ON SANTERNO BARRIER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 14 April 1945, Page 2

ON SANTERNO BARRIER

ADVANCE OVER MANY OBSTACLES ACTIVE RESISTANCE NOT GREAT (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) In the Field, Apl. 11. After an advance of more than six miles since their storming of the Senio 36 hours ago. New Zealand troops of the 24th Battalion are on the formidable barriers of the Santerno River. This advance, which imperils the en-

tire. German defence line facing the Eighth Army, was made despite every obstacle which could be placed in the way by the enemy, besides the initial crossing of the Senio, which with its 20-foot stopbanks and supporting canals formed a defensive line par excellence. The New Zealanders also had to face t..-o powerfully armed lines of casas and camouflaged gunsites. Then there were tank barriers such as the Lugo Canal and Scola Trattura, spaced at the best intervals along the route of advance. Despite all these there were few unusual incidents in the past 36 hours. The advance kept amazingly to schedule and few counter-attacks worthy of name developed. In the first few hours after the Senio crossing Tigers were reported near a little village. Men of the 24th engaged thr?e of them as they passed through the village and damaged one but the Tigers were more concerned with finding a way from the trap than with fighting. TIGER TANK IMMOBILISED Told that a Tiger was nearby, men of (he 25th groped their way through an artificial fog of dust and smoke that limited vision to a few yards. One infantryman, lugging a Piat mortar, almost ran headlong into one. At eight yards he fired into the armour-belt at the rear, then he backed off and sent in another Piat bomb. Oil flowed through two holes less than an inch in diameter and the tank, its engine damaged, lurched into a bank and the crew were taken prisoner. Meanwhile the 24th overran two enemy howitzers drawn by horses and took the gun crews prisoner. During the darkness the Germans made repeated attempts to blow up a vital culvert but were fought off and finally a New .Zealand corporal withdrew the charges.

WOODEN GERMAN GUNS German deceptions were revealed as our troops went forward, for in one area alone there were four wooden guns which presented a fearsome aspect at only a few yards range. The steady, plodding advance went on yesterday afternoon and last night but despite the known presence of large enemy forces resistance did not harden. By dawn to-day the 24th Battalion had crossed the stopbanks of the Santerno and its attendant canal and was establishing on the other side. The menace of counter-attack in force is growing but our supporting arms are well forward to meet any emergency. Behind most of the forward troops the countryside is covered with the dust of traffic inching forward over almost impassable tracks. The New Zealand Division is getting mobile again. CASUALTIES AT BARI London, Apl. 12. The prefect of Bari announced that casualties when the amunition ship exploded total 360 dead and 1730 injured. Over 1000 lost their homes.