TWO “TIGERS” BAGGED

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23181, 20 April 1945, Page 2

TWO “TIGERS” BAGGED

25th Battalion CROCETTA (Italy), April 16. Before our armour could cross the Slllaro to their assistance last night men of the 25th Battalion al-ne accounted for two self-propel-led guns and one Tiger tank. Of other armour opposing them at least one was hit by Piat mortar fire before making its escape. Following closely on the heels of the barrage, which hurled more than 109,000 shells at the defenders, the 25th was one cf the New Zealand battalions which since last evening have advanced 5000 yards. Opposition was there al! the time, for the Germans were counting on holding the line of the Sillaro while endeavouring to cope with attacks by the Eighin Army elsewhere. The assault guns knocked out were fast manoeuvrable 75-millimetre weapons mounted on track and so heavily armoured as to be almost indistinguishable from tanks Private E. J. S. Gear (Mornington) engaged one with a Piat at a few yards and put it cut of business. Later Sergeant Mitchlson, also with a Piat. scored the battalion's second Tiger since the crossing of the Senio. Th” biggest single contribution of the night to the growing divisional total of prisoners of war was made by the 26th Battalion, which sent 163 10 the rear to join their colleagues in the cages. Taking account of 500 Ger-:>-.s taken by all the forward battalions in the last 24 hours, the total for the week since the beginning of the advance at sunset on Monday, April 9. is more than 2000. The countrvside north of the Sillaro (his afternoon presented a dreadful spectacle of pock-marked fields, shattered buildings and bodies of Germans. Italians and cattle ,thrown hap-ha-.ardlv across the terrain. There was scarcely a habitable building in anv of the little villages such as Sesto Imolese. which ho.d been in the path of the advance. But results justify tne 11 Onr casualties have been light and those of the enemy extremely heavy. He has done his best to stop us. but was not good enough.