SURPRISE THRUST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 November 1943, Page 4

SURPRISE THRUST

IMPORTANT GROUND WON BY ALLIES FLAME-THROWERS & TANKS FIRST USE BY GERMANS ON SANGRO (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, November 29. A war correspondent says the Eighth Army surprised the Germans in Sunday’s Sangro offensive and the force that carried out the operation in the early hours was up to the German outposts before the enemy was aware of its presence. O.ur forces burst right through these outposts and the Germans who were not killed came out with their hands up and were taken prisoners. Some of the fighting was fierce while it lasted, but cur forces never gave the enemy a real chance to recover from his initial surprise. Our troops afterwards pushed further into the hills. Jn the coastal sector, however, there was very bitter fighting against the Germans, who rushed up fresh reinforcements equipped with flame-throwers and tanks, and at the first light of dawn counter-attacked against our forces on sloping ground between the bridgehead and the main defences, ground which our forces had occupied during the night. Fierce fighting went on all day, with our troops grimly swaying backwards and forwards in and around a village which nestles just below a ridge on which is the German “winter line.” From dawn to dusk the battle surged up and down the slope, with the Germans putting in everything in an endeavour to drive back our troops. This is the first time the enemy has used either flame-throw-ers or tanks on the Sangro. They also threw in most of the air support available.

DAMAGING BLOWS STRUCK BY AIR FORCE & NAVY. WARSHIPS SHELL COASTAL POSITIONS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.30 a.m.) RUGBY. November 29. A North Africa communique states: ‘■Heavy bombers yesterday attacked a railway viaduct and tunnel at Dogna, north of Trieste. Medium bombers attacked shipping in the harbours of Dubrovnik and Zara. Large forces of medium and light bombers, fighterbombers and fighters, attacked targets in the ground battle area. A very accurate concentration was obtained. Fighter-bombers also attacked transport and other military targets north of Rome. “Bombers last night successfully attacked airfields at Campino. A North Africa Navy communique says: “His Majesty’s destroyers. Quillam and Loyal, operating in the Adriatic on Thursday night, carried out a short bombardment of Civita Nova, 20 miles south of Ancona. On the west coast of Italy on Saturday, enemy positions in the Minturno area, north of the Volturn River, were successfully bombarded by the British cruiser Orion and the destroyers Troubridge, Paladin and Teazer.”