BITTER FIGHTING CONTINUES

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 13331, 18 December 1943, Page 3

BITTER FIGHTING CONTINUES

THE ITALIAN FRONTS Gains By New Zealanders Heavy Counter-Attacks Beaten Off London, Dec. 17. Very bitter fighting continues in the Adriatic sector of the Italian front. The struggle sways along the line of the road from the port of Ortona inland to the villages of Orsogna and Guardiagrele on the eastern side of the Majella Mountains. On the inland side of this coastal corridor, 15 miles from the sea, New Zealand troops have fought their way across the road just north of Orsogna. They have held their gains in the face of two strong counterattacks by fresh German troops backed by tanks and flame throwers. On the coast just south of Ortona the Canadians have gained more ground. The Germans still hold the port but front-line reports say that they are burning the town in case they have to evacuate it. Fighting has again flared up in the most vital sector of the Fifth Army front, among the hills south of Cassino covering the main road to Rome. There has been fierce hand-to-hand fighting for the stronglyfortified village of San Pietro, a mile up the main Rome road, and four miles north-west of Mignano.

North of this point in central Italy troops on the right flank of the Fifth Army have taken several more dominating peaks. It was announced to-day that French troops are fighting in the Italian mountains. They have taker valuable high ground and captured many prisoners. These French forces include units experienced in mountain warfare who distinguished themselves in the Tunisian campaign. •

Better weather allowed Allied light "bombers to operate again over the battlefield. They attacked German troops and positions near Ortona. Along the front of both armies fighter-bombers attacked gun positions, roads and bridges. The strategic air force struck another heavy blow at German road communications in northern Italy. Their main target was Padua, which is a distribution point for traffic from Austria and the Balkans and for traffic coming through the Brenner Pass to the Adriatic coast.

Flying Fortresses -with long-range fighter escort, attacked the railway yards while Liberators attacked a bridge north of Padua. Enemy fighters tried to attack the bombers but of the fighters which came in range, three were destroyed.

Allied airmen have increased their attacks on the Germans in Yugoslavia. Boston bombers attacked ports down the Dalmatian coast at night and Mitchell bombers followed this with daylight raids on coastal shipping. American fighter pilots shot down six German aircraft over Yugoslavia and R.A.F. Spitfires attacked a factory and motor transport in Albania.