PROGRESS IN ITALY

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 October 1944, Page 5

PROGRESS IN ITALY

CERVIA CAPTURED SAVIO BRIDGEHEAD WIDENED LONDON, October 23. j Troops of the Bth Army m Italy have liberated Cervia, an Adriatic coastal town about 20 miles northwest of Rimini. Cervia was reached | after an advance of five miles across marshy country. Inland our forces have broadened the bridgehead over the Savio River. “British and Dominion troops of the Bth Army, in the great week-end drive, captured 50 square miles of enemy-held territory south of the Savio River,” says the “Daily Telegraph’s” correspondent at Cesena. “Troops of the Bth Army have given the enemy no respite in his withdrawal to the Savio River, „ which our troops have now reached on a considerably broader front after having crossed minor obstacles and much, marshy ground which the enemv endeavoured to make impassable,”' states an Aljied communique. “Cesena has been cleared of the enemy and a bridgehead established across the Savio . River west of the town. Polish troops of the Bth Army have taken Montegrosso and Monte Della Forche, north of Galaata. On the sth Army front, Montegrande, Montecuccoli, and Montecere have been taken, and our positions in them have been consolidated. Active patrolling has ben maintained on the remainder of the front.” / An Italian resistance communique. i quoted by the Rome radio, says that partisans, after savage fighting, forced the Germans to evacuate the great St. Bernard valley on the main railway from Switzerland to Northern Italy. WELL-MATCHED ARMIES.

(Rec. 11.35) LONDON, October 23. Eighth Army tank men chasing the Germans on foot when the tanks could not go farther through swamps, took Cervia, says Reuter’s correspondent at Allied Headquarters in Italy. Their entry was like the liberation of some Greek town. There was only one casualty—someone looking for billets across the canal was shot by a sniper. Cervia escaped almost without damage, but the Germans had dismantled the great radio station. They had hardly got over the canal before Cervia’s citizens spread tables in the streets and laid out fruits, wines, and chicken with which to greet the Allied troops. The New Zealanders west of the salt pans along the coast clashed with German paratroopers who were still on the east side of the Savio River.

Fifth Army troops south of Bologna, although contending with roads churned into muddy morasses, further improved their positions nine miles south of the city. A battalion commander in the front line said: “The Germans are just about matching us round for round.” He estimated that in the past few days mortar fire had increase twenty-five-fold and artillery fire ten-fold. The Rome radio stated that the Germans have arrested the Archbishop of Turin and 40 of his priests. Thev are accused of hiding Jews and Allied war prisoners. The Germans surrounded the Archbishop’s Palace this afternoon and took the Archbishop and priests away, then ransacked the archives in the Palace.

WITH NEW ZEALANDERS

[Official War Corresponflent. N.Z.E.F.]

LOMBARDY PLAINS, October 20. Moving in a broad westerly sweep against light German opposition. New Zealand tanks and infantry to-day advanced five or six miles, and are now within a few hundred yards of the next important obstacle —the Savio River, beyond which runs the main road between Cesena and Ravenna. More settled weather, with sunny days and cold, clear nights, has improved the going for the tanks, but to-day’s advance, which is the greatest the division has made in the present pushed, was carried out in spite of many blown bridges and culverts across the numerous canals and deep irrigation ditches which thread the countryside. The operations called for much high-speed work by the' engineers, whose part in the recent operations has been extremely important.

Twenty or thirty prisoners, mainly deserters or men overrun by the speed of our advance, were captured to-day during mopping up operations. Statements by recent prisoners indicate an increasing disinclination by enemy soldiers to stand up to our artillery barrages, and most, of those captured, tar from being dejected, seem much relieved and even cheerful because they will no longer be subjected to these terrific attacks. The New Zealand front at the moment is very fluid.

NAVAL OPERATIONS

RUGBY, October 23.

A Mediterranean naval communique says: The destroyer Forbin on October 20, destroyed one enemy battery near the Italian-French border' and blew up an ammunition dump. On the morning of October 21, a force of British motor gunboats and motor torpedo boats met four I boats off Zaja on the Jugoslav coast. Two of these boats were sunk and the other two captured. Ninety-five prisoners were taken. On the same day, another I boat laden with stores and Ammunition was boarded and captured in the mid Adriatic. There was -no sign of the crew of these boats, and others are known to have scuttled themselves. They apparently sailed from Dubrovnik Slano before the occupation of Dubrovnik by partisans. On October 22, twenty-eight German seamen were picked up from brokendown boat thirty miles east of Ancona.

ITALIAN NEWS AGENCY.

LONDON, October 23

“The publishers of the daily newspapers in Rome and other papers in liberated Italv are seeking Government and Allied sanction for a new Italian news agency to replace Stef'ani,” says Reuter’s correspondent in Rome. “The name of the new agency ; s Agenzia Radio Telegrafica Italiana. known as Arti. Its constitution and purposes are stated to be similar to British and American agencies. Arti is reported to be independent of political’ and financial groups and is cooperatively owned.” U.S.A. COMMANDER. (Rec. 9.20 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 22. Lieutenant-General Joseph McNarney arrived from Washington and has taken up his duties of Supreme Commander in the Mediterranean theatre and Commanding General for the United States Army in the North African theatre, reports Reuter’s correspondent at Mediterranean Headquarters. The North African theatre of the United States ■ Army will be included in the Mediterranean theatre from November 1. General McNarney. formerly Deputy Chief of Staff of the United States Army, succeeds General Devers, who is now commanding the 6th Army Group in France.