CAMPAIGN IN ITALY

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 December 1944, Page 5

CAMPAIGN IN ITALY

HEAVY FIGHTING CONTINUED

LONDON, December 15. To-day’s Allied communique fiom Italy states: Heavy fighting continues west of Ravenna, wheie Canadians established a bridgehead ovei the Canal Enavigho against opposition, and repulsed coumer-at-tacks. Fifth Army troops continue mopping up at the villages ®i Rsignano and Borgitossignano. There are no material changes elsewhere on the Fifth Army front. BRIDGEHEADJEXTENDED (Rec. 10.55 a.m.)~LONDON, Dec. 15. A bridgehead across the canal at Enaviglio, a mile north-east ol Bagnacavallo, established by the Canadians, has been enlarged, alter veiy heavy fighting, says the Exchange Telegraph Agency’s correspondentin Italy. It is now one mile wide. General Kesselring’s Special Guards Division, consisting of picked men from the best German divisions in Italy, closely supported by Tiger and Panther tanks, were thrown against our forces. It was one of the most bitter counter-attacks launched i this sector. The Canadians, who have driven a fair distance west of the canal, were involved m clore fight ing. They were forced back, yarn by yard, to a road parallel to and 300 yards west of the canal, where they held their ground constructed a lord over the canal under heavy shell-fire, enabling' oui tanks and anti-tank guns to cioss and meet the German tank onslaught. Bagnacavallo is directly thieatened The Germans are strongly defending the town, using church towers as observation posts. The Lamone biidb head is now 10 miles wide and three miles deep. The Germans are lushing up reinforcements.

RIOTS IN SICILY. ,

LONDON, December 15. During demonstrations yesterday morning outside Italian . arm y, cruiting offices m Catania a bomb explosion started an affray in which soldiers used firearms, killing a student and injuring others. Reuter’s Rome correspondent says tne demonstrators were P£?t esbr l? against the army call-up. They set fire to the courts oi justice and the taxation offices and invaded tne Bank of Sicily. Demonstrations also went on in Palermo, Messina, and Enna. The Communist newspaper “Unita” alleged that the demonstrators were Fascists who shouted “Hurrah for Mussolini.”