ITALIAN FRONT

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24503, 28 February 1945, Page 7

ITALIAN FRONT

COUNTERATTACKS REPULSED (Sec. 11.15 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 21 Troops of the 6th Army in Italy have beaten back more counter-attacks against their newly-won positions in the mountains about 25 miles southwest of Bologna. Elsewhere on the front there have been sharp patrol Correspondents at Mediterranean headquarters say that sth Army troops are strengthening their newly-won positions on the heights south-west of Bologna, A fierce battle flared up on the Bth Army front when the enemy crossed the Senio river with the object of capturing Allied positions on the east bank ox the river near PaSignahO. The enemy was driven off after an hour’s heavy fighting. As they withdrew, one group of Germans entered a booby-trapped houses which blew up. The enemy also tried unsuccessfully to penetrate Bth Army positions further north. American troOps of the sth Army have captured more high ground west of highway 04, north-north-east and north-west of Monte Della TprracCia, about two miles north-east of Monte Belvedere. Several enemy pockets of resistance were mopped up on Sunday, and, in dose fighting; a number of pillboxes were neutralised and prisoners taken. The Allied forces rte now firmly established on a ridge running from Monte Belvedere to Monte German prisoners reported that the Germans have been suffering heavily from Allied artillery bombardments, One German said the. artillery concentrations were enough to break anybody’s nerve. He added that One Unit had suffered casualties of between 40 add 50 per cent/ in ; fighting strength since the beginning Of December.