FIGHTING BACK IN ITALY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 229, 24 June 1944, Page 7

FIGHTING BACK IN ITALY

Germans Stiffening Resistance ALLIES GAIN GROUND (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyrlgnt.) LONDON, June 22. German opposition is now stiffer than at any time since the fall of Rome, says the Columbia Broadcasting System’s Rome correspondent. Taking advantage of the broken, mountainous country round Perugia and Lake Traslmeno. the Germans have started to fight back. Last night they sent back a raiding party to Perugia, and stiff fighting developed within the town. The Allied forces advancing north of Perugia, and also further west near the lake, met strong resistance, but were able to gain ground. The Eighth Army is now four, miles past Perugia. The stormy weather of the last few days has been a godsend to Kesselring, who was quick to take advantage by organizing a major delaying action all along the front and using increasing concentrations of mortars and artillery, says a correspodent. Sporadic resistance, demolitions. mines and mud are still hampering the Allied movements, but the skies are clearing. ’ Algiers radio reports that the Eighth Army has captured Camerino and Nocera, in Umbria

The Associated Press correspondent at Fifth Army headquarters says that the German casualties in Italy in 41 days are unofficially estimated at between 80,000 and 100,000 killed, wounded and

captured. In spite of the swollen rivers, the demolitions. and the increased enemy artillery fire, the Eighth Army, has fanned out from Perugia to both sides of Lake Trasimeno, capturing several towns and

villages, including Castiglione de Lago. The Germans, during the uight, .infiltrated the town of Chiusi. where sharp fighting went on. It is officially revealed that advanced patrols of the Italian Liberation Corps were responsible for. a quick breakthrough along the Adriatic to Ascoli and Teramo. The Italians, after holding mountain positions on the Eighth Army flank during the Gustav Line and Hitler Line battles, made a secret move toward the Adriatic. Reuter’s correspondent at the headquarters of the Eighth Army says that spearheads tonight were only 27 miles south of Ancona. They have thus drawn level with the Fifth Army thrusting up the central and western sectors. The Allied battlefront, for the first time, stretches almost in a straight line across From west to east _the Ailed front starts from a point 15 miles north ot Grosseto. near Follonica, opposite Elba, passes just north of Paganico on the secondary road running due north on a straight line to Siena and Florence, then, switching slightly, runs north from Chiusi and touches the western and southern shores of Lake Trasimeno. It cuts still further north above Perugia. Nocera. in Umbria, and the approaches to Camerino, and touches the Adriatic at Pedaso village. seven miles north of Fermo. . Americans of the Fifth Army occupied Paganico and continued.tp' advance. Bombing Activity. Medium bombers yesterday attacked railway bridges iu north Italy, a road bridge on the west coast, and shipping in Leghorn harbour. . ,

Light bombers attacked an ammunition dump. Fighter-bombers struck against Novi Litiute airfield, also railways, roads, bridges, rolling stock and motor transport in and near the battle area. Heavy bombers did not operate. Medium and heavy bombers last night attacked the railway yards at Ventimiglia. None of our nlanes were lost. Me flew more than 1100 sorties. Algiers radio says that Allied bombers today raided the Fiat works in Turin, the railway yards of Parma. Modena, and Bologna on the line from Milan to Rimini, also Ferrara, on the line from Bologna to the Brenner Pass, and the railway bridges on the Brenner line. Light naval forces on Sunday night, during the operations for the capture of Elba, torpedoed and destroyed an enetny lighter near the island. An escorting Ebont fled at high speed.