WORST WEATHER YET

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIV, Issue 29, 3 January 1944, Page 5

WORST WEATHER YET

EIGHTH ARMY DELAYED SOME GAINS REPORTED (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Roc. 10 a.m.) RUGBY, Jan. 2. The 12,000 British and Dominion troops with the Eighth Army are now experiencing tho worst weather they have yet met in Italy, and operations on the Adriatic coastal sector have been brought almost to a standstill, writes a correspondent. The recent cold spell suddenly gave way yesterday to rain, added to which was a gale reaching 50 miles an hour blowing from tho Adriatic. The scene at the front in the 24 hours completely changed. The hard frozen ground turned to a morass, in which it was impossible for vehicles to move, whilst the slit trenches for the frontline troops resemble irrigation ditches. Great pools of water lie across the roadways and streams of water are thrown up as the lorries plough their way through. Even the troops behind the front line have a very bedraggled look as they wade through water ankle deep loading the lorries with front-line supplies. Local people describe tho gale as a “bora,” which they say some years ago continued without cessation for 23 days. For the first time since the Eighth Army landed in Italy I did not see a single plane over the frontal areas. Three miles inland from Ortona a well fortified ridge on which the Germans have been entrenched lias been captured hv our infantry with strong tank support. The Germans immediately put in several strong counter attacks blit could not prevent us from organising and consolidating the newly gained ground, says another correspondent. This position is on high ground. The capture of San Tomase was another success obtained after grim fighting in cold rainy weather. More fighting took place at a crossroads between Villa Grandi find Tolla. In the neighbourhood three large features captured near Acquafondaln have now been firmly secured by the Americans and there was further fighting. The biggest operation of the last few days was a rail’ carried out on Friday night on a German position on the coastal road south of the Rome road in the neighbourhood of G’astel Forte, six miles inland.

Once again we pierced deeply into the German positions on the other side of the Carigliano River. It was another hit-and-run raid, designed to surprise and shock the Germans, capture prisoners, collect information, and destroy everything possible in the shortest time.—Official Wireless.

An Army communique from the Italian front states: Torrential rain and a high wind curtailed activity on most fronts of the Fifteenth Army Group in Sicily. Canadian troops of the Eighth Armv boat off a counter attack in the Adriatic coastal sector and captured the village of San Tomaso. British troops of the Fifth Army staged a successful raid on enemy positions. American troops in the mountains consolidated the positions previously gained. ATTACK ON SHIPPING. A naval communique says: “P.T. boats of the United States navy attacked shipping in the Gulf of Genoa on Wednesday night. An enemy trawler was damaged and a torpedo attack on another resulted in explosions. The following night British destroyers shelled a schooner off the east coast of Italy and drove it ashore. ’ . An air communique states: With the exception of some coastal air force patrols yesterday’s air operations were cancelled owing to had weather.

On Friday Italian bombers working with our planes bombed the landing strip and harbour at Valona, in Albania.—Official Wireless.