CASSINO TO FLORENCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 16 August 1944, Page 6

CASSINO TO FLORENCE

Part Played by New Zealand T roops GENERAL FREYBERG'S ACCOUNT

Wellington, Aug. I 5.. A report, dated I oth August on the recent operations of the New Zealand Division has been received by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) from General Freyberg: ‘I have the honour to report,” states General Freyberg. "on the part played by your Division in the latest phase of the Italian campaign which has carried our line from Cassino to Morence.

“Except for two of the armoured re-1 giments,” the report continues, “your Division did not take part in the May offensive of the Fifth and Eighth Armies which broke the Gustav and Adolf Hitler Lines. Early in April regrouping of the armies was carried out, and we handed over our hardwon gains at Cassino to other formations and took over a sector in the north in the lower slopes of the Appenines, which French troops had captured earlier in the year. This mountain front gave little scope lor offensive action, except for active patrolling at night During the day all movement ceased, because the high peaks gave both sides excellent observation of each other's positions and approach routes. “Our job was to keep as many troops as possible occupied; this I think wc did. in company with British, Canadian and South African brigades, which were under our command. Your Division was on the right of the Polish Corps when the main battle opened; we were in close touch with this corps and our artillery supported them. Their attack against Stoney Peaks, north of Cassino, and the assault by British divisions across the Rapido River, south of the town, were carried out with the greatest gallantry and skill,

fight a rearguard action he held on grimly. The 6th Brigade 'under Brigadier Burrows 7 and the 4th Armoured Brigade (under Brigadier Inglis) came into the line, with sth Brigade, and for a fortnight the battle went on as the enemy tried hard to prevent a wedge being driven into his line south of the Arno River. He deployed all his available reserves and faced our advances with regiments of 4th Parachute Division and 29th Panzer Grenadier Division. He kept our positions under constant shellfire. He counterattacked our gains with infantry and tanks. In putting in counter-attacks the enemy had to expose his forces not only to our infantry and support weapons but also to the thousands of shells of our artillery (under our C.R.A., Brigadier Parkinson). The battlefield itself as well as reports from prisoners testify to the heavy losses the enemy suffered. In these operations our full strength was to de ploy all our artillery, then attack and drive the enemy from his organised defences. This forced the enemy tj hold unprepared rearguard positions on successive ridges with his infantry. We then hammered him with the full weight of our artillery, tanks, and close support aircraft.

“Wc had 150 field and medium guns for these operations capable of firing over 40,000 shells a day. Altogether the softening-up process proved very successful, and we eliminated a large number of the enemy.

“On 26th July the sth Brigade were held up short of Casciano, a town which was on a spur dominating route two, the main road to Florence. That afternoon Casciano was dive-bombed by the R.A.F. and the next morning it was occupied after slight opposition. The attack pul us in a much stronger position and from the Tower of Casciano Florence was clearly visible ten miles to the north. Further west the 6th Brigade and tanks advanced by day, won a bridgehead over the Pesa River and captured the village of Cerbaia. The tanks were unable to cross at Cerbatia but armoured cars of the Divisional Cavalry reconnoitred other crossings of the river and the tanks were got across ready to meet enemy counter-attacks. The same day infantry and tanks of the 4th Armoured Brigade began to move through Casciano. HEAVY FIGHTING “Heavy fighting ensued. The 6th Brigade advanced on the night of 27th July and captured the high ground be. yoncl Cerbaia. This success caused violent enemy reaction as the whole enemy position south of Florence was threatened.

and after bitter fighting Cassino and the Monastery were outflanked and captured. The gains won by your Division in the Battle of Cassino during March proved of great value in these operations. In the outflanking movement which cut route 6 our 19th Armoured Regiment supported the British infantry, and during a further advance the 18th Armoured Regiment played a distinguished part in the operation Avhich broke the Adolf Hitler Line and drove the enemy back down the road to Rome. THE GERMANS WITHDRAW “Hard fighting along the whole front finally broke through Kesselring's defences and forced him to withdraw. From our mountain sector we also advanced. Infantry and tanks never lost contact, and enemy rearguards were driven in one after another. Demolitions were repaired and mines cleared and our whole force deployed in the plain north of Atina. Moving north again, the enemy was driven into the high country north of Sora. Rome fell on June 5. The campaign to capture the Italian capital was long and hard, but in the end a great victory was won, the enemy losing large numbers of prisoners and much equipment. Driven from ideal defensive country the Germans have suffered a severe defeat both to their arms and to their prestige. “After the fall of Rome the Allies pressed on their advance and in two months the enemy has been driven back north of the Arno River. For security reasons the part played by the Second New Zealand Division in these subsidiary encounters did not receive any public notice until after the operations were over. Your force has actually been in action on two sectors of the Eighth Army’s front, first in the battle for Arezzo, then in the attack to drive the enemy north of the main high ground “After a fortnight's rest and training south of Rome the Division was called forward to rejoin the Eighth Army in the line. On the night ot July 8 the Division began moving. The columns passed through the outskirts of Rome and northwards to an assembly area not far from Hannibal’s battlefield at Lake Trasimeno. By July 13 the 6th Infantry Brigade (under Brigadier Burrows) had taken over its sector of the line. The country facing them overlooked our positions, and this Ligano feature had to be taken to c ? v ® l : the flank of a British armoured division and Guards brigade on our left, which was to drive through to Arezzo.

“Strong counter - attacks were launched against the 6th Brigade one after another, and we were forced to yield ground. Heavy counter-attacks continued throughout the 28th, the Germans throwing in their best troop 6 supported by Tiger tanks. Communications were cut and for a long time the situation was obscure. Then messages came through from one company that they were holding firmly and then from another asking for more ammunition.

“We were- now in a most difficult situation as the village of San Michele, dominated our new positions, and before any further progress •, could be made it was necessary to capture and occupy the village. An engagament was staged on the night of the 28th when the village was taken by a frontal attack. On the 29th plans were made to attack again as soon as guns could be deployed forward of Casciano Ridge. It was another day of heavy shell-fire and activity along the whole front. That evening the enemy launched a strong surprise attack on San Michele with tanks and infantry rushed up in lorries. They came in so quickly that they got into Michele before defensive activity from the guns could be brought down. Again the fog of war descended over

“On the night of July 14, the 6th Brigade attacked under artillery bombardment. The 26th Battalion had already occupied the high ground on the right. The 24th Battalion went forward in the centre, and the 25th Battalion attacked Lignano peak itself. The attack was a complete success. and by daybreak Lignano was firmly in our hands. While the infantry consolidated, armoured cars of Divisional Cavalry Regiment and Engineers pushed up the road on the enemy flank. Meanwhile, on our left the Britain attack went in and made good progress. The enemy did not counterattack. and that night withdrew from Arezzo, and our advance north was resumed. TO ANOTHER SECTOR “The enemy continued to* offer stubborn resistance wherever the nature of the country favoured defence, and on July 21 your Division was switched to another sector further west on the left of the 6th South African Division, wjio had reached this area in their advance from south of Rome. Our role was to take a narrow front and drive a wedge through to the Arno River south-west of Florence. Florence itself is not a military objective, as .the city lies in a valley dominated from north and south, but the object of the operations was to clear the enemy from the last high ground before his so-called GothicLine is reached. “The Division took over its new sector on July 21. and next day sth Brigade (Brigadier Stewart' advanced, supported by tanks of the Armoured Brigade and covered by our artillery. For the next four days the sth Brigade pushed the enemy gradually back in stiff fighting. As soon as an enemy position was taken by tanks and infantry attacking together, the tanks went on until they reached the next inevitable demolition. mined and covered by anti-tank guns and heavilyarmoured Tiger tanks armed with 88mm guns. These enemy rearguards had to be driven back by artillery and infantry, while the engineers built bridges or bulldozed tracks round the demolitions Action followed action. At every point where the enemy could

the town. Then enemy tanks were reported coming through south of San Michele but their infantry were repulsed. We sent fresh tanks and infantry into counter-attacks in the early hours of the morning and San Michele was cleared of the enemy. When our counter-attacks closed on San Michele they found our infantry holding on in demolished buildings just as the parachute troops did at Cassino. This dogged defence prevented the enemy infantry from getting possession of the village, although enemy Tiger tanks had possession of the street of the town and had smashed buildings. But there our infantry had a strong-point and they could not clear the area, and without infantry support they had to withdraw when darkness came. This most gallant defence of San Michele discouraged any further counter-attacks and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. HILLY COUNTRY “Owing to the hilly nature of the country and the winding roads it was not possible to advance to any great depth. Instead, each brigade had to push forward on a narrow front along three ridges in separate though coordinated attacks. On 29th and 30th July limited advances were made, and on the night of the 30th the sth Brigade attacked again to take the last high ground in front of Florence. This attack made excellent progress, and on the following night 31st July, the Maori Battalion and tanks got close to the top ridge. They held on there during Ist August, and that night all three brigades again attacked. The 4th Brigade in the centre and the 6th Brigade on the left gained their objectives, but the sth Brigade were themselves counter-attacked in strength before their attack commenced and no progress was made. During 2nd August our advanced positions held and that night the sth Brigade also reached the top of the hill, the Tast dominating feature overlooking Florence. During 3rd August tanks of the 4th Armoured Brigade fanned in and drove in the last enemy rearguards, who withdrew over the Arno and engaged in blowing bridges behind them.

“In this final series of attacks infantry of the sth Brigade and tanks of the 4th Armoured never gave the enemy any rest and in skilfully executed attacks a wedge was driven right through to* the river.

“Whilst we attacked down the Axis main road the Indian and South African Divisions on our left and right respectively had progressed along the edge of our wedge, working through very difficulty country and driving in enemy rearguards in their path. The South Africans and ourselves converged on the main road in close stages, and the South African tanks and infantry were the first to reach the outskirts of Florence. Kesselring’s forces now occupy the portion of Florence north of the River Arno. They have blown all the bridges over the River Arno (except Ponte Vecchio) and to-day (10th August) appear prepared to fight in spite of their own declaration that Florence was an open city. During this fight your Division has played a notable and gallant part in the Bth Army’s advance.