CAMPAIGN IN ITALY

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 December 1944, Page 5

CAMPAIGN IN ITALY

GERMAN LINE PENETRATED

LONDON, December 13. The Bth Army in Italy has penetrated the main German defence line between Faenza and the Adriatic Sea. Canadian troops have established two new bridgeheads across the Lamqne River and now hold a line extending from Russi (midway between Ravenna and Faenza) to a point about 10 miles north of Faenza. On the central sector the sth Army has driven off another strong enemy attack.

CANADIANS CROSS RIVER

(Deed. 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 13. Some of the fiercest fighting of the Italian war is going on on the Bth Army front where picked Canadians have battered their way . over the deep swollen Lamone River and forced the Germans back more than a mile, says Reuter’s Rome correspondent. The main defence line between Ravenna and Faenza was only previously crossed by patrol. Fightig went on for 24 hours before the two Lamone bridgeheads were functioned. The Germans threw in determined counter-attacks, using Tiger tanks and self-propelled guns, but, with Air Force assistance there were driven off. The Canadians who crossed the Lamone River withstood a series of fierce counter-attacks, states Reuter’s correspondent at Allied Headquarters. The Germans fought hard all day before the Canadians drove them back to the next natural line of defence, which is a stream between Bagnacavallo and Alfonsine. Other Canadians are now astride the railway between Faenza and Ravenna. Stiff fighting occurred along the railway where the' Germans lost many tanks. The Canadians hereabouts took prisoner 300 Germans. The “Daily Telegraph’s” correspondent says the German commander must decide whether he can afford to withdraw more divisions from the defence of Bologna and hurl them against the Eighth Army in the attempt to push the Canadians back across Lamone. His alternative is to abandon the Lamone defence. This would mean the eventual surrender of Bologna.