THE REBEL ADVANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 1, 3 January 1939, Page 9

THE REBEL ADVANCE

FURIOUS FIGHTING

CATALAN FRONT

.By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright.* LONDON, January 1. Furious fighting in the main sectors attends General Franco's Catalonian offensive. Every available plane is engaged, but a thaw is hampering the tanks., The Italian divisions, including the Littoria, which, at Signor Mussolini's request, led the assault, are jeopardised because of a loyalist counter-attack. The rebels claim the capture of Albages, Pobla de Granadella, and Cubellas. The total rebel gain is 346 square miles on a 100-mile 'front. '-. The Saragossa correspondent of "The Times" says that the rebels are advancing in the southern sector. Despite the necessity for storming a succession of well-defended ridges between the River Segre and the Tierra Dellana foothills, they crossed a river ahead of their time-table. The position of the loyalists in the Lower Ebro is increasingly precarious. ' Barcelona reports, however, that repeated rebel onslaughts were unable to breach the loyalist lines in the lower Segre and in the Tremp sector. The rebels' progress, it is claimed, has been reduced to a mile a day at a few points" and at heavy cost. The loyalists*- resistance is tremendous. Loyalist anti-aircraft guns brought down three out pf seven bombers. (Received January '3, 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, January 2. The Saragossa correspondent of the "British United Press says that 20,000 rebels stormed Juncosa, midway between Borjas Blanca and Falset. achieving ah advance of 25 miles and halving the distance to Tarragona.