ANOTHER ATTACK

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25084, 23 December 1944, Page 6

ANOTHER ATTACK

NEW ZEALAND TROOPS ADVANCE OF 3000 YARDS SUCCESS AT SMALL COST (N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent) FAENZA, Dec. '2O Following their successful enlargement of the Lamone bridgehead and the capture of Faenza, New Zealand troops in a new attack last night sliced off another sizable area of enemy territory north-west of the town, and captured just on 200 prisoners. Once again, the intensity and accuracy of the artillery barrage and the close following up tactics of the infantry were decisive factors in the success of an attack, which gained some 3000 yds, and considerably extended our line along the Senio River, the next natural barrier on the road to Bologna. Our casualties were moderate.

This time, the attack was across fiat, country—cultivated fields and vineyards, dotted here and there by farm houses. It was just after nine o'clock when the guns began. For ten minutes they blasted the enemy's forward positions while the infantry formed up on the .start line. Then the barrage lifted at a rate that would enable the men to keep up. .Just at the start, a bitch occurred when enemy shells began falling among the forward troops oi; one of our battalions, but this was not of long duration, and the men were soon able to take their place in the general advance. Attack Under Barrage The infantry went in right under the barrage—as close as possible without being themselves among the bursting shells. In this way they were oil the enemy positions —dugouts, slit trenches—before the Germans from the shock of the terrific antillery hammering, and kill or capture was thus made very much easier. Most opposition was encountered by the centre battalion, composed largely of Wellington men, which ran into a minefield, but in general the enemy was overcome with only moderate difficulty, and well before daylight all three battalions were firmly on their objectives. . . The infantry were supported in their advance bv tanks, for which the going was difficult on the narrow, muddy roads, even after the unique experience lately of five or six days almost entirely without rain. Tlie New Zealanders' adversary on this occasion was another crack German division, the 29th Panzer Grenadiers, last met witli in the Florence sector, where one of their units fought a pitched battle at SanMichele with one of last night's attacking battalions. Much Improved Position This action, together with a move forward by other units on our right, has greatly improved the position at Faenza, which until yesterday was being consistently subject to shell and mortar fire by the" ousted Germans, until then only 'half a mile or so away on the north-east side. Engineers have now been able to throw another Bailey bridge across the Lamone right on the main road. The result is that traffic in and out of the town has been very much facilitated. Concerning the capture of Faenza, an interesting fact was revealed by a German prisoner, who said that the week before our original outflanking attack, which forced the enemy out, the German commander had decided to evacuate the town and retire to a line on the Senio Biver. This was just about to be done when orders were received direct from Berlin, presumably from Hitler, that the town should be held at all costs. The cost in two days was 300 prisoners. 150 dead and many wounded. BATTLEFIELD SCENE FURY OF THE ASSAULT FIELDS AND ROADS PITTED (N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent) ADVANCED HQRS., Dec. 20 The battlefield south-west of Faenza, over which the New Zealanders outfought and smashed the crack German 90th Panzer Grenadier Division, tells a graphic story of the fury of the attack. Fields and roads are pitted and torn, trees are broken and splintered ami not a house in the area is undamaged. many being reduced to rubble. In many the Germans had torn holes in the ground floors and dug shelters, stacking earth inside the rooms for extra protection. Slit trenches around the houses emphasised the Germans' determination to hold the positions. It was only the speed and fury of our infantry attack, following the terrific barrage, which smashed their resistance. Indicative of the fury of the attack was the effort of six 3in mortars with one battalion which fired 1100 bombs in 73 minutes. It was a company of this battalion which was held up for several hours at one place, on the side of a steep slope. The place was finally taken when Sergeant L. Seaman, of Raetihi, collected a few men and rushed it. Sergeant Seaman was wounded when a German called "kamerad" and then fired from a doorway. He bolted, but the New Zealanders pursued and shot him dead. The tinv village of Celle is a miniature Cassi'no, with a church and a few buildings. All around is indescribable confusion. Yesterday the Germans intermittently fired on the area while the New Zealanders went methodically about _ the task of repairing roads and consolidating their positions. GREETINGS SENT TROOPS IN THE FIELD (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Friday The 60,000 members of the , New Zealand Returned Services Association, of whom upward of one-third are veterans of the present war, have sent greetings to the New Zealand Services in the field. The Dominion president, Mr B. J. Jacobs, in a message for publication in the N.Z.E.F. Times, expressed disappointment that the hopes expressed for victo.y and a homecoming for this Christmas had not been realised, but said the R.S.A. looked forward with confidence to a reunion at Christmas, 1915. He said five years of war was a long, weary period, but judging by the exploits of the New Zealanders during the past year they were determined that the division should make a substantial contribution to the complete victory which was now in sight. Mr 'Jacobs also sent messages to the heads of the three Services. BEQUEST TO WAITAKI WILL OF LATE MR F. MILNER (0.C.) DUNE DIN, Friday The will of the late Mr Frank Milner, principal of the Waitaki Boys' High School, is sworn at under I'IO.OOO. On the termination of prior life interests the residue of the estate passes to , the governors of the school.