CAMPAIGN IN ITALY

Grey River Argus, 1 March 1945, Page 5

CAMPAIGN IN ITALY

NO CHANGE )N FORWARD POSITIONS. AIR FORCE ATTACKS CONTINUED (Rec. 1.29). LONDON, Feb. 28 An Allied communique from Italy reports no appreciable change in our forward positions all along the front. A Mediterranean air communique states: R.A.F. heavy and medium bombers on Tuesday night attacked marshalling yards at Verona. Medium and light bombers operatmg day and night attacked targets in the Brenner Line and at the Ero Valley, also fuel and ammunition dumps in northeast Italv . Fighter bombers and fighters ranged throughout northern Italy and into Austria, attacking communications and .rolling stock. Allied Mitchells on Saturday completed their 150th. mission in the Brenner Pass battle. Bombs were dropped on bridges at San Michele and Lavis and brought the total to five thousand tons, dropped by more than three thousand Mitchells, since November. Thunderbolts, Liberators and Fortresses continued to strike at enemy communications. News Agency correspondents stated: American Fifth Army troops gained more commanding ground around Mount Belvedere and completed the capture of the three-thousand-feet Mount Della Torraccia. Germans made strenuous efforts to regain Mount Belvedere. They marched some troops for six days, and then loaded them into'trucks for a final dash to the front. Americans, after overcoming hitter resistance on the peak, repelled several counter-at-tacks. Americans secured further commanding terrain in the area. Good observation from new positions enabled artillery and air forces to strike at enemy concentrations in support of ground operations. Italian partisans, operating under American command, seized Rocca Corneta, one and a-half miles east of Mount Belevedere. It is officially announced that a new contingent of Brazilians has landed in Italy. Striking at German rail communications in Northern Italy for the second night in succession, R.A.F. Wellingtons, Halifaxes and Liberators on Friday night made a successful attack on the east,-west and northsouth network by severely hammering railway yards at Verona. Allied Air Forces operating for the eleventh successive day continued their all-out attack against marshalling yards in Austria and Northern Italy. Escorted strong forces of heavy bombers again struck at railway yards over a wide area in Austria almost completely destroying installations at Woergl. Other targets attacked included railways from Rosenheim to Innsbruck, while 170 tons of bombs were dropped on Friday' night on Verona. The Tactical Air Force attacked points on the Brenner line and throughout north-eastern Italy, where damaging hits were scored. The San Remo and Imperia harbours in north-west Italy also were bombed, as were strong points, buildings and railway yards in northern Yugoslavia.

,Two enemy aircraft were destroyed in the air, and from over 2,300 sorties, ten of our aircraft are missing.