BREAK IN WEATHER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 2 October 1944, Page 5

BREAK IN WEATHER

ALLIES BOGGED IN ITALY BREATHING SPACE FOR GERMANS NEXT FEW WEEKS WILL BE \ DECISIVE (Rec. 11.20 a.m.) London, Oct. 1. The weather in Italy is giving the Germans an unexpected breathing space, says the “Daily Mail’s” Rome corespondent. The Allies may have a close race with the rains in their bid to drive across the plains of Lombardy* to the Alps. The rain is at present bogging down men and machines and baulking the Eighth Army from the early fruits of its triumph in surmounting the last Alpine peak and the Fifth Army of its victory in the Gothic Line. The autumn break in the weather has como earlier than usual and there is a fairly good chance that it will be temporary, giving one more dry spell, enabling both armies to finish their task. The next two or three weeks will be decisive. The British United Press correspondent says the Allied advance on the eastern half of the front continues despite bad weather. Fierce fighting developed a few miles north of the Rubicon river. The Fifth Army is now 17 miles from Bologna after advancing three miles to-day. The Allies a few miles to the east on parallel roads to Imola and Forli gained ground. The Germans used the elements of at least three divisions, flamethrowers and heavy artillery in a counter-attack against Monte Battaglia. An identification of prisoners showed that reinforcements were being rushed from other sectors but despite this all the Germans’ efforts to attack were beaten off.

N.Z. TROOPS BEYOND RIMINI New Zealanders on the Adriatic sector have established a 400-yard front along the Fiumicino river, about 10 beyond Rimini. Other Eighth Army elements in the face of furious German counter-attacks had to give up a small bridgehead across the Fiumicino west-north-west of Rimini. Heavy rain prevented large-scale operations in the Adriatic area. The Columbia Broadcasting system’s Rome correspondent says the Allied advance in Italy has almost halted, with the Germans counterattacking in many sectors. A headquarters spokesman said: “We held the majority of the ccunter-atacks but in the Adriatic German infantry and armour has thrown back the Eighth Army from some forward positions in the muddy lower reaches of the Po Valley. A Mediteranean air communique says although bad weather again restricted operations on September 30. medium bombers successfully attacked bridges in the Venice and Milan areas. Fighter-bombers attacked communications in the Po Valley. Medium and heavy bombers last night attacked a bridge over the Po river at San Benedetto. Three of our planes are missing. We flew about 500 sorties.