AUCKLANDERS IN BRILLIANT ACTION

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 181, 2 August 1944, Page 6

AUCKLANDERS IN BRILLIANT ACTION

SAN MICHELE EPIC Success Of Men Who Were Given Up As Lost (N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent) TUSCANY, July 31. When the full facts are examined the stubborn defence of the straggling little village of San Michele by an Auckland company must take its place as one of the most brilliant actions in the New Zealand Division's Italian history.

Surrounded, with all their communications destroyed, the men of the company never lost their grip on the village. They were given up for lost, but when other New Zealand troops sent forward to retake San Michele entered the village they found it clear of Germans and occupied by a New Zealand garrison.

The story begins on the morning of July 29 when the Auckland company went forward, overcame strongpoints covering San Michele, and took the village after killing seven Germans and capturing seven more. By the first light three strong-points had been established, two in houses and the most northernly one in a three-storeyed church. These were covered by two Shermans, four sixpounder anti-tank guns and two machine-guns.

Huns Recovery From Surprise 4 Soon after that the Germans, recovering from their surprise, determined to retake the village. A strong patrol first felt out the position. Then Panzer Grenadiers attacked the church with Spandaus and infantry weapons, but were held off by grenades and small arms. Enemy tanks then moved up, and one Mark IV. Special closed steadily in until it was able to knockout a six-pounder at five yards.

In fighting round the gun the Germans lost an officer as well as ot"her casualties. Meanwhile the strongpoint was under full assault. A German officer, walking past with his helmet off, was shot dead, and a sergeant who stuck his head in a window met a similar fate. This disclosed the strongpoint to the enemy, who at once attacked. Six Germans entered the upstairs rooms, forcing the section below to vacate the building under, the protection of smoke grenades. Later a Sherman blasted down the top storey and the N6w Zealand patrol took four prisoners. Our artillery fire greatly assisted in driving -off these early attacks. Throughout the day, however, the enemy's self-propelled guns and tanks fired away at the occupied buildings at close range, often no more than 200 yards. In . addition heavy mortar and shell fire fell continuously on the town; and two more unsuccessful attacks were made.

Heavy Enemy Fire The walls were breached by armour-piercing shells.and high explosive shells detonated inside the buildings, but the casualties remained light. At 7.30 German artillery of all calibres came down on San Michele with what one infantry officer described as the heaviest concentration of enemy artillery to be seen. It lasted for 20 minutes, after which the three remaining anti-tank guns were eliminated and their portees set ablaze. The Shermans were forced to withdraw as. two heavy German tanks which had infiltrated round their flank were threatening their rear.

The battle - round the church reached an indescribable pitch of fury as the Germans closed in under the protection of a ring of Spandaus. The fire from the upper storey was worrying the enemy, so one of two Mark Fours which had traversed the length of the street returned to deal with the church. In the upper storey was one game Vickers gunner, who at this time was engaging the fire of three Spandaus. and the long 75 of the tank. -He kept his gun in action, silenced the Spandaus one by one and inflicted many casualties on a group of panzer Grenadiers who were coming in from the left. After silencing air the fire from that side he had his gun hit and put out of action.

In those few hours there were many courageous actions, but none braver than that performed by a private from Mount Eden. In the earlier fighting he suffered badly from concussion and was in a regimental aid post when the attack developed: He secured a Piat mortar and went into action. Standing at the door, he saw a Mark IV. coming in for a shot, its 75 at full elevation, as it had just been firing into the upper floors. The tank was ten yards away and the gun was swinging down for a shot into the building, which would probably have finished the New Zealanders. The private fired a Piat from the hip, the shell hitting the junction of the turret and the body, jamming the gun. As the tank gunner struggled to depress the gun, the Aucklander planted three more shells where they would do the most good. They did not penetrate, but the tank was obviously crippled and limped back out of range. I

Building Heavily Pounded

The battle continued unabated as the tanks pounded- the upper floors and the Germans strove to get across the street. A signalman standing in a doorway fired a succession of tommy guns passed to him by comrades inside-, while a sergeant-major bowled grenades through the opening. One German got through, but was killed by a shell from his own tank. Meanwhile clouds of dust and rubble filled the air as the tanks cut the. building. down storey by storey. Communication among the three strongpoints had been lost, and it was impossible to leave the ruins of the church without destroying the barricade. The southern strongpoint had held out' against the tank threat, but the corporal in charge, seeing no sign of life from the direction of the church, withdrew his men complete with equipment and the walking wounded to. battalion headquarters. The central point remained firm, though badly knocked about". Enemy tanks circling round the right flank had pushed oh fully half a mile down the road through the village.

The final trial of the church garrison developed when the first radio message to get through informed them that another company was attacking to recapture the village. One barrage fell squarely among the strongpoints. An officer stopped counting when he had checked 250 hits on the church, which was cut down to ground level, only the cellar surviving. The central point was not so fortunate and had to be dug out when a fresh company entered the village. The day's fighting had cost them only a total of five men missing and under 20 wounded, none gravely.