8TH ARMY GAINS IN ITALY

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24365, 18 September 1944, Page 5

BTH ARMY GAINS IN ITALY

BRIDGEHEADS OVER MARANO FIGHTING ON ADRIATIC SECTOR (N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) (Reo. 10 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 16. In Italy the Allies have made, important if not spectacular progress m the Adriatic sector, where they have driven well into the Gothic Line defences and have established bridgeheads over the Marano river.' Beyond the river several ridges further north, varying from five to 10 miles, have still to be negotiated before the Allies debouch into the Lombardy Plain. “The Bth Army has considerably increased its bridgehead north of the Marano river against continued enemy resistance.” says an Allied communique. “In the high ground on the left of this sector the enemy has been driven from Gemmano and Monte Colombo. United States, British and Indian troops of the sth Army have been engaged in fierce fighting in the Gothic Line positions. “Our light vessels in the Gulf of Genoa left one enemy destroyer sinking by the stern and secured several hits on enemy lighters and another destroyer. “Heavy bombers attacked targets throughout the Balkans and the AcgGSIL “The Bth Army continues to advance on the whole Adriatic front,” says the Exchange Telegraph’s Rome correspondent. “Greek troops have reached the edge of the Rimini airfield three miles from the town. Fighting continues four miles south-west of Rimini itself. Since the start of the Adriatic offensive 5500 Germans have been taken prisoner. “Allied heavy bombers attacking three Athens airfields on September 15 destroyed aeroplanes on the ground, including 60 Junkers, 52 transports, and damaged 20 other aeroplanes. Heavy bombers inflicted heavy damage on the Salamis U-boat base in Greece.” GERMAN FORCES IN CRETE GREEK REPORTS OF WITHDRAWAL LONDON, Sept. 15. The Greek Information Bureau in Cairo says that the Germans are evacuating Crete, and also continuing their withdrawal from the Aegean Islands. The Greek Government has announced that Greek guerrillas have liberated Kalama and Pyrgos, two important towns' in Peloponnesus. Up to 500 heavy bombers on Friday continued the attacks on Greece started by Royal Air Force night bombers, says a Rome correspondent. They bombed three aerodromes crowded with transport, and other aircraft, and a submarine base in the Athens area. A large number of Junkers 52’s and fighters had been observed on die airfields near Athens, on which Flying Fortresses and Liberators scored hits. Elying Fortresses also bombed a submarine base at Salamis. Only two enemy aircraft intercepted the bombers and both were shot down by Mustangs, which also strafed the Athens area. Rocket-projectile Beaufighters operating from easten Mediterranean bases attacked shipping in Paroekia Harbour, Paros, in daylight on Thursday, says a Middle East communique. They set fire to a lighter, which was left burning furiously, and damaged a coastal ship with cannon fire, Malerae and Heraklion aerodromes on Crete were bombed on Tuesday and Wednesday nights and again on Thursday night. WORSE DEFEATS COMING WARNING TO GERMAN PEOPLE ADVANCES BY ALLIES ADMITTED LONDON, Sept. 15. The German newspapers and the German radio are preparing the Germans for worse defeats than those already suffered by the armies of the Reich in Russia, France, and Belgium. The Allied penetrations into German territory are frankly admitted. The “Daily Mail’s” Stockholm correspondent says that the tone of the whole battery of German newspapers and radio commentators indicates that the Nazis expect catastrophic news within the next few weeks. Goebbels in his newspaper “Das Reich,” gives one of the gloomiest of all reviews of the war situation. He says: “Our path now leads through a vale of grief. It was not so much the valour of our troops that allowed us to penetrate deeply into enemy territory in the first three years of war; it was rather the luck of the draw, and it was only to be expected that luck would not favour us for ever. “But we are not allowing ourselves to be mesmerised by the enemy’s successes. We are firmly resolved to make use of any means for the defence of our country and never, even in our most secret thoughts, will we contemplate cowardly capitulation.” The Berlin radio commentator (Captain Hartmann) said that large areas of Germany may have to be abandoned to the Allies “for strategic reasons.” “The Germans are preparing to move their troops from Norway, Denmark, and other possible sources in order to strengthen the western defences," said the United States Secretary of War (Mr H. L. Stimson) at a press conference. He added that a good section of the German ’ 19th Army, which retreated from southern France, had reached German soil, weary, and suffering from casualties. It had lost most of its heavy equipment. “German civilians are at present being drafted for the crucial final stand irrespective of their physical condition or their importance to essential industries because no German troops can be spared from the Russian and Italian fronts. “The pressure on the Gertnans from western Europe, Russia, the Balkans, and Italy is steadily mounting. Whatever time it takes the screws will be turned until the enemy cracks,” said Mr Stimson. “FUTURE LOOKS HORRIBLE" COMMENT IN COLOGNE NEWSPAPERS (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 16. “The ordeals of the German people forced to evacuate Aachen and other German towns in the west are reported by the Cologne newspaper ‘Koelnische Zeitung,’ ” says Reuter’s Stockholm correspondent. “The newspaper says: ‘The trek across the Rhine to new homes further east proceeds apace. “ ‘The evacuation has opened new battlefields. The civilian population must face the hard fact that modern war, with its artillery and air raids, creates new deep battle zones. “The Rhine is now experiencing war with all its horrible consequences. Day after day come new raids from fighters, which shoot up trains and every type of vehicle moving along the roads.” , .. The Exchange Telegraph Agency correspondent in Zurich quotes the Cologne newspaper “West Deutscher Beobachter" as saying: “The future looks horrible, but our strength lies in the fact that nb one can leave the sinking “ship. That is why we are strongest in despair.”