ADVANCE DISRUPTS KESSELRING'S ARMY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 153, 30 June 1944, Page 5

ADVANCE DISRUPTS KESSELRING'S ARMY

GATHERING SPEED

Allies Take More Towns

On All Sectors

X.Z. Press Association—Copyright I Rec. 10.30 a.m. LONDOX. June 29. j Gathering speed, the Fifth Army's advance up the Italian coast has' thrown Kesselring's Army into confusion, says Reuters correspondent at Allied Headquarters in Italy. The j Germans, after the French troops! had smashed through strong i defences and overran three towns, 1 broke off contact. The Eighth Army meanwhile is; forging steadily forward. The enemy, j after devastating the whole area j north of Chiusi, has taken up a line along the Chienti River. The Allied armies continue to j exert pressure on the enemy and have again advanced in a number; of sectors, says to-day's communique | from General Alexander's Head- j quarters. Fiftii Army troops in the j coastal sector have taken C'astagneto and are thrusting forward on the I highway. One further inland road] j junction town of Monteciano was) j occupied and advanced elements are j j now only 12 miles south-west of j Siena. ; Monteciano is under 14 miles from ! ; Siena and the junction of the Gros- '■ j seto-Siena road with a lateral road.! i French troops to the east have j | made substantial gains with ad- | vanced units beyond Montichiello, 1 Pienza and Montalcino. i Eighth Army troops, driving back ] the ehemy north-west of Chiusi have ; 1 occupied " among other places the I j villages of Laforce and Frattavec-1 ! chia, west of Lake Trasimeno. i I Limited gains against strong resist-! j ance have been made around j | Perugia. South-west of Lake Trasimeno, 1 the attack on Goiella continued for 1 six hours before tanks were able j |to enter the village on Thursday j ! evening. On the eastern side of j ; the lake, progress has been limited, j | and the enemy is still holding! : Magione in force, using the Magione ; I railway station as a strongpoint. j Heavy fighting occurred in thej vicinity of Colombella, six miles! north-east of Perugia, where pro- i gress was made, the forward elements advancing some two miles north-east from Colombella. r i he Eighth Army progressed in several! areas against strong opposition, with i continued stubborn resistance along 1 j virtuallv the whole front. The heights of Pacciano. about five miles ; north of Perugia, were taken after j ! hard fighting.