MUTUAL WATCH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 275, 20 November 1943, Page 5

MUTUAL WATCH

FORCES IN ITALY PITILESS WINTER CLIMATE 'By relp^raph--Pres# Association—Oonyrijrhti Recd. 6 p.m. London, Nov. 18. Because of violent weather, the front line troops on either side in Italy are not doing much more than watch each other, says Reuter’s correspondent with the Fifth Army. Rain, snow and wind have both sides temporarily beaten alone the sodden 80-mlles coast to coast line.

Patrol activity on a small scale continues and the gunners occasionally have to leave the protection or their shelters, but air activity is slight. Another correspondent says: "Rain squalls sometimes hit the" countryside so hard that water-logged tents of the British and Americans are being blown over. The troops haven't even an advance' to cheer them up Iti this pitiless winter climate, but they are in good fettle.

Recd. 6 p.m. Rugby, Nov. 18. Rain and mud and swollen rivers have produced conditions which have definitely curtailed the opportunities of the armies lit Italy to make any substantial progress. On the Eighth Army front north of the river Sangro there is intermittent enemy shelling, and at a point 12 miles inland near the region of Atessa enemy manoeuvres for the preparation of a counter-attack were observed and promptly reported. A force of Kittyhawks swept in to strafe the assembled enemy forces, in co-operation with the British fire, and the German counter-attack was destroyed before it was launched On the Fifth Army front there was heavy shelling of the Venafro area on Wednesday night and Thursday, and an attempt was by the Germans to run small boats up the Garigliano River some distance inland. The boats were fired on by our troops. Fighter-bombers and fighters carried out offensive patrols and attacked enemy communications in the battle area. Light bombers on Tuesday bombed industrial targets on the west coast of Italy opposite Elba. In these operations five enemy aircraft were destroyed. Algiers radio says that 12 miles inland the Eighth Army advanced their positions slightly.—B.O.W.