TOWN OF ORTONA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 December 1943, Page 3

TOWN OF ORTONA

TAKEN BY CANADIANS COASTAL ANCHOR OF GERMAN LINE. DESPERATE ENEMY RESISTANCE SMASHED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, December 21. A correspondent with the Eighth Army says the capture on Monday of Ortona, which, during the past ten days, had been the coastal anchor of the enemy line on the Adriatic coast, was achieved by Canadians. They pushed into the south-west outskirts of the town, and port just before dusk, after attacking under cover of a barrage from a junction where the lateral road from Orsogna joins the main coastal road. Enemy machine-gun posts in olive groves made a last effort to hold them up, but failed. The posts were obliterated by the infantry, with tank support. Before the withdrawal of their main forces, the Germans hurriedly mined the road and the ground on either side. The road was also pounded by German mortars northward of the town, but our guns silenced them after the barrage for the attack was over. As our troops pushed into Ortona, they passed many dead Germans, near or on the road, who had been killed by our artillery fire. The Canadians were met by a heavy fire at the outskirts of Ortona, but rushed into the town and fought in the streets.