SUDDEN THRUST

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 88, 14 April 1945, Page 5

SUDDEN THRUST

NEW ZEALAND ACTION

Division Fqund Weak Spot In

Enemy Lines

N.Z.E.F. Official IVar Correspondent

SANTERNO, April 12.

Our original crossing of the Santerno' was due to exploitation of a gap in the defence line due to the loss of so many Germans during our advance over the Senio. Apparently German troops hastening to try to seal the'gap had not arrived.

Now that' our troops have completely over-run the Santerno and are pressing on almost without a pause it is possible- to appreciate fully the strength of what was once intended to be Kesselring's winter line in Italy. It is obvious from here on the stopbank of Santerno Canal that this was a vastly stronger line than that of the Senio.

A basic obstacle is supplied by the combination of river and canal. The Santerno River described great arcs across the countryside in its slow course to the sea, and so a canal had been driven in almost a straight line through the convolutions. As high stopbanks are a feature of both the canal and the old river bed, the result is a series of great earthworks in the form of redoubts. The river bed is almost dry, but the canal carries several feet of water.

Inside the. redoubts, which are flanked by minefields, are many examples of German ingenuity in the shape of cunningly concealed Spandau nests, crawl trenches, dugouts and mortar positions. So the German division manning the banks of the Senio had the comfort of knowing that behind it was a most powerful line on which to fall back.

Germans Caught Napping What did happen was vastly different. Reeling back in dust and smoke on the night of April 9, hundreds of enemy troops destined to hold the Santerno line were over-run by the speed and fury of the New Zealand attack. Even guns and tanks were so caught, as evidenced by the hulls of two Tigers now in our back areas, and by others self-destroyed on this side of the Santerno. Our swift advance left the Santerno line undermanned. Gaps in the minefields were not closed, and those who did reach the line were given no time either to find their own weak spots or to obtain reinforcements. Less than 36 hours after beginning our advance a patrol of the 24th Battalion probing ahead of our main forces proved the astonishing fact that the river line, ahead of them was not manned.

German Supports Too Late This was exploited to full advantage—and at the cheapest cost the German line was broken. The latter stages of the advance to Santerno were devoid of incident. Our tanks were well forward and the German armour, though ever present, showed excusable timidity. This was due also to our complete domination of the air in the perfect conditions prevailing.

Direct air support is proving invaluable. Any appearance of the enemy is signalled by the howl of diving fighter-bombers. The tearing sound of airborne cannon and the crump of bombs echo constantly along the front line to-day. Last night there was bitter fighting on certain sections of the Santerno Line, where Germans, strongly entrenched in bends of the river, hung on grimly until blasted out. Again artillery concentrations were a big factor in preventing the launching of a counter-attack in anything like full scale. The appearance of our tanks in force on the other side of the river early this morning secured positions threatened by the enemy. Meanwhile German units were racing in support of thei- hard-pressed troops. The Division arrived in the area only to find they had "missed the bus." Their second shock came this afternoon when our barrage bore tidings that • the New Zealand Division had no intention of resting at Santerno.