CAPTURE OF RIMINI

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24370, 23 September 1944, Page 7

CAPTURE OF RIMINI

Important Gains In Italy

GOTHIC LINE ATTACK

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 12.30 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 22, The Adriatic city of Rimini has fallen to troops of the Bth Army, who have secured a bridgehead over the Mareccbia river, beyond which stretch the plains leading to Bologna. On the central sector the sth Army has captured Firenzuola, about 25 miles north of Florence,

and high ground beyond the town. To-day’s Allied communique, after announcfng the capture of Rimini, says:

"Eighth Army troops, after nearly a montn of continuous and bitter fighting, have driven the enemy from the San Fortunato-Coriano ridge and have established a bridgehead over the Marecchia river. The capture of Rimini is most important, as the town lies at the entrance to the Po valley."

"There are indications that the Germans are shifting troops from the west to halt the advance of the sth Army north of Floi'ence," said the Rome correspondent of the British United Press, in a dispatch yesterday. "The sth Army is approaching the village of Santa Lucia, half a mile south of the famous Futa Pass, the key position in the Gothic Line. It has also captured four more mountains guarding ihe route to the Lombardy plains. "The Bth Army continues its hard driving advance against bitter resistance between the San Marino Republic and the Adriatic. The Germans on the Rimini ridge have had to give more ground to the Bth Army, and lurthsr inland the British have captured the capital of the Republic of San Marino.” The "Daily Telegraph’s” correspondent with the Bth Army says; “General Alexander’s masterly' plan for penetrating the Gothic Line has completely succeeded, Field-Marshal Kesselring being outwitted and outmanoeuvred at every move. General Alexander early in August decided that the only way to penetrate the Gothic Line was to deceive Kesselring and take him by surprise. It is still too early to tell the full story of the campaign, but when the facts are known General Alexander’s strategy and the use he made of the limited forces at his disposal will ring as one of the war’s major tactical successes.” “We are hanging on to the mountain positions in the centre of the Gothic Line with our finger-nails,’' says the Rome correspondent of the “Daily Express.” “Although no large breakthrough is yet apparent in these fastnesses we have captured pillboxes and concrete-emplaced guns on crests of such importance that we threaten the whole enemy position. "It is officially announced that resistance in the last few days, which was as savage as has been known in Italy, has decreased somewhat. To individual infantrymen sheltering from mortar fire in the scrape that must pass for a slit trench in this rocky terrain the battle is still as bloody as ever, and each hilltop has its corpses to prove it significantly. The Germans, who are so meticulous in covering the dead, left so many in these hills, that sometimes there were no survivors to bury the dead. “Often Allied soldiers climb Gothic Line heights by pulling themselves up by the stumps of the shell-blasted lime trees, or, like mountaineers, holding each other’s rifle butte. They at times hurl hand grenades with one hand and cling to rocks with the other, The biggest heartbreak to the Allies has been that once one summit is reached another lies ahead, till one wonders if the Po valley is only a mapmaker’s dream. What may herald the end of the Gothic Line offensive is that we are beginning to take prisoners. We, in the last two days, took prisoner more than 600 from key positions north of Florence.”

DEATH SENTENCE PASSED

FORMER FASCIST OFFICIAL

(Reci 11 p.m.) LONDON,. Sept. 22. The Italian High Court has sentenced to death Pietro Caruso, the former Fascist chief of police in Rome. The Court ordered him to be shot in the back. Caruso’s secretary, Roberto Occhieto, was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment. Both were charged with collaboration with the Germans and with surrendering prisoners to German execution squads. Cgruso’s lawyer has presented a plea, for remission of the death sentence to the Minister of Justice, who is expected to refuse. According to the Rome correspondent of the British United Press, Caruso’s execution was postponed for 24 hours after an appeal had been made to Prince Umberto.

The Berlin radio, broadcasting an announcement from Mussolini’s headquarters, said that 40 hostages will be shot in the event of t’ j execution of Caruso,

GREEK PATRIOTS WAGE WAR

“MOST OF MAINLAND LIBERATED”

GERMAN WITHDRAWAL REPORTED

(Rec. 9.15 p.m.) LONDON. Sept. 22. "The whole Greek mainland, apart from certain coastal towns, is now in the hands of the Greek patriots, according to reports reaching Cairo,” says a British United Press correspondent.

“The Germans are clinging to communication points, but everywhere else are withdrawing as fast as limited transport permits, Athens and Piraeus are the only places still controlled by the Germans. The guerrillas control the hinterland to Salonika and beyond, and also southern Spirus. Guerrillas are reported to have captured two more lonian Islands.”

The Berlin, radio, quoting “Das Reich” when reviewing the German food situation, said: "Under the changed military situation Germany is no longer supplying food to Belgium, Finland, and Greece.” A correspondent of the British United Press says this implies that Germany has decided to abandon Greece.

WARSAW SITUATION UNCHANGED

(Rcc. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 21. A communique from the Polish commander in Warsaw (General Bors) says: s, There is no change in the general situation in Warsaw. German and Soviet artillery duels continue, and Russian aircraft are active. There has been no sign of enemy dive-bombers over the capital.” The Official German News Agency states that a large formation of British and American bombers in daylight dropped a number of Polish commando leaders by parachute on Warsaw. The agency claimed that all the commandos were shot in the air. Polish official circles in London deny knowledge <?f any Polish commando paratroopers being dropped in Warsaw. The German report is believed to be intended to pelittle the success of the Flying Fortress expedition recently, when arms and ammunition were successfully parachuted to the Polish forces in Warsaw.

Roosevelt Back From Quebec—President Roosevelt has returned to Washington from Quebec. —Washington, September 21.