FALL OF EMPOLI

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 15 August 1944, Page 2

FALL OF EMPOLI

CLIMAX OF THREE-DAY OFFENSIVE I ENEMY FORCED ACROSS ARNO <Offici|l War Correspondent N.Z.E.F.) Above Empoli, Aug. 12. Empoli. an important rail and communications centre across the Arno, 16 miles west of Florence has fallen. This is the climax of a three-day limited offensive, the aim of which is to clear the south bank of the Arno of the enemy. After operations which cleared the approaches to Florence by breaching the Paula Line and which culminated in New Zealand troops entering Florence itself, our attention was directed to widening the salient then driven into German defences by forcing the enemy across the river west of the city. For three successive nights infantry felt their way forward through positions known to be held by the Germans. Casualties were light but the nature of the ground was such that in da3 r light troops in forward positions were completely under observation of the enemy. The task of the troops was to move down a succession of ever diminishing heights into the river valley. dominated always by mountains which form the defences of the Gothic Line. In three days the men advanced over a wide front, distances averaging 3000 yards, reaching the Arno along most of the sector and taking 50 prisoners. A large proportion of our casualties was due to mines placed by the enemy on river approaches, but there was much gun and mortar fire also. FUTILE GERMAN BID , Fighting patrols and machine-gun | posts were engaged and by the night before last one formation was on the river west of Empoli l . In the small hours of*the morqjng a German force of more than company strength crossed the river and penetrated between the two formations. According to prisoners a force of headquarters troops and specialists and men had received instructions that they were to get indenaification of opponents or stay forward. Any man bringing in a live prisoner was promised an Iron Cross and 50 marks. There were none taken. Formations on either flank of the hapless Germans poured in a full weight of fire. Many were killed or wounded and we took 27 prisoners. At night German patrols crossed the river by rubber dinghy as their best fords are already covered by Allied troops. Empty boats of patrols which do not return drift buoyantly down the Arno. Farther east where the Germans still have a precarious footing on the south bank, patrol activity is very lively. Shermans sitting tight and firing as artillery are making quite a name for themselves as bridge-busters. Observers saw two bridges north of the Arno explode in a fountain of black smoke as theii* demolition charges were hit by 75’s. A third explosion occurred beside another bridge. Evidently the charge had been removed for safety or had not yet been placed in position. This premature destruction is serious for the enemy as he needs those bridge’s badly. EXECUTED BY PARTISANS Young red-scarfed members of the Garibaldi Brigade of Partisan Forces who seem to be entrusted with the policing of Florence north of the Arno shot 10 men in. civilian clothes with tommy-guns in an arcade flanking the’ 13th century church, Santa Marla Novella. where the pavement is covered with, blood, reports the "Daily Express” correspondent at Florence. The executed men some of whom had been caught firing from rooftops, were tried by a Partisan tribunal and quick!v condemned and some of them were shot, the’same afternoon as they were round ed up. Jeering crowds of several hun-

dred watched from a side street. No priest, was present when the men were shot and they were not blindfolded. The bodies were left in the sunshine after the execution.