| Show Germans Give Up City of Florence Bitter Week 2 Siege Ends as Nazis Vacate Allied Military Government Moves Move In ROME Aug 12 UP Florence UP-Florence Florence ancient treasure house of I Italian renaissance art fell into allied hands Saturday as the Germans withdrew most of their troops from the city to new positions northward ending a siege that started two weeks ago While the British Eighth army 4 troops had not yet crossed the Arno river which cuts the city in half allied military government officers moved into the northern sector and began administering relief to the civilian population For the last two nights a specIal special special cial announced Saturday Saturday Saturday Sat Sat- the Germans have been withdrawing their main forces from Florence to a new line north of canal which runs through th the northern outskirts of the city Front dispatches reported that enemy snipers however still sUll were active in the city's northern section sec sec- tion Florence with a prewar population population population tion of approximately was reported in recent dispatches to have had some civilians still within its gates when the British drove the Germans back backof of the Arno and began jockeying for positions to take the city without without without with with- out resorting to artillery fire which would damage damage- its priceless art treasures There was no immediate Indication indication indication indica indica- tion that the Germans intended making a scale large-scale withdrawal farther northward to the heavily fortified Gothic line spanning the peninsula from the sea seato seato seato to the Adriatic It was revealed for the first time Saturday that Marauders bombed railroad yards in Florence Continued on Page Two Column One Nazis Withdraw From Florence Allies Aid Natives Continued from P Pae gt One on March 11 II March 23 and May 1 The primary targets each time were the Campo Dl Dt Marte rail yards in the southeastern suburbs but In some instances smaller formations formations for for- nations hit other yards Intelligence reports indicated that damage to civilian property was light Poles Advance West Vest of ot Florence where the Germans still held a pocket south of the Arno the British were driven driven en back a half halt mile mUe by heavy enemy enemy enemy en en- emy artillery fire but far to the cast in the Adriatic sector Polish troops of ot the Eighth army forged the Cesano river two miles mUes inland and established a small bridgehead bridgehead bridge bridge- head on the north bank The Poles sent patrols one mile northward without meeting resistance resistance resistance resist resist- ance except shellfire Other PolIsh Polish Pol Pol- ish lab patrols crossed the Cesano seven and a half halt miles inland and reached the town of ot Monte Porzio but withdrew back across the river when the Germans opened heavy artillery and machine-gun machine fire A disclosed that British Commandos struck into the islands of ot and in the upper Adriatic between the peninsula and Yugoslavia Wednesday night and destroyed the only bridge connecting the islands An undisclosed number of prisoners were taken In the fighting in western Italy the Germans opened heavy artillery artillery artillery artil artil- lery attacks all along the Arno river from Florence on the Eighth army front to Pisa where American American Ameri Amen can Fifth army forces were bogged down by heavy rains The heaviest barrage was centered centered cen cen- at San Colombano five miles mUes west vest of ot Florence and a mile half-mile south of the Arno Anno and forced the British to withdraw a half mile Germans rushed Pushed Back Farther west In the shallow pocket of ot the Arno bend between Empoli and the Germans were pushed back from one ter to a half mile mUe on a one-mile one front at the village of ot In northward the BritIsh British Brit Brit- ish occupied several villages in including including including in- in Santa Maria and A Avane vane between the Arno and route 67 northwest of Empoli Forward elements of ot the Eighth army reported encountering in increasing increasing in in- creasing German opposition around Florence and small nazi pockets passed by-passed west of the sance city were said to be putting putting putting put put- ting up stiff fighting The Germans also maintained a steady artillery bombardment of I the allied mountain positions northwest of the city and continued continued contin contin- ned patrolling on both sides of Arezzo German artillery also banged at atthe atthe atthe the forward areas of the Fifth army but American guns returned the fire and knocked out a self- self propelled gun southeast of ot Pisa Heavy rains continued along the entire Fifth army front and virtually virtually vir yin stalled the American ground operations |
