NEW ZEALAND TANKS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 127, 30 May 1944, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND TANKS

:| EIGHTH AXMY’S SPEAR jATTACKS ON STRONG POINTS AIDING DRIVE ALONG THE LIRI VALLEY. (Official War Correspondent—N.Z.E.F.) (With New Zealand Tanks Beyond the Hitler Line.) > Recd. 8 p.m. Italy, May 28. i Attacking pocket after pocket in i the German rearguard, the spearhead of New Zealand armour has knocked i out three heavy tanks in tne last three , days, and is now among the foremost forces oi the Sth Army's thrust to- - wards Rome, along the luiri Valley. Closely supported by Indian iniantry, including the famous Gurkhas, New Zealanders have blasted the Germans out of mortar pits, machine-gun land anti-tank strong points and capJtured scores of prisoners. So closely have they followed on the retreating i enemy, that at one stage they came on a ruined bridge still smoking from ‘ German demolitions. The New Zealanders, wno were then with a force of British armoured cars, were looking for an alternative route, they heard Germans demolishing other bridses along the valley Where they have met the German rearguard pockets the New Zealanders have found them willing to fight at a distance, but are only too eager to surrender once the tanks approached near them. From among trees near the main inland highway to Rome yesterday our tanks fired into a group of houses perched on the sheer slopes above them. Alter a few minutes’ concentrated shelling, the Germans came out and surrendered. Occasionally, New Zealanders have met pockets oi young, fanatical paratroops, who have firea on tanks from distances as close at 20 yards. One of our tank commanders had an anti-aircraft machine-gun beside his head on the turret oi his Sherman shot away by a German “bazooka” shell, fired at extremely close range. One replying shot from the Snerman's cannon completely destroyed the Ger man gun and its crew. Amon." the captured paratroops have been veterans of Cassino and Crete Some of them have been left to hold these rearguard strong points for several days, with little food and water. An incident as strange as some that have occurred in the enemy’s confusion after the El Alamein breakthrough. led to the destruction of one German tank, a Mark IV panzer. It was just becoming dark, and a New Zealand tanK had stopped on a road beside a dull shape that appeared to ibe another Snerman. Tne commandei |of the New Zealand tank climbed out ion his turret and the crew of the | other tank also stepped to the grounu. Expecting to meet a Polish tanK crew, | the New Zealander walked towards I the others. He spoke to them, got no I reply and then, reaching lor his pistol with one hand, he felt in the darkness for their hat badges with the otner. Two of the five men—the crew of a German tank made off into the darkness. The others surrendered. Backing off a few yards, the New Zealand i Sherman then put the panzer well . out of action. Early to-dav the New Zealanders began an attack across extremely i difficult tank country sheer, rocky slopes, or ridges, that run in a long chain along the edge of the Liri Vai- i ley. beyond Monte Cassino and Monte i Cairo. Their job is destroying more , of these strong points through the , hills, and thus securing the ilanK of • the Bth Army's drive up the Liri Vai- < ley. Already, by following rough cart i [tracks, and in maces making their i own route directly up steep nillsides. ( New Zealand tanks have made con- • siderable progress.