ADVANCES IN ITALY

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 April 1945, Page 5

ADVANCES IN ITALY

FIFTH ARMY PAST MANTUA REVOLTS IN NORTHERN CITIES LONDON, April 26. Both Allied armies in Italy are rapidlv driving northward from their bridgeheads across the river Po. Advanced units of the sth Army have passed Mantua, which is seven miles from-'the Po, and are driving towards Verona, a vital railway junction. Troops of the Bth Army are heading for the enemy’s next defence line along the Adige River. New Zealand infantry units are reported to be in the forefront of the Bth Army’s adThe Germans are stated to be withdrawing from Milan. Genoa and Turin where revolts have occurred, are now controlled by the Italian National Committee of Liberation. “Fifth Army forces have reached Mantua, which is a communications centre controlling the main railway to Verona,” said a supplementary Mediterranean Headquarters communique last night. They have also made .substantial gains north of Spezia. Both the sth and Bth Armies are rapidly expanding their bridgeheads across the Po. New Zealand infantry and men of the Ist Guards Brigade were the first across the liver. Every road is jammed with retreating enemy troops, who are using not only horses, but oxen and cows to draw transports. j , “Desert Air Force pilots report seeing the Germans set fire to 300 vehicles south of the Po. . ‘ “Thousands of prisoners and vast quantities of every type of equipment continue to be taken. British Bth Army units took prisoners Lieutenant-Gen-eral Count von Schwerin commander of the 76th Panzer Corps, and his personal staff, and American stb Army troops took prisoner - Major-General Schellwitz, commander of the 3Ustn Infantry Division.” The Exchange Telegraph Agency s Rome correspondent quotes a South African observer as saying: “The Po River crossings present a scene of complete carnage with hundreds of German dead and hundreds of dead animals covering the river area. The enemy began to surrender in large numbers after the initial attacks, but fanatics continued to light on desperately until killed or wounded. This rearguard action delayed the Allied armour for some time, but infantry by-passed the pocket and pressed northward.” . “Genoa and Turin havje revolted and the National Committee of Liberation has taken over their administration,” says the “Daily Express” correspondent in Chiasso. “Nazi officials in Milan spent Tuesday night burning documents, after which they fled towards the Austrial mountain frontier followed by columns of German occupation troops.” The correspondent of the British United Press in Zurich says that the Germans are hurriedly evacuating Milan, where railway workers are on strike. Lorries are carrying German civilians eastward. “Bitter street fighting is going on in Fiume,” says a Jugoslav communique. “The Germans are defending every house.” GERMANS’ NEXT LINE.'

LONDON, April 26.

To-day’s Allied communique from Italy states: The Fifth and Eighth Armies are rapidly exploiting northwards from bridgeheads across the Po River. The Fifth Army reached an area north of Mantua and captured Reggio and Parma. Other units on the Ligurian coast advanced north-west of Spezia. It is officially stated that the Germans are falling back on a main defence line north of the Po River known as the Venetian or Adige Line, which runs north-east of the Adige River to a point 20 miles inland, where it skirts the Euganian Hills that stand isolated in a great plain south of Vicenza.

An Exchange Telegraph Agency correspondent says: There is no longer any general front in Italy. Fifth Army troops are meeting scant opposition in a thrust beyond the Po River.

PATRIOTS* CLAIMS

RUGBY, April 26

The position in Northern Italy, as gathered from broadcasts from stations in Genoa and Milan, seems to be as follows, states a Rome message:— The Local Committee of National Liberation has seized power in Genoa where fighting continues. The committee is issuing permits for citizens to circulate after the curfew and a special branch of the committee is already controlling prices and supplies. The Germans are evacuating Turin and Millan after attacks by patriots. In Novara and Verona insurrection against, the Germans has begun and is spreading rapidly. The following localities are stated to be controlled by patriots: Novar’, Varese, Gaffarate. Legnago, Busto, Arsizio, Desio, Castellanza, and the alpine valleys of Ossola and Valesia. From the Alps bands of patriots are decending to the Po Plains to free towns occupied by the Germans whose road lines are being attacked. Italian partisans announced over the Genoa radio' this afternoon that they have also seized Como where they claim to be in complete control.

Although there is no official confirmation of these reports well-inform-ed quarters in London do not discredit them. It is pointed out that the German armies have practically no escape routes left, either east or north, and it would not be surprising if entire disorganisation has set in. Reuter’s Rome correspondent says that listeners picked up broadcasts from Milan and Genoa claiming that patriots had seized the radio stations, taken command of Milan, and cleared a great part of Genoa.

SURRENDER REPORTS

(Rec. 10.45 a.m.) LONDON, April 26. Broadcasts from Genoa and Milan continue to report that patriots have risen in the heart of the industrial German-held territory, says Reuter's Rome correspondent. The reports indicate that a large-scale insurrection against the Germans is under way. The Genoa radio detailed the German garrison’s surrender to the partisans, and said the surrender was made yesterday evening, and was effective at nine to-day. The surrender document provided that the partisans reserved the right to hand over the German Army and naval prisoners to Allies authorities in Italy. The Swiss radio said that partisans liberated Turin, occupied Como, and took over the frontier posts in the Chiasso district. The Rome radio comments: The collapse of German-occupying force in Northern Italy ends any plan to use the area as a source of war supplies for a last-ditch stand in southern Germany.

VERONA CAPTURED

(Recd. 12.15 p.m.) LONDON, April 26. Verona has been captured. A Headquarters communique says: “Two armies of the Fifteenth Group continue to smash the enemy, meeting only scattered resistance and driving northwards without loss of tempo. Troops on the Ligurian coast are attacking in the direction of Genoa. The enemy is using mobile coast defence guns in the effort to delay the advance of the Eighth Army to the Adige River on a wide front. In the past twenty-four hours, the Eighth Army has taken twenty tanks and forty

guns, and captured or destroyed nearly a thousand vehicles. The Fifth Army captured Verona this morning, and elements are now across the Adige River. Armoured units are moving north west of Mantua. The Fifth and Eighth Armies have taken more than 60,000 prisoners. TOBACCO MAGNATE KILLED.

LONDON, April 25. Lieutenant Sir George Wills was killed in action in the Mediterranean area. Sir George was a member of the millionaire Wills tobacco family. He succeeded his lather, who xeit more than Two million sterling, in 1931. His grandfather left ten millions. . . WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS PATROLS’ INVESTIGATIONS, Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F. PO RIVER, April 24. New Zealanders reached ihe Po at noon to-day. • From Reno infantry moved forward in the early morning and met no opposition. The 21st and 23rd Battalions sent patrols forward, and by noon the patrol from the 21st had reached the stopbank. Contact was made with the forward elements of the British troops already watching on the stopbank, and although the Germans were, reported on the other side, Second Lieut. E. F. Carr, D.C.M., of Auckland, who was recently commissioned, and LanceCorporal A. L. Bisley, of Auckland, made a most daring crossing in an assault boat. They paddled the craft across the 250 yards of water and then Carr went on alone and moved along the top of the stop-bank calmly making a thorough reconnaissance until he found himself within five yards of an unsuspecting German. He turned back and less than half-an-hour after they started he and Bisley were back again with an excellent report on the conditions of the river and the banks. Crouched behind the stop-bank watching their progress were other members of the patrol which had established the fact that the bank on our side was clear, Sergt.-Major F. W. Perry, M.M., Privates R. G. Skeates, G. D. Anderson, all of Auckland, Privates T. A. F. Withers, Fairlie; and N. Howes, Wanganui. They reported that they had seen no signs of movement on the other side.-

From our stop-bank the scene was one of silent peace. The rippling waters of the wide smooth-flowing river glistened in the brilliant sunlight. The banks on both sides were devoid of cover. On our side there were double stop-banks, the second one about 40 feet high. The stopbank on the other side was about 30 feet high. Both banks sipped steeply down to the broad flat banks of the river, which in some places, seemed four to six feet above the water. In the distance rose the tall, slim, graceful spire of a church and one or two tall factory chimheys. This was the river we had striven so long and fought so hard to reach. Behind us lay hundreds of miles of

WRECKED & RUINED COUNTRY.

Now the question was, what lay before us? ’ It seemed that the Germans were not there in force and in the far distance the tall black columns of smoke of obvious demolitions lent support to the view that he was still in headlong retreat. But there was nothing to Tell if he was still there in sufficient force to put up a desperate holding fight as he had done beyond the Idice. As infantry battalions moved into position and tanks ranged up alongside them, supporting arms were streaming up the road to take part in the next episode of this amazing campaign. Though it had been a bloodless advance for many hours to-day, we were not to reach the Po without a casualty. As Lieutenant A. Craig, of the 21st Battalion piloted the first truck laden with assault boate un o the stop-bank a plane swooped suddenly down, missed the piloting jeep 20 yards ahead, but ripped a burst of incendiaries into the truck which immediately burst into a great sheet of flame. The driver was struck in the chest. A passenger, Corporal H. R. Sherson, of Auckland, Fourth R.M.T., leaped from the truck and dashed round to the driver’s side and nulled the driver put of the vehicle. Sherson simply dived through a wall of flame to drag the unconscious form of the much heavier man from the driving seat. As he and Craig attempted with their bare hands to extinguish the burning clothing the driver died, and they dropped into a roadside ditch to shelter from the exploding ammunition in the burning vehicle. Neither suffered more than the slightest burns and it was miraculous Sherson was so little injured. The patrol of the 23rd Battalion reached the stop-bank and found their sector clear on our side of the river, and through the afternoon the Division moved into position for the next operation.