ALLIED ARMIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25426, 6 January 1944, Page 3

ALLIED ARMIES

PRESSURE IN ITALY FURTHER GROUND GAINED (Rec. 1.15 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 5. The Allied armies in Italy are maintaining their pressure against the German positions, and at some points have gained further ground. On the Eighth Army front Indian troops yesterday advanced several hundred yards against heavy fire from German machine-gun nests and captured an important spur at San Tomaso overlooking the road which runs parallel to the coast road. Nearer the coast the Germans are still launching counter-attacks against the high gruond north of Ortona, which was captured by the Eighth Army some days ago. On the Fifth Army front Allied troops have pushed ahead over a mile and have captured a 2000 ft height near the village of San Vittore. Bitter fighting around the roads of Tollo, about five miles inland from Ortona, ended with the Eighth Army

firmly astride Tollo road, though still two miles from the village itself. The Eighth Army has not yet crossed the Arielli River, which runs just in front of the village. . The. Germans, it is believed, intend' to defend Tollo as stubbornly as they did Ortona. The important feature which Indian troops captured is a dominant elevation one mile south-west of Tomaso.

Fifth Army units at the mouth of the Garigliano River again raided enemy positions on the north bank, and penetrated a mile into German-held territory. German artillery in the San Vittore area bombarded the village of Mignano, which is now behind the Fifth Army lines.

Strong forces of heavy bombers on Monday attacked the ball-bearing factory at Villa Perosa, 25 miles southwest of Turin, and also the important railway centre of Turin. Medium bombers well covered the docks and railway installations at Split and Sibenik on the Dalmatian coast, and attacked a large concentration of troops at Prijfdor. Light bombers and fighter-bombers continued to support the army. In their third big attack against the ball-bearing works at Villa Perosa, Flying Fortresses scored at least six direct hits on the main buildings, says Reuter’s Algiers correspondent. The Fortresses found the factory strongly defended. Other Fortresses scored at least 100 hits on the Turin railway yard, temporarily blocking the through lines.