ITALIAN PUSH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25561, 14 June 1944, Page 5

ITALIAN PUSH

RESISTANCE INCREASES! PROGRESS ON ADRIATIC COAsfl (Rec. 1 a.m.) i LONDON, June 13. ■ “Our troo® in the Adriatic sectol have made further progress, anl crossed the Saline River in somJ places,” says to-day’s Allied com-' rnunique from Italy, The Saline River runs into the Adriatic five miles ’north-west of Pescara. The Allvss occupied the important road junction of Popoli. The enemy continues to resist south of Terni. Some progress has been made against increasing resistance east and west of Lake Bolsena. Heavy fighting is occurring around Bagnoregio. The enemy continues to resist on the coast road southeast of Orbetello..

“ Tactical aircraft yesterday attacked rail Way lines, bridges, roads, motor transport, gun positions, and other targets in the battle area north of Rome and in Central Italy. Fighter-bombers struck against communications and shipping in the Korcula Harbour area. There have been no heavy bomber operations. Four of ours are missing. Our bombers last night attacked objectives in Hungary and the Mediterranean. The air force flew approximately 1100 sbrties.” The Americans north-west of Rome broke the new line of fortifications which the Germans established between Lake Bolsena and the Tyrrhenian Sea', southward of Orbetello. Th§ Germans from this line on Sunday morning attacked and temporarily halted the Americans advancing along the coastal road to Buthair. Reconnaissance on Monday morning suggested that the enemy had withdrawn. Von Kesselring’s armies in Italy are still retreating befors the great forward surge of the Allies, states Reuter’s correspondent at Allied headquarters. Kesselring has now brought in three fresh ' divisions, and the only other division available to him is a depot division employed on security duties in Northern Italy, and wholly unsuitable for front-line service. Kesselring, it is believed, is hoping to regather his forces for a stand south of Florence. The Allies recently captured German stragglers bearing orders to “proceed to the assembly area near Florence.”

The British United Press correspondent says the Fifth Army is rapidly nearing Orbetello, which is the next big objective on the Tyrrhenian coast. The three Eighth Army columns are also making steady progress between Rome and the Adriatic.

Berlin radio’s commentator, von Olberg, said the German main forces in Italy were accelerating their withdrawal towards a position where conditions are more favourable for an effective stand. The Germans’ right wing is withdrawing more swiftly than its left, while the German rearguards are still resisting north of Rome. Allied headquarters at Naples reveals that the Germans have been forced to send a division composed largely of former Russian prisoners from Central Asian republic to stem the Allied drive.

Th e Fifth Army has pushed 14 miles past Montalto and occupied Niziateila. The German radio reports that the German withdrawal movements have spread to the Adriatic sector, and claims that the Germans are retiring to the north without interference. The advance towards Rieti is particularly important because both Kieti and Terni form bottlenecks through which all roads converge, says an Italy correspondent. Signs of stiffening resistance on the coastal road and towards Osvieto suggest that the Germans have brought down more forces from Northern Italy, thus diminishing their reserves north of the River Arne. It now seems that von Kesselrirg will have difficulty in organising any kind of co-ordinated resistance south of the Leghorn-Pisa-Florence-Rimi line. The main obstacle facing the Allies is the maintenance of supplies, particularly petrol and ammunition, through exceptionally difficult country.