ITALIAN FRONTS

Evening Star, Issue 25426, 6 March 1945, Page 5

ITALIAN FRONTS

IMPORTANT GAINS MADE BUILDING UP FOR SPRING OFFENSIVE (Rec. 11.55 a.m.) LONDON, Mar. 5. American troops advancing west' of the highway made important gains for building up for the coming spring offensive, says the Exchange Telegraph's Rome correspondent. The towns and heights occupied provide the Allied armies ivith excellent jumping-off places. Italian troops on the Eighth Army front cleared coastal woods and captured several German strongpoints. British tanks and Italian infantry launched a joint frontal attack against Terradi, a primary feature being the close .co-operation between British artillery and the Italian infantry. Allied tanks, after short engagements, drove enemy infantry into the open. • An Allied communique from Italy reports that American Fifth Army troops west of the Bologna-Pitoia highway further improved their positions and occupied Monte Dellacroce. "" Eighth Army forces cleared some positions on the east, bank of the Senio River. Activity elsewhere was confined to patrolling. Three French cruisers on Friday bombarded a railway tunnel near Bordighera, on the Franco-Italian frontier, to prevent activity by an enemy armoured train. The bombardment was entirely successful.