16/5/1944 1.= pm. Robert Robinson
The 5th and the 8th Armies in Italy have widened and
deepened their breach in the Gustav line and
have finished off all organized resistance in
the area overrun.
The bridgeheads over the Rapido have been extended.
German prisoners taken since the offensive
began now number 3000.
The French have captured a regimental commander
with his staff after being cut off.
2/3 of the Allied troops in the Rapido bridgehead
are British.
The bridgehead is nearly 2 miles deep.
The left flank of the 5th Army is being assisted
by the navy and a British cruiser fired 800
rounds yesterday.
Our Mediterranean air force were not so
active yesterday and they flew 1800 sorties.
8 of our planes are missing. 7 enemy
machines were destroyed and only some
30 German planes were encountered over
the battle area. Objectives on the isle of Elba were
bombed and also ports on both the sides of Italy
as well as targets in Yugoslavia.
Last night our Mosquitoes made another
attack on Ludwigshafen in the Upper Rhineland
dropping also some 4000 pounders.
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