Evening star., 1944-01-27

senting the Combined American Press.
distributed by the Associated .Press)
WITH ALLIED AMPPHIBIOUs
FORCES SOUTH OF ROME, Jan
Is Delayed Reinforced by Q
growing stream of supplies ano
equipment pouring into the shel.
tered port Of Anzio or transported
up the beaches by chugging ducks
loaded to the gunwales, American
troops on the Allied beachhead
southeast Of Rome have now seized
the initiative from the still-disor-
ganized Germans and, under cover
OF a gradually growing artillery
barrage, are attacking slowly far
ther inland.
Recently landed tanks are now in
action.
Meanwhile, Marshal Albert Kes-
selring, commanding the German
troops in Italy, is desperately seek
ing to disrupt the constant flow of
material and troops, which are
building up a bulging menace and
threatening to outflank his main
forces far southwark, by calling in
all available bombers from as far
away as Bordeaux, including long
range Heinkel TITS, in an effort to
knock out the vast armada of sup
ply ships lying off the resort area
Of Anzio and Nettuno.
Thanks to a combination of q
terrific curtain of fax, bursting
from naval and shore batteries, and
the continual umbrella of Allied
fighters maintaining 24-hour
patrol, his success has been limited.
Supplies Flown In.
The Germans, in addition to rush
ing up all available motorized ele-
ments from divisions recently
sucked southwark into the Allied
trap, have begun flying in REIN
forcements and supplies by plane
and glider. They have, as yet, not
been able to muster sufficient
strength for a satisfactory counter
attack and meanwhile the British
American forces, thanks largely to
an unexpected resumption of calm
seas, permitting full use of landing
facilities, are growing hourly
stronger.
This correspondent arrived here
today in Gen. Harold Alexander's
special party, including 1t. Gen.
Mark Clarks chief of staff, Maj.
Gen. Alfred M. Gruenther, and
other Allied generals. The trip was
made on the Spraygirt, from which
we transferred off the beachhead
onto rumbling American PIT boat
In the middle of a Nazi air raid.
1t was dramatic entry. Flashes
from the ship and shore batteries
reflected against an oily. gray sea
where innumerable landing craft
and warships rolled almost as far
as the view could penetrate and doz-
ems of silvery barrage balloons
strained upward toward banks of
clouds, numbering like great whales.
Suddenly, from hidden aerial
battle taking place somewhere above
the leaden curtain, plane plunged
swiftly earthward in a burning sheet
Of orange flame and seconds later a
parachute, luminous in the misty
glare, drifted gently down. The
dark, phantom shapes of P-40s
skidded northWard in the lower sur
faces of the clouds and in the higher
heavens could be heard the moan
Of Spitfires.
Cruisers Shell Nazi Positions.
AS Gen. Alexander's party jeeped
inland for our tour of frontal head
quarters, British and an American
cruiser lying of the coast along the
northern and southern limits of the
beachhead, respectively began pour
ing In broadside salvos of 6-inch
shell1re toward the German posi-
tions.
Shortly after the American YES
sci stood off to assume a new posi-
ton, enemy artillery batteries, fixed
on high ground, commenced a can
nonade against the British war
ship and a group of destroyers sour
ried in before it, laying a screen of
thick black smoke.
The connected vacation towns of
Anzio-Which, as Antium, was
Nero's birthplace-and Nettuno were
utterly deserted of civilian life. Bat
tered by previous Allied bombings,
occasional German shells and Nazi
air attacks, they rumbled with the
noises of the mechanical aspects of
war.
Huge tarpaulin-c ducks"
bounced through narrow streets, fol-
lowed by trucks loaded with troops
and towing artillery pieces. Chalked
beside the signboards of peaceful
fish vendors were curt advices Of en-
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