IMPORTANT GAINS

Grey River Argus, 26 September 1944, Page 5

IMPORTANT GAINS

ON ITALIAN FRONT By sth. arid Bth. Armies (Rec. 12.25) LONDON, Sept. 25. American troops of the ruin Army in the central sector have continued progress north of Firenzuola, while British and Indian troops of the Eighth Army,_ on their right, have also made important gains, says Monday's Allied communique. Heavy fighing continues in the Adriatic sector, where British and Dominion forces of the Eighth Army have been meeting very strong resistance. The Republic of San Marino has declared war against Germany and the Republic’s 900 troops have been sent into action against the Germans, who were recently reported to be using San Marino as a base, Civilian casualties in San Marino total about 200 for the last three days. The Berlin commentator,. Praegner states that a German platoon took prisoner the whole army of the State of San Marino which, after British pressure, declared war against Germany.

Allied troops in the central sector of Italy have broken right through to the northern plains. The Allies in two converging spearheads, now 50 miles apart, are striking through the last few miles that separate them from the north Italian plains. Indian troops are fighting hard west of Rimini at San Arcangela. The Eighth Army attacked Scoticata Where heavy fighting is taking place. The Gothic Line defence has crashed along 80 miles of front. Eighth Army forces, after cutting the Rimini-'Bologna road, have reached positions four miles north of Rimini. They were heavily engaged near Torrepedrera, where they took 300 German prisoners. Other Eighth Army troops have extended their Marecchia R'.ver bridgehead to 30 square miles. German losses round Rimini are reported by .a correspondent to be very high. Twenty-six hundred prisoners have been taken, and thousands of the enemy, caught in the Allied artillery barrage, lie dead on the battlefield. Two-thirds of the German Fourth Parachute Division were destroyed. On the Adriatic front, the Eighth Army, since August 28, have taken over 8000 prisoners. The total for the whole Italian front since August 26 is over 10,000. The Germans on the Adriatic have not started a wholesale withdrawal, but are fighting bitterly as they are pressed back.

ITALIANS AND FRENCH FIGHTING GERMANS IN NORTH-WEST. (Rec. 12.36) LONDON, Sept. 25. The Rome radio announced that Italian and French patriots are fighting together against German formations on the Little Saint Bernard Pass.