CLOSING IN ON RIMINI

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24366, 19 September 1944, Page 5

CLOSING IN ON RIMINI

Bth Army_in Italy "BATTLE MOVING TO CLIMAX" (Rec. 12.5 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 18. Important gains have been made by the Bth Army in Italy on high South of Rimini, and the bridgehead across the Mariano river has been extended to a width of eight miles. Canadian and Greek troops, continuing their advance along the coastal road, are reported to have reached the Rimini airfield, about two miles from the town. Two British destroyers, in support of our ground forces, have been shelling the Adriatic coast in the area of Rimini. To-day's Allied communique says:— "Eighth Army troops on the Adriatic sector have made important progress on high ground on the left of the sector and are now holding a bridgehead across the river Maratio on a front of eight miles. British, American, Indian, and Brazilian troops on the sth Army'* sector are still engaged In fierce fighting within Gothic Line positions. There is no, material change on the remainder of j the front." The Rome correspondent of the As»; sociated Press says the Germans, because of the growing threat of a largescale Allied break-through • in the Gothic Line, are throwing in Tiger and: Panther tanks. Bitter fighting con-1 tinues on the sth Army front, where the coastal town of Viareggio was cap- j tured on Saturday. "The battle for the Rimini gap. on | the Adriatic coast, is rapidly moving to a climax," says a correspondent of the British United Press. "The Bth Army, advancing on an ever-widening front, is now moving on the southern outskirts of the gateway to the northern plains. The Allied bridgehead I over the Marano. a few miles' to the south-west, has been widened and I strengthened, and the Germans are •calling up all reserves to defend the] last height before Rimini." Reuter's correspondent says that although the Germans are using Panther and Tiger tanks to bar the way to Rimini, resistance is noticeably weakened inland, and the British have cut the Rimini-San Marino lateral road. The Germans in the sth Army area have camouflaged strongpoints of the Gothic Line defences with automatic weapons sited to throw »interlocking! bands of fire over all avenues of aoproach, these strongpoints being tackled one by one as the Allied forces creep nearer the Apennine passes. LABOUR MOVEMENT IN ITALY FREEDOM FROM POLITICS AND THE STATE (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) ROME, Sept. IV. The Italian Labour movement will in future be independent of politics and the State, according to a decision of the Italian General Confederation of Lsbour Conference. A Belgian, M. Walter Schevenels secretary of the International Federation of Trade Unions) presided. The British Trades Union Congress delegate (Mr Tom O'Brien) told the conference that if the Italian unions kept free from politics they would have the unconditional support Of British trade unions. i The conference passed a resolution asking British and American trade unions to request their Governments not to treat Italy as an enemy, but as an ally, "in view of the great efforts made to establish a democratic Government and the aid given to the Allies in liberated and unliberated Itfly by the working classes." The conference also asked that Italy be 'granted lend-lease benefit. w 1