FIGHTING IN ITALY

Southland Times, Issue 25483, 2 October 1944, Page 5

FIGHTING IN ITALY

DRIVE TOWARDS BOLOGNA SAVIGNANb TAKEN (Rec. 11.15 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 1. Troops of the Bth Army have cleared the Germans from the town of Savignano, nine miles north of Rimini on the road to Bologna. Bad weather has hamthe advance of the troops on this sector. Stiff German resistance was encountered. American troops of the sth Army have repelled strong counter-attacks against an important feature, Monte Batagalia, while British troops of the sth Army took Monte Fuso, the chief feature on the Florence-Forli road. The New Zealanders on the Adriatic have established a 400-yards’ front along the Fiumicino river, about 10 miles beyond Rimini. Other Bth Army elements faced furious German coun-ter-attacks and had to give up a small bridgehead across the Fiumicino west and north-west of Rimini. Heavy rain has prevented large-scale operations in the Adriatic.

The sth Army in central Italy is driving a deep salient towards Bologna, 19 miles distant. The Germans have been forced ' to pull out to avoid being trapped. The weather yesterday so severely restricted the Mediterranean Air Force operations that only 60 sorties were carried out. Heavy and medium bombers did not operate. Fighter bombers cut railways in 17 places south of Milan and destroyed rolling stock. The Rome correspondent of the Columbia Broadcasting System says that the Allied advance in Italy is almost halted with the Germans counterattacking on many sectors. A headquarters spokesman said we held the majority of the counter-attacks, but in the Adriatic, German infantry and armour have thrown back the Bth Army from some forward positions in the muddy lower reaches of the Po Valley. ENEMY VESSELS SUNK

Operations In Mediterranean

(Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 30. On Wednesday night two of our landing craft operating off the Yugoslav coast met and engaged a convoy of enemy landing craft, states the Mediterranean communique. Two enemy vessels were sunk and others damaged.

Allied light naval forces supported the right flank of the Army on the French-Italian border.

Five enemy lighters were sunk on Friday when H.M.S. Black Prince with the destroyer Tumult bombarded the harbour of Cyros.