Evening star., 1944-03-20

and to important Hill No. 165
above.
By the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS
Naples, Mar. 20.-The German.
have succeeded in reinforcing
their remaining strong points ir
Casino and have regained {
hill to the west from 5th Army
troops in heavy fighting, Allied
headquarters announced today
On the towns Southwestern
fringe, Allied infantry and armol
continued to attack enemy forces
holed up in ruins in and around tn,
Continental Hotel.
About 100 German prisoners wer,
reported taken in the battle for tn,
wreckage of the hotel, in whoss
ruins the Germans had installed
two tanks. Allied armor moved latt
yesterday against the hotel strong.
hold and Associated Press Wal
Correspondent Lynn Heinzerlinf
said one enemy tank was knocked
out.
5th Army Holds Rail Station.
Fifth Army troops kept 4 firm
hold on the railway station, a mil.
south Of the town, although the
Germans shelled it heavily with
mortars and artillery.
The Germans recaptured Hill 1855
a bitterly contested height which
has changed hands several time.
since the Allied onslaught against
Casino began in earnest last
Wednesday. Allied troops had re.
taken the hill Friday after beine
flung from it by vicious enemy
counterattacks the previous day. :
Ten enemy tanks were spottee
about four miles west OF the towY
and were dispersed by artillery.
In Casino itself, large numbers OF
German prisoners were taken yes.
terday and Mr.. Heinzerling said tn.
struggle seemed to have taken {
fresh turn in favor of Allied arms.
Nazi Positions Dominate Valley.
The Continental Hotel is strate.
gically situated in the area wher,
Highway s leaves the town on 1t,
westerly course-an area which, Mr.
Heinzerling noted, "the New zea.
landers must hold to push beyond
Monastery Hill and out into tn.
broad valley which runs toware
Rome"
But strongly-fortified German hill
positions still command that vale,
and Highway from both sides a.
it curves westward around Monas.
terry Hill a short distance south O.
Casino. German concentrations IL
a ducal castle south of the highway
beyond the curve and in the ancien
Roman amphitheater in the sam.
area were shelled heavily by 5tI
Army guns yesterday.
The Germans counterattackee
strongly early yesterday in the serie.
of ridges between the western edg.
OF the town and the ruined Bene.
dictine Abbey atop the towering
Mount Casino mass, but by night.
fall 5th Army forces had wiped ou
most OF the enemy gains.
In this fighting Castle Hill wa.
won and lost by the Germans ane
at latest report Indian troops ther,
still were successfully withstandin,
a further enemy attack. The Ger.
mans captured another hill in tn.
same area.
Nazis Believed Using Tunnels.
AS the fighting for Casino drag.
on the belief becomes ever stronger
that the Germans have developed {
maze of tunnels connecting theil
positions in the hills and town
1T is even believed possible" Mr.
Heinzerling wrote, that tunne
runs from the abbey down through
Monastery Hill to the town 1,50t
feet below-which would account fol
the Germans ability to reinforc.
their garrison in Casino with such
ease"
Sharp local fighting broke out yes.
terday on the Anzio beachhead, but
the announcement said no impor.
tant changes occurred in the from,
lines.
Eighth Army patrols clashed with
the enemy at number of points
Nazi Plane Crashes in Rome.
Flying 1900 sorties, the Mediter.
ranean Allied Air Force yesterda,
destroyed 30 enemy planes alto.
gether while losing II. One of tn,
enemy planes was sent crashing ir
flames inside Rome.
The British cruiser Orion shellee
the Germans in the Littoria area o.
the Anzio beachhead in conjunction
with Allied artillery fire. German
guns there continued to lay down &
harassing fire over the beachhead
but Allied artillery fire drove off &
small group of enemy troops thai
thrust at the western flank of the
beachhead.
Light French naval forces also in.
tercepted a German convoy some
where in the Central Mediterranean
sinking three ships and probably g
| fourth
Three United States patrol boats
daringly penetrating the Liguriar
Sea off the northwestern Italian
coast, sank a lighter in an attack or
a convoy of two lighters and two E
boats. Another enemy E-boat wa.
sunk by American patrol boats west
of Anzio
l54 Plane Engines Ruined
OTTAWA. Mar 20 LP).-Fire O
undetermined origin ruined an over.
hauling, reconditioning and testin,
plant Of Ottawa Car a. Aircraft
Ltd, at nearby Uplands yesterda,
and destroyed 154 aircraft engine,
valued at $4,000 each which were tr
the building.