FIERCE TANK BATTLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 December 1943, Page 3

FIERCE TANK BATTLE

RAGING IN STREETS OF ORTONA

Adriatic Anchor of German Defensive Line

ENEMY HOLDING TOWN HOUSE BY HOUSE

MORE ALLIED GAINS ON FIFTH ARMY FRONT

LONDON, December 22. Canadian troops of the Eighth Army have smashed their way into the heart of Ortona and fierce tank battles are taking place in the streets. One of the fiercest battles of the Italian campaign is raging for the town. The Germans admit that their forces have made a withdrawal of several hundred yards in Ortona. They had previously been subjected to a very heavy barrage for three hours and this was followed by a strong tank attack. Ortona is stated to be one of the main anchors of the Gelman defence line. It is the only port between Termoli and Pescara, 13 miles ahead of the Allied troops. Between Ortona and Pescara there are few positions easy to defend. A correspondent states that it seems unlikely that the Gelmans can hold Ortona against the weight of the Allied attack. They are still defending part of the town, house by house and street by street, with machine-gun nests everywhere. The Germans are also using Mark IV tanks. The ground is littered with time bombs and booby traps. Inland from Ortona, two German counter-attacks were flung back and Eighth Army troops made more gains. The Fifth Army has cleared the enemy from several more heights and taken prisoners. At one place, American and Fiench troops advanced up to four miles. Allied fighters and fighter-bombers again did very good work over the battle area.