AEROPLANES AND ARTILLERY

Timaru Herald, Volume CLV, Issue 22792, 17 January 1944, Page 4

AEROPLANES AND ARTILLERY

Spectacular Attack On Orsogna Italian Children Yell With Delight From the Official War Correspondent with the N.Z.E.F. DIVISIONAL HEADQUARTERS. January 12. We saw parts of Orsogna's buildings tossed into the air to-day when the town was subjected to a great pounding from the air and from our guns. It was the most spectacular attack we have seen on Orsogna but, strangely enough, when the great clouds of dust and smoke had cleared the solid tower which rises above the centre of the town was still standing. It is not the tower it used to be by any means. There are parts missing, and what remains must be badly shattered. The tower had been a fine position for the enemy to observe our lines, but he must have found it no sinecure. This morning we saw Kittyhawk bombers dive in at a low level to release heavy bombs which shook the ground on which we stood some thousands of yards away. Great masses of bricks and stones were flung into the air, and with the dust and smoke formed giant fountains which soon merged to blot out almost the whole town from view. As the dust and smoke pall increased, the terrific flashes of exploding bombs made an amazing spectacle. After releasing their bombs the planes shot up into the sky, circled the town and dived in again and again with cannons blazing. The morning’s raid was but the prelude to bigger things in the afternoon. The Kittyhawks returned and repeated the dose. Their bombs exploded from one end of the town to the other, and I thought the tower had been demolished when it disappeared in a great black spurt of smoke, but it emerged more battered but still standing. The view had scarcely cleared when our guns flung against the town a short but heavy concentration of shells. Again before many minutes we could not see Orsogna. Flashes appeared everywhere over the town. Mingled with the continuous roar of bursting shells were yells of delight from Italian children who watched from a house near us. They had yelled encouragement, too, when bombers were making their attack. Orsogna does not burn. It is of the sr.me solid construction as all Italian towns and buildings, being of brick, stone and concrete. The town is strongly held by the Germans, -who at night emerge to man machine-gun posts on its outskirts. The enemy has been concentrating strongly during the last few days on the “mad mile” round the brickworsks below Castel Frentano, but traffic continues up and down the road. Sometimes 30 or more shells in a row have fallen without one hit , being scored on vehicles, but the drive is not a pleasant one. The brickworks are now a sorry sight.