BLASTED & DAZED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 December 1943, Page 3

BLASTED & DAZED

GERMAN TROOPS FACING CANADIANS TREMENDOUS ARTILLERY BOMBARDMENT. OPENS WAY TO ADVANCE & CAPTURES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 10.35 a.m.) RUGBY, December 19. German troops came out waving the white flag, while others, who broke and ran for it, were mown down, when Canadian tanks pierced the enemy line just west of Ortona today. The tanks, states a correspondent with the Eighth Army, were supporting infantry who had punched into German positions followinfi on an artillery “stonk,” in which many thousands of shells were rained on a limited section of the front within a few minutes.

“Tanks and infantry, under a creeping barrage, were able to get right into the German positions and many enemy troops climbed from foxholes unable to put up any fight, so badly were they shaken,” the correspondent adds. “It was the heaviest barrage the Canadians had ever put down. It began at 8 a.m. and was concentrated on a narrow strip of ground north of the point where the lateral road from Orsogna joins’ the main coastal road. Twenty-five pounders and medium guns sent their shells screaming over at a total rate of over a thousand a minute and the great cloud of smoke that rose could be seen many miles back. After twenty minutes, the tanks and infantry began to move forward, keeping close to the barrage, and were quickly on top of the German positions. Parachutists, whom the Germans had rushed into the line to replace the battered ‘Ninetieth Light’ and who are noted for their toughness, were holding the positions, but theie was nothing tough about them this morning. As our tanks broke right into the positions, some of the enemy came out dazed, surrendering to the infantry, which was up with the tanks. Others tried to put up a fight, but stood little chance. The colonel of one tank regiment sent back a wireless signal: ‘Have contacted enemy. Having field day.’ German guns endeavoured do come to the rescue of the parachutists by shelling our tanks and infantry, but they were quickly engaged by guns and by fighter-bombers circling above, hungrily awaiting any target. Within a couple of hours our forces had complete command of the positions, had taken quite a large bag of prisoners, and killed quite a number of Germans. While the prisoners were being shepherded back, the tanks and infantry began exoloiting further forward.” The Indians today also made further progress through the hills. “The New Zealanders have reached the outskirts of Orsogna, inside which the enemy

still appears to have a number of troops, although he has fired some buildings in the town and carried out demolitions.

“There are indications that the enemy is softening on the Fifth Army front, and the present progress shows that where the Germans have made withdrawals they have done so hurriedly, without any planned scheme. The Germans have been using more fighters in recent actions. German snipers have also been active, staying on behind the main retreat to play a desperate and often suicidal role on the wooded' mountain slopes.”