PATRIOTS’ APPEAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 30 September 1944, Page 5

PATRIOTS’ APPEAL

DIFFICULT POSITION IN NORTH ITALY ALLIES ASKFD TO INTENSIFY DRIVE BROADCAST Yo GENERAL ALEXANDER London, Sept. 29. Italian Patriots fighting a guerrilla war behind German lines in north Italy broadcast over a secret radio an appeal to General Alexander lor an intensification of the Allied drive to the north, says the ‘Daily Mail” Italy correspondent. Patriots in an open letter to General Alexander said the Germans during the lull in the Florence area are able to counter-attack and inflict heavy losses against Patriots whose position is now difficult. They assured General Alexander that the Patriots would support the Allied drive with full strength. Reuter's correspondent says the Allies have made substantial advances in almost every sector, generally against stubborn resistance. The Germans are holding a mountain line 23 miles from Bologna with another iewer mountain line between them and the Allies. The Canadians entering Bellaria found Italian Patriots already in possession. DOMINATING POINTS TAKEN American Fifth Army troops in the course of a most successful day’s fighting captured Monte Bastione, Monte Oggioli and Monte Canda, which dominate the main Florence-Bologna road, says to-day’s Allied communique. Americans further east have also made important gains on the P’irenzuola-Imola road. Eighth Army troops in the Adriatic are engaged in very fierce righting in which the enemy has made a number of heavy counter-attacks in high ground north of the Rubicon. A Mediterranean air communique states: • Operations yesterday were restricted by continued unfavourable weather, which cancelled heavy and medium bomber missions. Fighterbombers made small-scale attacks on railways and roads on the north-west Italian coast. Balkan Air Force fighters carried out offensive sweeps in Yugoslavia, Albania and Greece. Coastal planes attacked shipping in the Adriatic and targets on the Yugoslav coast We flew approximately 100 sorties and not one plane is missing.”