TANK BATTLE IN ITALY

Grey River Argus, 27 November 1944, Page 5

TANK BATTLE IN ITALY

Germans Forced Back (Rec. 6.30). LONDON, November 25. The Exchange Telegraph Agency’s Rome correspondent says: The first real clash of armour in Italy for months ended in a severe defeat being inflicted on the crack German 26th Panzer Division, whose presence on this front has lately' forced the Sth Army to move with extreme caution. A tank battle began on November 12 and raged for three days. The German Command threw in. every available tank and armoured weapon. The Sth Army finally compelled _ the Germans,' to withdraw hastily from river positions. Three hundred Germans were taken prisoner. Many tanks were destroyed. The German News Agency-, admits that German lines were taken back in face of a concentrated British attack, but claims that a general breakthrough was averted. An Allied communique from Italyon Saturday stated: British troops of the Eighth Army after three days’ intensive fighting drove the enemy forces from defensive .positions on the rivers Montone and Cosina, driving on towards the River Lamone. An armoured patrol, accompanied b.V infantry, reached eastern outskirts of Faenza. Poles of the Eighth Army also made considerable gains. They cleared all the enemy resistance east of the River Samoggia, and occupied Monta Chiesuola. Other Eighth Army troops occupied an important feature, Castel Laccio, which the Poles are now approaching on a wide front. In the Fifth Army sector, all efforts by the enemy to probe our defences were defeated (Rec. 12.40). LONDON, November 26 An Allied communique from Italy states- Swiftly following up the enemy’s withdrawal, British . Sth Army forces' reached Lamone River on a wide front north of Faenza. British infantry, supported by tanks, south of F'vpnza forced a bridgehead over the Marzeno River and are continuing to advance toward .Lamone River against disorganised resistance. Polish forces of the Bth Army, on tn p British left, have, cleared all enemy resistance east of the Marzeno Piver Their patrols have crossed the river at several places. American troops of the sth Army, weTof the Pistola-Bologna road, in y successful operation, captured an ? nnrtant feature, Monte Belvedere, lepuls’ed a strong counter-attack against the newly-won positions.