MOUNTAIN BATTLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 December 1943, Page 3

MOUNTAIN BATTLE

NEW ZEALAND ADVANCE FROM SANORO PENETRATION OF GERMAN WINTER LINE. FIGHTING IN DIFFICULT COUNTRY. ' (N Z.E.F. Official News Service.) ■EIGHTH ARMY FRONT, December 14, After battling their way foot by foot from the level gravel beds of the Sangro River to the heights to the north, the New Zealanders are bitterly contesting every hilltop with the enemy. The brilliant feat of a few days ago, when infantry operating at the height of courage and initiative, crashed their way with rifle and grenade thiough the German winter line and into the very headquarters itself, left our troops in possession of a peak which stands at.a vital village and road junction. To the left of the village, the hill drops away to a river valley at right angles to the Sangro and on this side are the heavy wire and trench defences which were overrun by our troops. North of the village, the hill drops away again, and bej r ond this rises a dominating ridge which runs from a mountain on the left to high country. On this ridge are two towns, against the closer of which our next attack was directed. During our consolidation of the ground gained on Thursday, infantry patrols and tanks penetrated some distance into the enemy lines where panic had undoubtedly set in. The disorganisation was so complete that in better country a break-through and rout would have followed, on the pattern of El Alamein, but again the nature of the terrain was our worst enemy One patrol got over the ridge and advanced some miles before returning with 10 prisoners—a particularly good show as the patrol consisted of six Maoris led by a private. The ranks went forward till their movements were handicapped by the number of prisoners! ATTACK ON TOWN CHECKED. Early on Thursday afternoon, two battalions repeated the previous operation by walking forward, covered by artillery. They pressed on till a company actually gained the town and occupied buildings to the left. At dawn yesterday, however, this formation reported enemy tanks and infantry closing in on them from other parts of the town Their position looked serious, as the company was receiving a terrific hammering from field guns, tanks, mortars and small arms fire. Our tanks were called for and responded with amazing speed, covering the withdrawal of the infantry to a position 1000 yards from the village. The situation then reached a stalemate which continued throughout yesterday and still persists. Enemy tanks refuse to venture from the protecion of buildings and ours find it difficult to bring their fire to bear. ■ All yesterday it was possible to watch the progress of the battle from an adjacent village in our hands, only a few thousand yards from the enemy-held town. The chief concern of the reinforcing German tanks and infantry was to hold the road between the two towns on the ridge and so maintain a line of retreat for the remnants of the German infantry division which first opposed us. Judging by the number of prisoners which still stream to our rear., this formation has practically ceased to exist as a fighting force.

ENEMY HEAVILY POUNDED. It was possible to see Germans seeking shelter in the hills as the panic reached its height. From a vantage

point above the shell-torn road. I could see the enemy receiving the full force of our artillery and tank fire and also bombing. Intermittently his

fighters, would endeavour to check our fighter-bombers, or would sneak in to lay bombs on our positions. Then the sky would rain Spitfires—and enemy planes would take their last 'dive. In all six Messerschmitts fell over the area including one to our light anti-aircraft guns. One small formation was wiped out after dropping its bombs indiscriminately on hillsides. It was the most comprehensive view of a battle I have seen, the only comparison being that for the low hills in the valley during the struggle for Tebaga Gap. Away to the left, I could see the fires of villages destroyed by the retreating Germans in the most contemptible of scorched earth policies, contemptible because the villages were humble mountain hamlets of no strategic interest. Nearer, rose the dust of our barrage on ■ the enemy-held town and the smoke of a burning German bomber. The foreground disclosed the positions of our incomparable infantry outlined by the smoke of shell and mortar bursts. Our men lay in shallow trenches and behind low cover, taking the worst the enemy could give them and awaiting word through long hours to go forward on to the ridge.