Evening star., 1944-02-14
Anzio Situation Slightly Better
As Intensity Of Battle Lessons;
Nazis Predict Big Drive by Allies
American Troops
Gain 200 Yards
In Casino
BY the Associatee, Press.

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS
Algiers, Feb. 14.-Fighting of a
seesaw character but of lessened
intensity has marked the Allied
perimeter at Anzio in the last "a
hours, headquarters announced
today after the Allies weathered
a week end crisis.
Regaining the initiative in part
after the blanketing Of Allied air
support by bad weather had given
German armored units an edge,
British troops drove forward and
recaptured bottleneck bridge over
the railway west of Carroceto
(Aprilia), 10 miles north of Anzio,
with the support of tanks.
Emphasizing the indeterminate
nature of the battle, however, the
Germans again occupied the factory
half mile east of Carroceto after
days of fierce fighting in which the
battered packing houses and silo-
like structures of Benito Mussolinis
agricultural enterprise changed
hands four times.
Swedish press dispatches from
Berlin today said the battle south
of Rome is increasing in intensity
and that heavy Allied offensive
is expected shortly.
(The Berlin correspondent of
Stockholm's Svenska Dagbladet
quoted German Spokesmen as
saying that south of Carroceto
the British already have returned
to the initiative.
(The same papers Bern cor
respondent quoted German mill
tary circles in Italy as admitting
the Allies had great advantage
in materially
Americans Gain in Casino,
While the Allied Air Forces again
struck the German ring about the
bridgehead and other objectives in
800 sorties, American troops scored
a 200-yard advance in Casino go
miles to the east. battering down
each German stronghold in house.
toulouse struggle.
The Germans, too, still held the
ancient towers and buildings of the
Benedictine Monastery atop the hill
west Of Casino.
Following Saturdays Allied an
nouncement that the Pope's summer |
residence at Castel Gandolfo, just |
north of the Anzio bridgehead, was
saturated with Germans and there
fore was subject to bombing, the
Allies stated that the monastery was
being used by the Germans as part
of their Notifications as we'll as an
observation post and that it might
have to be taken by direct assault.
But there was no report here,
contrary to Rome radio declarations,
that the abbey had yet been bonn
barded
(The German communique de-
clared an Allied penetration to
the center of Casino has been
eliminated. Rome was bombed
last night, it declared)
1000 Prisoners Taken.
An official announcement said the
British and Americans had taken
well over 1000 German prisoners in
the beachhead fighting since the
landings on January %.
Since the Allies pulled in their
forward units and formed their pres
ent perimeter around the beach
head on February the line has
been firmly held and has remained
substantially unchanged, despite
strong German counterattackS along
the northern flank, headquarters
commentator stated.
Many of these attacks were made
by units of the 715th German In
fantry Division, hurried to italy from
Southern France. The division suf-
fered heavy casualties and was now
considerably depleted. AS result
the German attacks diminished in
the last "a hours.
The German attacks grew particu-
larly ominous Friday when German
armor began jabbing at the Allied
fianks, with rain, gales and mist
breaking up the air cover which
previously had kept the enemy tanks
in check
Weather Somewhat Clearer.
Yesterday the ground was soft,
making the movements of vehicles
difficult, and the weather, while
colder, became somewhat clearer al
lowing impatient British and Amer
lean airmen to resume their regular
patrols, dive bombing and strafing.
Patrol activity on the ground con-
tinued on all the other fronts, but
many mountain passes were blocked
by snow on the 9th Army front.
French troops in the Terelle area
north of Casino ambushed one
(See ITALY, Page A-4)