ON RIMINI AIRFIELD

Grey River Argus, 26 September 1944, Page 5

ON RIMINI AIRFIELD

N.Z. TANK OPERATIONS ADRIATIC COAST, Sept. 22 Seven holes drilled neatly through a German tank turret mounted on a concrete pillbox, now standing abandoned at the western end of Rimini airfield, offer convincing evidence of the determination and accurate shooting of New Zealand tank crews. Mounting a long seventy-five millimetre high velocity gun, this strongpoint, which was the main defence of the airfield, knocked out four Canadian tanks and was proving a serious obstacle to the advance of the Eighth Army troops in the area until silenced by New Zealanders. Greek troops who were supported by tanks of an Auckland armoured regiment, had advanced to the lower end of the airfield, when further progress was checked by this gun, which was also causing trouble to Canadian elements on the left flank. Strategically placed, it obviously would be no easy task to dispose or the tank. T’he job was undertaken by two tanks under Troop Commander Lieutenant P. L. Collins, of Wellington. The New Zealander’s fire was so accurate that the strong point was knocked out.

Earlier in the advance, when Greek infantrymen were approaching the eastern end of the aerodrome, they were held up by heavy machine-gun fire, coming from a group of houses which the German’s were strongly denfending. Suporting fire was called for, and tanks of the same New Zealand regiment effectively demolished the houses. Advancing troops found thirty German dead there, and took twelve prisoners. Another twenty Germans escaped across a field.