SEA REACHED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21606, 8 January 1945, Page 3

SEA REACHED

NORTH OF RAVENNA

CANADIAN ADVANCE ENEMY UNITS TRAPPED U 1 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 7. An Allied communique from Italy reports that Canadian Eighth Army tioops have reached the sea nine m:lcs north of Ravenna and reached the southern end of the isthmus between Valli di Comacchio and the sea. By a rapid advance they have cut off a number of enemy detachments in the swampy ground north of Ravenna. Extreme winter conditions restricted the operations of the Fifth Army.

The Associated Press corresponclei Rome says that while the Canadiai

puisne the enemy westwards along the shores of the Valli di Comacchio veteran British infantry are mopping up the remaining enemy pockets in the seven-mile wide German salient oh Ihe east side of the Senio River north of Faenza. The Eighth Army has now virtually occupied the entire cast bank of the Senio along a front of 30 miles. A small force of fighters escorted medium and heavy bombers and longrange fighters of the strategic air force on Friday and bombed bridges in Yugoslavia. Despite adverse weather, which curtailed air operations, fighters and fighter-bombers again flew in close support of missions over the Italian front and fighters attacked positions and road and rail movements in Yugoslavia. One of our aircraft is missing from about 600 sorties. In the last eight days naval gunfire support continued to be given to the army in the neighbourhood of the Frcnch-Italian frontier. Three French destroyers continued the successful bombardment of enemy targets in spite of very rough weather.