SANGRO BATTLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 December 1943, Page 4

SANGRO BATTLE

NEW ZEALANDERS’ PART IN THE EARLY STAGES. EXTENSION OF BRIDGEHEAD. (Received This Day, 11.15 a.m.) (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) EIGHTH ARMY FRONT, Nov. 29. In the brilliant sunshine of early afternoon, the New Zealand forces went forward from their newly-won positions across the Sangro to widen the '•breach in the enemy line. The attack began shortly after noon, with a barrage by New Zealand guns which screened the advancing troops with 4moke. The most important task was the’ occupation of a hilltop village which commanded the left flank of our troops and which also dominated lower ground held by the enemy. The operation was over within an hour and a quarter of the opening of the barrage. Coming up the slope close behind the shellbursts, the troops were soon in the narrow streets, of the village, which they found clear of enemy.' Behind fiame troops to take over the task of cleaning up. The total advance was 2,500 yards, due west, at .a right angle to the original axis of the attack. Casualties were light, but the decamping Germans left their usual presents in the form of cunningly-laid mines. Our troops went on to positions respectively 2,000 yards north-west and a thousand yards north of this morning’s lines. All objectives were reached by dusk without serious opposition. The enemy contented himself with occasional shelling and mortar fire. Enemy air activity today was light compared with yesterday, and few of his planes were seen. The Allied air offensive was redoubled in intensity. Clouds of black smoke rose above the green hills of the German-held territory as the sky was filled with neat and impeccable formations of bombers and the airy trails of high defence screen fighters. It was something special, even taking into account previous batterings received by the Hun over this sector.

EARLIER ACTION

MACHINE-GUNNERS CROSS RIVER, READY TO COVER INFANTRY ADVANCE. (Received Tliis Day, 11,5 a.m.K (Official War Corresp'ondent, N.Z.EF) EIGHTH ARMY FRONT. Nov. 29. Carrying only their guns, thousands of rounds of ammunition and enough food for a few meals, New Zealand machine-gunners crossed the Sangro River and dug themselves in some days before our main infantry attack drove thq. bridgehead into the enemy’s defences north of the river. At this stage of the battle, when only our infantry patrols had probed into the German lines at night, these machinegunners had their guns firmly entrenched across the river, ready to handle any counter-attack the enemy made on the wedge of hill slopes captured by the English infantry. To get their guns into these newly*won infantry lines, with the river behind them and German guns and mortars on every other side, our machine-gun-ners had to cross a wide riverbed, struggle over the one remaining span of a demolished bridge and up a sheer hillside, all in daylight. From the time they reached a road running along the south bank of the river they were under enemy gunfire. After three'miles of that, they had to carry their guns, tripods and ammunition over some 700 yards of muddy shingle riverflat and great heaps of concrete rubble left by bridge demolition. Each man carried 50 or more pounds of equipment on his back. By nightfall the gunners had crossed and recrossed the river until they had all their fighting equipment with them. They had no greatcoats or bedding and it was as cold as a South Island midwinter night. However, they soon found blankets in Italian farmhouses, and after a few hours of little enemy activity some of them went to sleep in old four-poster beds. Other New Zealand machine-gun-ners crossed the river each night to keep the gun teams supplied with food and ammunition. It was not until they joined in the great artillery and ma-chine-gun barrage fired in support of the New Zealand infantry assault across the Sangro that they shared in any major action. Though the country they lived in was heavily mined and scattered with booby traps, their casualties there and in the crossing were extremely light.