WORK UNDER FIRE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25177, 14 April 1945, Page 10

WORK UNDER FIRE

BRIDGING THE SENIO ' NEW ZEALAND ENGINEERS MAGNIFICENT FEAT ACHIEVED (N.Z.E.P. Official War Correspondent) IN THE FIELD, April 10 The building of six bridges under fire and in darkness across the Senio was a magnificent feat bv the New Zealand Engineers. Although six bridges ■were ordered, it was believed beforehand that the completion of four would be an exceptionally good effort. Six ■were completed, although one could not be used today. From the site of this bridge sappers lifted 50 teller mines, but a bulldozer and a troopcarrier blown up in the cleared area, showed that the Germans had doublebanked the mines. The five bridges in Tise proved ample for all traffic. In a 40-foot chasm between the steep banks the company moved about its task with the precision and assurance of men working in broad daylight. On a ledge half-way down big lorries driven through a gap had been loaded off and all the materials lay in orderly stacks in* the order of need. One man stood by to indicate the place of each piece called for.

Rapid Construction Across the long steel beams lay 20 i planks forming a temporary bridging on which to build the bridge. As the last plank was iaid the first sidesection of the bridge was carried on | to it, and the next was right behind and instantly tied to it. Before both 6ides had been completed the transoms and decking were going into i place between them, and the bridge , seemed to grow as if by magic. Actually, long before daylight tanks ■were rolling across it and speeding I north in good time to tako xip their tattle stations. Nobody watching would i guess that for two hours before these men had crouched against the side ot the stopbank enduring shelling and mortaring, watching their half-dozen casualties being tended and carried out, and cursing the bridging train "which seemed to have disappeared. But, wonder of it was that the train appeared at all. The only usable route to the bridge was a one-way road, and after the attack started the Germans plastered this road systematically for some hours. Difficulties to Surmount Driving without lights, one driver ' ditched nis truck and it completely blocked the road. Officers and men toiled to extricate the truck, while in the company headquarters 300 yards behind the stopbank arrangements were made to telephone back to Reserve Supply to bring up replacements and material. Finally, a bulldozer was taken down and pushed the truck off the road, but another truck also became ditched and shrapnel set it on fire, the blaze lighting up the countryside and bairring progress along the road. In the brick-walled, ' stone-floored room of the house taken for headquarters it seemed one disaster piled on another. From forward came a call for stretcher-bearers, and from the roadway came reports of one hold-up , after another. Time after time the house shook and rattled as shells fell , near. But the sappers dealt with every--1 thing which came along in their calm 1 unruffled manner and the bridge went through, while in one corner of the orderly room a quiet individual boiled | billy after hilly of tea which he served i to allcomers. ' This was only one of six bridges the sappers had put through after darkness fell. Its building illustrates what the sappers go through. This morning all the bridges were completed.