ADRIATIC COAST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25674, 24 October 1944, Page 5

ADRIATIC COAST

EIGHTH ARMY’S ADVANCE TOWN OF CERVIA CAPTURED (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 23. Eighth Army troops on the Adriatic coast of Italy, after an advance of five miles, have captured Cervia, representing a 20-mile advance beyond Rimini. Further inland other Eighth Army forces have widened their bridgehead over the Savio River against stiff resistance.

Troops of the Eighth Army have given the enemy no respite in his withdrawal to the Savio River, which our troops have now reached on a considerably broader front after having crossed minor obstacles and much marshy ground which the enemy endeavoured to make impassable, states the Allied communique from Italy. . Cesena has been cleared of the enemy and a bridgehead established across the Savio River west of the town. Polish troops of the Eighth Army have taken Monte Grosso and Monte Della Forche, north of Galata. On the Fifth Army front Monte Grande, Monte Cuccoli, and Monte Cerene have been taken, and our positions in them have been consolidated. Active patrolling is being maintained on the remainder of the front

Eighth Army troops in Italy are facing the Germans across the Savio River on a 10-mile front, says the Exchange Telegraph's Rome correspondent. The New Zealanders are using every type of transport, including bicycles and boats, to keep up high speed in the chase of the retreating Germans. The commanding officer at one point commandeered a punt, from which he cheered on his men swimming the river. New Zealand armour, fighting further inland, crossed a stream and presed on through demolitions to advance to within a mile of the Savio River crossing at Mansa, about six miles north of Cesena. The enemy below this point was forced to withdraw over the river, and is now strongly entrenched in positions originally prepared to counter a possible Allied landing north of Rimini.