OVER THE SENIO: FOOT SLOGGERS ON WHEELS

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24677, 21 September 1945, Page 4

OVER THE SENIO: FOOT SLOGGERS ON WHEELS

KIWIS IN ITALY

(Specially Written for "The Press.”)

[By PETER J. FREETH.]

I roll over drowsily, trying to shut out the sound of that raucous and penetrating bellow. It seems that Ive only been asleep five minutes, but something in my sleep-drugged mind triumphs, and I recognise the noise as belonging to Hec. Hec hasi beeni on picquet for the last hour, and I sup pose, feels superior, and slightly contemptuous of his still dopy comrades. With the gradual return of consciousness I jerk myself out of the straw at the bottom of the slitty, to greet the freshness of a crisp, Italian night The main barrage is over, and only occasional shell exploding over theie, in Ted’s area beyond the Santerno, breaks the silence. All along the line the blokes emerge from holes. Mess pear is grabbed, and other figures join {ne stumbling through the darkness towards the cook truck. This was 3 a.m., Friday, April 13, 1945 and within three hours the New Zealand 9th Infantry Brigade were taking over from the sth and 6th Brigades, to carry on the attack started on the Senio river, three days before. On the Run . . . At 1 p.m. on April 9 the big offensive had started. All that afternoon a thousand planes, heavy mediums, and deadly Spitfires bombed and blasted hell out of enemy crouching in their well-prepared emplacements along the stop-bank. The combined artillery of our divisions had pounded the dug-outs in a terrific barrage with guns of aij cabbres. To Desert Rats and old Bth Army men it was reminiscent of Alamein and Cassino. With the precision of a dragnet the barrage had lifted ana then come back to catch those fleeing from its wrath. Thousands of - tne Fuehrer’s sons lay dead in their holes, many were reduced to the state or bomb-happy indifference; but quite a few escaped both bombs and shells. As dusk fell, scorching flames were directed over the banks, followed by hordes of determined infantry. Our casualties were light, but Spandaus manned by fanatical Huns and the deadly shu mines Strewn thickly on the banks took toll of a few. The enemy, disorganised and disabled, but still fighting, fell back to take up defensive positions in depth on every natural* obstacle. On that eventful night the 9th Brigade had done a protective job. Now we were going to exploit the break-through by pushing the enemy back swiftly, day and night routing him from those obstacles with artillery and determined attacks until we finally got him on the run. We had to contend, with minefields, Tiger tanks, machine-guns, and isolated but fierce resistance in casas everywhere. But we believed that, once over the Po river, the rest would be easy. We were going to push Ted out of Italy for keeps. Kangaroos John, the troop officer, comes round giving us the last griffe, remarkably cheerful for this hour of the morning. We are to push forward all day m Kangaroos belonging to a regiment of Lancers. These men are now-attached to our division in the, absence of our own Stag Hounds, formerly manned bv my regiment, the Div. Cav. The Kangaroos are merely Sherman tanks minus turret and 75mm gun. Carrying a section of infantry, they are a new idea in mobile infantry warfare, designed to speed up the advance m the casa-to-casa fighting now in progress on the open plain of the Po valley. , . 4 We follow George, the corporal, into the deep hull of our Sherman. The commander tells the driver to start up and within five minutes we are rumbling along the road, accompanied by a dozen similar grotesque hulks. All that can be heard is the ‘.teady roar of the Diesel engine and the rumbling clatter of tracks on a hard road. The view is strictly

This narrative describes how New Zealand infantry made use of troop-carrying tanks during the initial stages of the last big pusn m Kaly to exploit the break-through made on the Semo river.

limited—the dark sky above, the g] Q » of fag ends, and the dim outline of the smokers. Presently George starts checking over. “You 0.K., Pop? Got all ammo? Grenades handy? All m your safety catches on?” There is a burble of conversation for 10 minutes. Each bloke settles to his own thoughts. Myself, I’ve' only got a feeling vague excitement, much different to the sensation before going to sleet five hours earlier. I wondered vrtat it would be like, but had no apprehensicn about the business at all. 'Rjat would probably come later. seemed pretty secure in our armourplated hide-out, although I knew that a hit by a bazooka or a well-placed anti-tank shell would mean curtains Over the Santemo Crossing the now deserted Santemo by the newly-completed Bailey bridge, we rolled on towards the start lint It was hard to realise that this rive had been the scene of battle a few hours previously, when our forwardl brigades had made their crossing. , Shell craters and empty slit trench# now r marked this latest defence line of the ill-fated Tedesci. A few ditit round discs looked like teller minei lying round the banks. The thought of mines brought back the memory of Bill Paterson’s foot, blown off by a shu mine on the Senio stop-bank; andI hoped we were not going to strike any more, of those. First light found us assemhtar along a grass road parallel to ouruf of attack. After a brief halt n| check over of weapons we set off with a Kiwi tank in support of each troy of Kangaroos, Div. Cpv. and 22nd S& talion forward, with 27th Battalion fe reserve. At first we stuck to the road* hj single file, kicking up great cloud* dust. While the rest kept unto cover, our Bren gunners stood upwith guns at the ready, looking out I# any opposition from snipers, etc. Sooti we passed through a small village badly knocked about by our UR night’s stonk. The inhabitants stared at us dazedly but seemed -glad enough to see us. In a casa along the read were a company of 26th Battalion, and with them a bunch of dejected priaoners. Every now and then small grogs of prisoners being marched back passed us on the road. Uninterested and indifferent, they looked as thfcim they had had it; and we at last realised the utter futility of that struggle. In the Vineyards The sun was now up and the dajf gave promise of being fine and hoi Overhead the Spitfires of the D.AJ?. * circled and zoomed in search of bitetile Tiger tanks, isolated field-piece* , and enemy-occupied casas. Away on cur right our artillery were pumping shells into known points of resistance. Now we were really out in fresi moving fairly rapidly over cultivated; country in extended order. We ei- ' perienced a lot of difficulty with wiftev supporting grape vines and branches ? which kept catching under our wireless aerial or the barrel of the Br«w»*; ing machine-gun. This necessitated constant, work with wire cutters, topeding progress and making us vuk nerable, stationary targets. Now and then an “inner” shell would land, bpt not close enough for discomfort 1 ; Reports of Tiger tanks and S.P. guns came over the 19 set and the-, planes above would go scurrying awM“ to drop their eggs on the tugflh Never shall I forget the sight o! CM Spitfire going like a bat out ol h*o towards a target. I saw the stick a v bombs leave the rack, only to expiate directly beneath their carriers. . Tte. rakish body just flew to pieces,jm,. blazing chunks flew through a cloud of black smoke.(To be completed.) ' *