STEADY HEADWAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 December 1943, Page 4

STEADY HEADWAY

MADE BY ALLIED ARMIES IN ITALY GERMANS HANGING ON AT ALL COSTS. KESSELRING'S REPORTED ORDER. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, December 6. The Fifth Army is relentlessly forcing its way toward the Liri and Sacco valley roads to Rome and is capturing the positions dominating the entrances to the valleys one by one, state reports from Allied Headquarters. The Germans are fighting fiercely to retain these vital positions. Marshal Kesselring is believed to have issued a new order to hold the sector at all costs. There are unconfirmed reports that the Germans mined the retreat roads to prevent the defenders falling back before the Allied onslaught. There have been one or two German attempts to counter-attack, but these were broken up before the Allied positions were endangered. Reuter’s correspondent says the Fifth Army now has five commanding positions overlooking the Liri Valley, in addition to Mount Gariore. Allied planes are dropping emergency rations for British and American troops who are fighting almost in isolation on rugged heights where even mule trains are inadequate. ■ The Navy is aiding the Eighth Army’s advance towards Pescara. Naval vessels are concentrating their fire particularly against roads and bridges. The guns .of destroyers scored direct hits on at least one bridge.

Heavy rain in Eastern Italy is adding to the difficulties of the winter battle. The Germans are making a stand along the banks of the Moro River. Strong reinforcements have been"brought up in a bid to hold this new river line guarding Pescara. The Moro, which runs into the Adriatic just north of San Vito, offers a far less formidable barrier than the Sangro, but is heavily swollen by rain.

' The Algiers radio reports that violent battles are being fought on the Eighth Army’s left flank, where the Germans are striving to exploit their success at Orsogna. The radio says the Fifth Army yesterday captured over 200 prisoners in the Calabrito region. The Germans here are not offering much resistance. They appear to be dazed by violent artillery fire and aerial bombardment. BOMBING ATTACKS ON SALONIKA & AEGEAN TARGETS (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) RUGBY, December 6. A Middle East Air communique states: “R.A.F. heavy bombers attacked the railway station at Salonika last night and started fires in the yards. During the day American bombers attacked shipping off Leros. One vessel was left listing and smoking, after being abandoned, and two others were damaged. Simi Harbour, in the Aegean, was bombed on December 4. Buildings on the quayside were hit. None of our aircraft are missing.”

MANY ENEMY SHIPS. SUNK BY BRITISH SUBMARINES SHORE TARGETS SHELLED (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.10 a.m.) RUGBY, December 6. British submarines continue their offensive against German and Germancontrolled shipping in the Mediterranean. An Admiralty communique states that an escorted medium supply vessel was torpedoed and sunk off Samos. Another medium supply vessel was sunk by torpedo whil.e lying at anchor in Monemvasea Bay, in Southern Greece. Fourteen small supply ships, several of which were carrying ammunition, were destroyed elsewhere in the Aegean. One submarine successfully bombarded warehouses on the shores of Naxos Island and sank a seaplane moored in the bay. A floating dock 300 feet long, which was being towed, was destroyed in the same area.

In addition to successful actions in the Aegean, a British submarine torpedoed and sank a large landing craft in tow in the Gulf of Genoa. . The landing craft was laden with motor transport. Off Toulon, a medium tanker was hit by a torpedo, but it was not possible to observe the full result of the attack. The communique adds that the submarines which carried out these successful attacks were ufider the command of Lieutenants Ainslee, Turner, Drummond, Gatehouse, Crawford, Clutterbuck and Gordon.