Sangro Bridged But Still A Barrier

Northern Advocate, 13 December 1943, Page 2

Sangro Bridged But Still A Barrier

(Official N.Z.E.F. War Correspondent) EIGHTH ARMY FRONT. Dec. 7. Despite the fact of crossing the Sangro, tin; river is still the greatest barrier in the advance of the Eighth Army. All along the front engineers wage a ceaseless battle, working day and night in rain and icy water to keep lines of communication open. A few nights ago disaster threatened. A rising temperature and warm rain combined in accelerating the melting of the snows of the Apennines and in an hour the river rose three feet. There were then six bridges over the Sangro front including two built by Now Zealanders. All the other four crashed, one-by one, into.the stream and were swept over by the surge of muddy waters. Of the two New Zealand bridges, one was :tn ill-fated bridge which suffered a direct hit during the first crossing- and which subsequently was relaunched. The other, a box-girder bridge, stood strongly, despite the fact that the river, continued, to rise till it: was nearly four feet above normal. Unfortunately the river filled the bed and submerged the approaches, bringing all traffic to a standstill. No Vehicles Crossed On Saturday night no vehicles crossed the Sangro. Traffic hearing vital munitions lined up along all roads leading to 1 bridge sites. When the bridge foundered; under the rising water, some threetonner drivers decided to “give it a go”, i and headed through the gravel-beds into j the swirling torrent. Some were drenched as the water poured in through the calls; some were hauled out by bulldozers, but after darkness none got through. Meanwhile, casualties from the fighting a few miles away could not he evacuated, One ambulance was loaded with serious cases at the site of the New Zealand bridge and was towed across by a bulldozer. Other wounded were carried bn the backs ot' volunteers.

The position did not increase in gravity, however, as engineers, after inspection of the approaches, guaranteed that the New Zealand bridge (christened Tiki) would open again in the morning. This promise was kept by very hard labour, and over an hour before noon traffic rolled across the Sangro over Tiki bridge. The reasons for the standing of Tiki bridge, and for the way in which approaches, though submerged, withstood tire wash of the currept, are interesting to New Zealanders. Never Let Up After the initial crossing New Zealanders never let up, but constructed a stronger and higher bridge, later demolishing the earlier bridge because of possible damage to the new structure if j washed away. The finishing touches included extensive use of stone, netting and building gabions tovfprotec t the bridge ends. ' Our engineers then concentrated on the approaches. Good ground will bear four tions per square yard, hut thiSAfombination of gravel and waterlogged clay and humus could scarcely carry a. hundredweight. Metal and boulders merely disappeared into the mass under tire wheels of the traffic which was passing continually. Tiki bridge could, and does, bear loads over 110 tons, but the approaches were receiving punishment from wheeled and tracked vehicles. N.Z. Bush Practice Engineers improvised a solution from New Zealand bush practice. Standing timber was available, and this was felled and split on the spot to form the basis of a corduroy road. Traffic now rolls along the roads of metal basis which are thousands of split logs laid side by side in the road-bed. thus distributing the load on a wide area. Miles of corduroy roadways are already used and many more will be constructed as the New Zealanders move on. Meanwhile, a bridge over the main road is being built by the New Zealanders and others in which the New Zealanders’ task is to complete a lengthy steel span. Tn the other sector, I crossed the ruins of “Westminster” bridge—a mass of spidery girders and boats through which hisses the river.

“A regular commando course, this,” said one engineer, when we met in midstream using a single, rope as a handhold. But day and night. Eighth Armv engineers toil on and somehow the supply lines hold.