Heavy Fighting in Breakthrough Area

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 211, 6 September 1944, Page 5

Heavy Fighting in Breakthrough Area

Allies Widen Breach in Gothic Line (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Wednesday, 12.30 a.m. LONDON, Sept. 5. “There was heavy fighting in the Adriatic sector where Eighth Army troops met strong resistance north of the Coca River,” reports to-day’s Allied communique from Italy. “Nevertheless the British and Canadians considerably widened their bridgehead ovef the river. Valuable progress was also made on the high ground to the left. “The Fifth Army’s advance west of Florence continues and the leading troops are now approaching the towns of Prato and Lucca. The whole of the high ground south of Lucca and the Pistoia-Florence road is now in our hands. The British north of Florence made some progress into the high ground overlooking the city. There was no appreciable change in the situation in the remainder of the front.” The lack of German manpower plus the Desert Air Force’s constant harassing of Todt workers engaged in constructing the defences was responsible for the quick breaching of the Gothic Line, says the Daily Express’s correspondent at Allied Headquarters in Italy. The Germans regarded the line as their last defence before the Brenner Pass. Kesselring expected that his paratroops would hold the line for at least three weeks and Mussolini was even more optimistic. He is reported to have told the troops in Rimini recently that he personally would lead the drive south for the second march on Rome. Half a million conscripted .Italians, a complete Slovak labour division ana many German working battalions were engaged in contracting this buttress of Southern Europe which is now irrepairably breached. Canadian tanks, in a lightning dash up tho Adriatic coast road after breaching the Gothic Line, were reported last night to be seven miles from Rimini, states Reuter’s correspondent at Allied Headquarters in Italy. British troops seven miles inland at Saludecio haev thrust through the Gothic Line after severe fighting. German resistance east of Florence has increased, particularly on the road to Ravenna. Fifth Army troops are rapidly building up their strength along the south bank of the Serchio River, north of Pisa, from which advanced troops are now more than six miles. GERMAN SAVAGERY The Allied Control Commission in Rome has announced that from 800 to 1000 persons were shot or beaten to death in Rome during the German occupation on direct orders from the German Security Command. The statement added that all the personnel listed by German Headquarters would be held responsible for participation in the brutalities. Three Germans, Herbert Kappler, Karl Wolff and Hauptmann von Schultz, were named, with the pledge that they would he court-mar-tialled if ever they were found alive in Allied hands.