Evening star., 1944-03-03
BY the Associated Press.

DedCQnedQ.
Heavy Air Attack.
Whether the enemy is regroupine
for continuance of the offensive
from some other sector is not known
but a heavy attack yesterday by
Flying Fortresses, Liberators anc
lighter aircraft served as a strong
deterrent.
1t. Gen. Mark w. Clark, com
mander of the 5th Army, said last
night the enemy had suffered a
serious setback.
This latest German failure to wipe
out the beachhead, other Allied
officers said. meant that heavy losses
have been inflicted on the three divi-
sions which spearheaded the assault
centered on 1.000-yard front mid
way between Carroceto and Cisterna
The Mediterranean Allied all
forces, sending virtually their entire
strength yesterday against the Ger
mans around the beachhead, dropped
about 10000 augmentation bombs
from some 1000 planes-a record
for this type of attack in this
theater.
No Interception Encountered.
Flying Fortresses, Liberators, me-
dium, light and fighter bombers all
participated, the attack being con-
centrated on the Carroceto-Velletri-
Cisterna line. The German air force
made no attempt to intercept the
formations. The enemy planes were
sighted on one occasion, but they
failed to fight.
In the final attack late Wednes-
day in their two-day offensive, the
Germans were forced to cross open
country and Allied artillery tore
huge holes in their ranks even be-
fore they neared the Allied lines.
Everywhere now our lines remain
intact as before the offensive began
an Allied military commentator
said.
The three German divisions which
sprang forward in the short-livec
offensive have now been identified
as the 26th Motorized Division, tn,
Hath Jaeger (Rife) Division ans
the 362d Infantry Division.
Nine Tanks Knocked Out.
The enemy losses Included min,
tanks knocked out by one American
antitank unit at the height of tn,
attack and an entire company O
possibly 100 men ambushed by tn,
British during a diversionary Ger
man assault near the Moletta Rive
headwaters south of Carroceto.
Snow, rain and heavy winds re
mained hampering factors yesterda,
IN the Casino and 9th Army sectors
but artillery duelling and patrollinI
continued. Canadians of the 8tl
Army took a number of prisoner
in the Tollo area.
The Allied Air Forces, with strength
to spare from the beachhead bomb
ing, sent Spitf1res and Thunderbolt
In sweeps along the Yugoslav coas
in direct support of Marshal Tito
forces and they had field day il
knocking out 5 troop trains,
locomotives, 18 motor transpor
vehicles, staff cars and some horse
drawn wagons.
The Spitfires sighted one moto
convoy of at least so three-ton truck
which one of the pilots said wv,
couldn't miss" About third of tn
trucks were left burning and other
were damaged.
One formation of Spitfres bagget
their second enemy E-boat in tw
days and set small schooner afr
near Corfu.
Rail installations Bombed.
RAF We]lingtons bombed rail in
stallations along the coast northwes
of Rome between Montalto di Castr,
and Talamone last night and ship
ping and harbor facilities at Sal
Stefano, in Northwest Italy. P-39
set fire to a radio station nea
Leghorn.
The Germans drove $500 yard
into the center of the American
British defense line midway betweel
Carroceto and Cisterna before night
fall Tuesday, the opening day o
the attack. Headquarters announce,
yesterday 1000 yards had been re
gained.
Gen. Clark's statement that tn,
Allied lines had now been restore.
to their original positions tgave n,
indication whether the advance wa
continuing; but latest reports sait
fighting still was in progress.
After day-1ong tour of the from
lines yesterday, the 5th Army com
mander spoke enthusiastically of tn,
way in which American and British
units broke up the large-scale Ger
man attack and then moved forwar,
to win back the lost territory. HI
said the situation was well in hans
and expressed conviction that Allie,
control of the beachhead was frml,
established.
Addressing British troops near tn,
front line, Gen. Clark said he wa,
confident his forces could throw
back anything the Germans sen
lagainst them. He said he was greatl,
encouraged by the beachhead sit
luation.