GREAT WEEK-END DRIVE IN ITALY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 251, 23 October 1944, Page 6

GREAT WEEK-END DRIVE IN ITALY

CHASING GERM AM

N.Z. And British Troops h Hot Pursuit f

N.Z. Press Association— Copyright Rec. 2.30 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 22 English and Dominion troopls the Eighth Army, in a great tfeeV end drive, captured 50 square mile' of enemy-held territory south bf tt S Savio River, says the' Daily graph correspondent at Cesena, Onb a small enemy pocket at" Cervfa remains to be cleared.

Eighth Army troops ,in Italy a , O facing the Germans across X e Savio River on a ten-mUe says the Exchange Telegraph S?5 correspondent. The New ZealS are using every type of tranX? including bicycles and boats! to B» up a high speed chase of the reS ing Germans across the nS towards the salt pans south S Cervia... The commanding officer a one point commandeered a ffi? from which he cheered on his S swimming in the river. w

New Zealand armour HMI further inland crossed a S? pressed on through advanced to within a mile of th. Savio River crossing at Manl about six miles north of Cesena Tfi enemy below this point was forced to withdraw over the river and i* now strongly entrenched 'in m tions originally prepared to- counts a possible Allied landing north nf Rimini. ' 0I

Considerable Gains t- A £u c Y lier message;" said.-Hist Eighth Army troops in Italy had made what was officially described as considerable progress in the Pn Valley. TheyJiad.-cleared th 6 (jS mans from all but the western «w of'Cesena, and had captured Gesls tico, eight miles to the riorth-iit Cesenatico is near the coast ariaSn the Rimini-Ravenna road. - Further inland, New 'Zealand tanks and infantry and CaiSSSn forces had made swift thrusfe. The New Zealanders had'ihadeihe most striking advance in the new Allied attack. After crossing the Pisciatello River, near Macerdne they advanced 3000 yards over, a three and a half miles front.

" A correspondent says that.the Durham Light Infantry, after capturing the last height dominating Cesena from the south, entered the town with strong tank support, while Canadian infantry passed through the northern outskirts. •

On the Fifth Army front, east of the Florence-Bologna road, more important hill features have been taken and held against counterattacks. Fierce fighting continues. Naples is now one of the greatest ports in the. world in respect to the volume of goods handled, says the British Official Wireless. In.the past year a daily average of 21,320 tons of goods has been loaded and unloaded. One-sixth of this amount has been petrol, oil and lubricante.

I Enemy Given No Respite -Troops of the Eighth Army have given the feriemy no respite in the withdrawal.to the Savio River, which our-.troops have now reached on a cohsideßably broader 'front, after living crossed minor obstacles and much" marshy ground, which the enemy endeavoured to make impassable, states the: "Allied! communique in Italy. Cesena has been cleared of the enemy and a bridgehead established across the Savio River west of the town. Polish troops of the Eighth Army have taken Monte Grosso and Monte Delia Forche, north of Galaata. On the Fifth Army front Monte Grande, Monte Cuccoli and Monte Cerene have been taken, and our positions in them have been consolidated. . Active patrolling has been maintained on the remainder of the front.