DRIVE TO BOLOGNA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25673, 23 October 1944, Page 5

DRIVE TO BOLOGNA

KESSELRING’S DEFENCES

TEN DIVISIONS MASSED (Rec. 11.35 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 21. Marshal Kesselring, in a determined effort to hold up the Fifth Army’s drive to Bologna, has been withdrawing troops from all the other sectors of the front, says the Daily Telegraph’s correspondent with the Eighth Army. He now has 10 divisions massed before Bologna, compared with three or four when we began the attack against Bologna. Kesselring, by moving these six to seven divisions, has weakened his front in other sectors. The Eighth Army, to prevent any further withdrawals from its sector, ig attacking all along the front except on a narrow coastal belt. The New Zealanders made the most striking advance in the new Allied attack. After crossing the Pisciatello River near Macerone, they advanced 3000 yards over a front of three and a-half miles. The Eighth Army’s advance is now not only towards Forli, along the main route north-west of Rimini, but also along the Adriatic coast towards Ravenna. Cessnatico, 12 miles north-west of Rimini, has been captured,- and Cesena is almost completely occupied. A communique says: “ Considerable progress has been mads by the Eighth Army in the Po Valley, north of the Rimini-Bologna road. Cesreatico has been occupied, and the enemy has been driven from all but the western edge of Cesena. On the Fifth Army front east of Road 60 five more important hill features have been taken and held against counter-attacks. Fierce fighting continues in this sector.” A correspondent says the Durham Light Infantry, after capturing the last height dominating Cesena from the south, entered the town with strong tank support on Thursday, while Canadian infantry passed through the northern outskirts. Our infantry yesterday crossed the Savio north and west of Cesena and a small bridgehead was established at a bridge just north-west of the town, while Canadian armour and infantry also reached the Savio.