PURSUIT HAMPERED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 December 1943, Page 3

PURSUIT HAMPERED

DEMOLITIONS & HEAVY RAIN BUT MORE POSITIONS TAKEN BY ALLIES. ENEMY LOSES HEAVILY IN COUNTER-ATTACKS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.35 a.m.) RUGBY, December 2. “It took four days of heavy fighting by British, Indian and New Zealand troops to make a definite break through the German defensive line on the Adriatic coast sector,” says a correspondent. “Our advance on Wednesday penetrated to a depth of three miles. The enemy is retreating in an orderly mariner and relying on demolitions almost entirely to hamper opr pursuit, which is further hampered by heavy rain. We have taken San Giovanni village, four miles north of .the Sangro and reached the outskirts of Castel Fretano, where the Germans are still resisting.” A communique says: “On the Eighth Army front we have captured the Fos-sacesia-Remagnoli ridge. This was completed after a day of heavy •fighting. Determined enemy counter-at-tacks, launched with fresh troops, were thrown back with heavy losses of his men, material and over 1,000 prisoners were taken and much booty was captured, The fighting for Fossacesia was particularly fierce. Our aircraft furnished splendid close support. San Giovanni, two miles from the sea, has been captured and the advance continues.

“The Fifth Army repulsed two enemy counter-attacks. Our patrols are active along the whole front.” A correspondent says that in the attack orf the Fiat ball-bearing works at Turin, bombs covered the entire target area and large fires and explosions were seen. Eight to 12 enemy fighters vainly tried to intercept and two of them were shot down. All our fighters and bombers returned. Light bombers, fighter-bombers and fighters attacked ground positions in the battle area and enemy communications in the rear. Light bombers on Tuesday night attacked enemy communications, while last night railway yards at Pont Assieve, which is a junction eleven miles east of Florence, on the line running south to Rome, was bombed. In the course of these operaitions, a third enemy aircraft was destroyed. A Navy communique states that United States patrol boats engaged a number of E-boats near Bastia, in Corsica, on Tuesday night, damaging one Eboat and probably damaging another.