blow with 1,00O-pound bombs,
and just before dusk Bostons pound
ed the town of Cisterna itself.
Six Allied and six German planes
were lost during the day.
Other Allied formations pounded
Nazi targets ringing the beachhead,
and Marauders raided the Viterbo
airfleld northwest of Rome. The
railroad station at Giulianova on
the east coast also was hit.