ADVANCE ON FERRARA

Grey River Argus, 23 April 1945, Page 5

ADVANCE ON FERRARA

COMPLETE BREAK THROUGH ENEMY PRESSED ON RENO ' RIVER. (Rec. 12.57).' LONDON, April 22. An Allied communique from Italy says: British Eighth Army forces continued to advance on Ferrara. The)’, reached Monte Santo, nine miles from Ferrara. Progress was made along the north bank of the Reno River. Qther Eighth Army units continued lo compress the fleeing enemy into a bend of the Reno River north of Bologna, and captured Mebbolara and Granarolodellemilia. Fifth Army columns pressed twenty miles north-west from Bologna to overtake disorganised enemy formations retreating northward. Our air forces attacked these enemy columns, but unfavourable weather limited, the effectiveness of the action. Allied patrols entered. Pievepelafa. Opposition continues on the west. A complete break through has been achieved on the central sector in Italy, says the Exchange Telegraph Agency Italy correspondent. South Africans and Americans are encountering only scattered disorganised resistance, mainly in the form of rearguard actions. Our tanks for the first time for many months are in country where they can be used with full effect. Germans are feeling the weight of armoured pressure. Eighth Army forces are only seven miles from Ferrara, and at another point are thirteen miles irom the Po River. Among the captures, Granarolo Delle Milia is under three miles east of the highway from Bologna to Ferrara. Mezzolara, on the west bank of the Idice River, is seven miles east of the highway.

YUGOSLAV COMMUNIQUE. (Rec. 12.57). LONDON, April 22. A Yugoslav communique says: Continuing the offensive between the Drava and S'ava Rivers, we occupied Slatina and a number of other localities, and completely cleared the enemy from the areas between Bosna, Sava and Vrbac rivers. Fierce fighting is going on on the coast around Kotor. We captured enemy strongholds immediately in front of Fiume and S'usak, cutting communications to Istria. YUGOSLAV LANDING. (Rec. 8.50.) LONDON, April 22. . A Reuter correspondent at Mediterranean Headquarters stated: Marshal Tito’s forces landed on Cherso Island. The Allied Balkan Air Force bombed coastal guns before the landings, which seriously threaten German positions in Fiume, Eastern Austria. ITALIAN WAR PRISONERS’ STATUS. (Rec. 7.10). ROME, April 21. The Italian Government is making representations to the Allied Governments to change the status of Italian prisoners of war in their territories to that of serving soldiers, corresponding with Italy’s status of a co-belliger-ent. ■