World War Two - Part 7
1944-1946
Gothic Line Monte Poggiolo Lamone Senio Argenta Gap.
The King's Dragoon Guards remained in reserve until 1 October 1944, when Lindforce was formed, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Lindsay, and consisting of the KDG, with 1st RHA and 73rd Medium Regiment R.A. as artillery, 1/4th Essex, Lovat Scouts, Nabha Akal Indian Infantry, and 11th LAA all acting as infantry. In addition 2 AGRA, two RE companies, and the 12th Indian Pack Transport Company were in support. RHQ, KDG was expected to administer this considerable force with only the additional help of two staff officers. Lindforce was to take over the advance on 10 Corps' main axis along Route 71, which wandered north east over the mountains and formed a main part of the Gothic Line.
As only one squadron was able to operate on this narrow and mountainous axis, 'A' Squadron established two troops on Poggio di Sapigno. While the infantry cleared the mountains on either side of the road, the armoured cars had to wait for the Engineers to erect Bailey bridges. On the 7th the road was open, the Germans withdrew, and Sarsina and Sorbano were occupied. Beyond Sorbano there were many demolition's, although Lieutenant Bloomfield with a foot patrol reached Mercato Saraceno, to find the enemy still in position. On 11 October the 18th Infantry Brigade took over and Lindforce was disbanded; the KDG concentrated in the area of Poppi, squadrons arriving as roads and weather permitted. On 12 October the regiment moved further back into rest around Perugia, where it remained until 13 November, then moving across to the Adriatic coast to take over a sector of the Po valley north of Cesena on the line of the River Ronco.
The regiment came under command of Porterforce, commanded by Colonel Horsburgh Porter of the 27th Lancers, and made up of a variety of British and Canadian units. The Germans held the Fosso Ghiaia and had observation over the very flat and open countryside, which was waterlogged after the heavy autumnal rains. 'A', 'C', and 'D' Squadrons were in the line, at once establishing contact with the Germans, and by aggressive patrolling soon gained the ascendancy. By 16 November 'D' Squadron had cleared its area up to the Ronco and 'A' Squadron had established a post 1,000 yards beyond the Fosso Ghiaia on the edge of Ravenna airfield, having captured seven men of a German patrol. 'C' Squadron also crossed the Fosso on foot, and with the help of a troop of armoured cars from 'D', which had lifted sixty mines in order to come round from their sector, a joint attack on the village of Molinaccio was made, driving out the Germans and capturing two prisoners. By that evening the KDG had pushed forward 2,000 yards and were patrolling another 1,000 yards beyond that. This enabled the Royal Canadian Engineers to bridge the Fosso Ghiaia, and the Germans lost their first waterline. By the evening of the 17th the second line had gone as well, when 'C' Squadron in its armoured cars again stormed Molinaccio, to which the enemy had returned during the night, and the Canadian Westminster Regiment was able to establish a company in the village with a platoon beyond the canal.
Over this period there were two unhappy incidents: first when a 'C' Squadron sentry fired on and killed his relief, and the second when Sergeant Barrett of 'A' was wounded, returning from a patrol, by fire from another 'A' Squadron post. Corporal George with a patrol of four men fought a German patrol of ten, killing two of them without any KDG loss. On the 18th Sergeant Senior found a bridge intact across the canal near Molinaccio, guarded by eight Germans, whom he captured; then, crossing the canal, the troop worked along the main road lifting mines for 2,000 yards. The following day a joint attack by Lieutenant Munro's and Sergeant Little's troop resulted in the capture of an entire enemy platoon of nineteen men. The 20th saw 'A' Squadron bag four prisoners, and a patrol led by Sergeant Redfearn took two more and killed another four of the enemy. Redfearn was awarded the MM for his gallant conduct on this patrol. 'C' Squadron had two men wounded by mortar fire, and a 105 mm shell hit a Daimler armoured car on the 22nd, destroying it but not causing any casualties. As the KDG advanced, so the front narrowed, until by the 20th only 'D' Squadron had room to operate.
The KDG then received a series of orders and counter-orders until 1 December 'D' Squadron found itself relieving 2/10th Gurkhas along the line of the Montone. Apart from patrolling to pick up any spare Germans, 'D' had a quiet time, while the Canadians mounted an assault across the Montone and Ravenna was captured. On 12 December The King's Dragoon Guards were ordered to drive to Taranto at the southernmost point of Italy, and there to embark in LSTs for the Piraeus in Greece, where fighting had broken out between the communist ELAS guerrillas and the small British occupying force.
The Queen's Bays, having moved up from their brief rest at Montalbano, found that the continuous rain had so swollen the rivers that it was impossible to find a crossing for the tanks. By 9 November 1944 the infantry had cleared up to the line of the Montone and had occupied Forli. By 12 November the water levels had fallen sufficiently for the Engineers to prepare a crossing of the Montone at Terra del Sole, but they came under heavy shell and machine gun fire. By 2 a.m. on the 13th the first tank of 'B' Squadron crossed, followed by 'C' under Major Rowland, who was across by daybreak. 'C' Squadron was to support the 6th York and Lancasters in capturing Monte Poggiolo, but between them and their objective stood the village of Ciola on top of an intermediate hill. Lieutenants Read and Beak deployed their troops in front of the infantry and charged Ciola with guns blazing. The enemy immediately withdrew 500 yards, and the York and Lancasters, following, picked up numbers of prisoners. After a further bombardment of the ground beyond, the Germans withdrew into the medieval castle on Poggiolo with its thirty-foot-thick walls. That night an infantry patrol surprised the garrison of sixty men, capturing all of them. 'A' Squadron on the 14th supported the KOYLI in taking Villa Grappa, while 'B' Sqn. with the Lincolns advanced alongside.
'C' Squadron carried out a hazardous outflanking move on Poggiolo on the 15th, carrying infantry on the back of their tanks and successfully pushing forward along terrible mountain tracks. Lieutenant Read was wounded and Trooper Heeler killed by a chance shell. The other Squadrons Supported their infantry as they worked forward to the next river position, the Cosina, to which the main body of the enemy had withdrawn. Major Rowland was awarded the Military Cross for his fine leadership of 'C' Sqn. on Monte Poggiolo. The weather had reduced the roads and Bailey bridges to a sorry state, and it was not until the 21st that 'A' and 'B Sqns. were able to form a fire group, using their high velocity guns to destroy the houses which sheltered the Germans defending the Cosina. Resistance was so stubborn that it took two days to drive the enemy back to the river line, and a night assault to secure a bridgehead, with the infantry then working forward.
By Midday on 24 November 'A' Squadron, supporting the 1st KRRC, had advanced seven miles beyond the Cosina and were across the Marzeno a mile south of Faenza, closely followed by 'B'. German reaction was so fierce that the bridgehead was only expanded slowly, 'B' Squadron attacking Belvedere, where Lieutenant Brooks and Trooper Marsh were killed by shellfire on the 25th. The next major obstacle was the River Lamone, and time was needed to bring up ammunition and supplies over the deteriorating roads, not helped by the continuos rain. It was 3rd December before the infantry made a successful assault across the Lamone, securing the high ground beyond; and it was late on the 4th before two troops of 'B' Squadron under Captain Fleming were able to cross and support the KOYLI beyond Errano in attacking a church and some buildings 1,000 yards away at the top of a bare slope. Sergeant Bovill in the leading tank lost a bogie on a mine about three quarters of the way up, completely blocking the track. With an hour of daylight left, and under heavy shellfire, the infantry consolidated and 'B' Squadron retired to Errano.
The tank blocking the track was moved by the Engineers on the 6th, and Lieutenant Clough was ordered to reach the church to support the KOYLI and drive out the enemy from the buildings they still held. Sergeant Thompson, leading, received a direct hit, but his tank was towed off the track and the rest of the troop joined the infantry. To the left 2nd Troop, advancing to support the Lincolns, lost its leading tank on a mine, which blocked that track. By nightfall 'B' Squadron had five tanks up with the infantry and four more in reserve in the valley. On the right the rear two Troops of 'A' Squadron had crossed the Lamone during the morning, so that by 11am the squadron was ready to move its position near Quartolo on orders from the Y. and L., but with the fog and the enemy resistance opposite the K.O.Y.L.I, there was no general advance on the right and only No 1 Troop (Lieutenant Levett's troop) was called forward to move on to the high ground above Casa Grandi. This Troop moved up during the afternoon and occupied houses along the ridge to the right of Castel Rameiro. Enemy shelling and morter fire went on all through the day and Lt Levett himself was wounded by a shell in the course of a dismounted reconnaissance. The rest of 'A' Squadron remained below in the valley.
On 7 December the infantry attacked with the Bays in support. Lieutenant Munro's troop moved up to bolster 'A' Squadron, and by midmorning the Lincolns with 'B' in close support had reached the line Magnana to Rinaldo. One of the tanks became ditched and Lieutenant Walker was wounded trying to tow it out, leaving Sergeant Shaylor as the lone tank in that troop. Lieutenant Clarke took his troop down a track to Rinaldo to assist the Lincolns, and an additional troop from 'A' Squadron climbed the ridge above the valley to give support to the York and Lancasters, who were about to attack Celle. This attack was postponed owing to the tiredness of the infantry, and when it did go in met with no success. Little progress was made during the 8th, with the tanks having to endure heavy shelling and the supply situation worsening as the roads continued to crumble.
The 9th opened with an intense barrage of enemy shellfire onto the infantry and tank positions, and reports started to come in of German attempts to infiltrate on the left flank of the KOYLI. This was followed by a massed enemy infantry and tank assault along the roads leading from Celle, mainly against the Lincolns in front of Magnana. By 10 a.m. the Lincolns' forward positions had been overrun and both tanks of Lieutenant Munro's troop knocked out by armour-piercing shot, but not before they had inflicted considerable damage on the enemy. The crews managed to make their way back to Sergeant Shaylor's tank on foot. Lieutenant Munro was awarded the Military Cross for his exceptional gallantry. The Germans continued to come on, surging around the farmhouses forming the infantry strong points; in the centre the Lincolns were forced to yield more ground , but despite heavy losses the positions were held.
After four hours of intense fighting, accompanied by a terrific artillery duel, the German attack began to lose impetus. By midday the position was stabilized, with no ground lost except in the centre. It was clear that the 90th Panzer Grenadier Division, who were the assaulting troops, had lost severely. Sergeant Shaylor, on his own, had had some excellent shooting as the Germans swarmed over the ridge to his front, while on the low ground to the right a troop of 'A' Squadron, commanded by Corporal Price, was engaged in the fiercest fighting. Throughout the night the enemy tried to stalk Price's tanks, one bazooka man being killed when only six yards away; then one of the tanks broke down, blocking the way so that the other two could not move. The next morning more than eighty dead Panzer Grenadiers were found around the wrecked farmhouse which the troop had been holding. Price was awarded the Military Medal for his gallantry.
'C' Squadron in reserve at Petrigone was to relieve the exhausted tank crews of 'A' and 'B', but difficulty of access to the forward positions meant that the relieving crews had to be brought up in infantry Bren gun carriers, dismount, and trudge with all their kit and spare ammunition up the mountainside in the dark to take over seventeen tanks, including two of the 11th RHA. The infantry was being relieved at the same time by the New Zealand Division, both infantry and tank crews being taken back in the carriers. 'C' Squadron lost three men wounded by a sudden burst of shelling on the 11th, and that evening a German counter-attack with tanks was beaten off. One tank was so near the enemy, and under such continuous shellfire, that its crew members were unable to dismount for a hot meal or a brew for three days; the crew was then relieved, but the commander, Sergeant Beauchamp, insisted on staying with his tank. On their way back the other four members of the crew had a grenade thrown at them from a New Zealand picket, wounding three of them. The new crew was then attacked by an enemy bazooka team, Trooper Crisp spotting and killing one German and wounding another, while Sergeant Beauchamp killed a third with a grenade. Shortly afterwards a New Zealand post dealt with another bazooka party coming up from a different direction.
Late on 14 December the New Zealand Division and 10th Indian Division attacked, and by the 15th the New Zealand armour had passed through 'C' Squadron. 'C' remained in action that day, supporting the advance, and engaging targets as they appeared, until that evening it was withdrawn to Errano for a rest. By the evening of 16 December Faenza had been taken by the New Zealanders. The Queen's Bays then moved back to Pesaro, arriving on the 20th, and joined up there with the rest of 2nd Armoured Brigade.
Early in January 1945 some Shermans arrived which were mounted with 17 pounders. The Bays remained in rest until 16 January, when 'C' Squadron moved back into the line on the Senio, near Faenza, to relieve the 10th Hussars, with the other two squadrons in reserve. Each troop was billeted in a farmhouse and regular shoots on enemy posts took place, Sergeant Beauchamp destroying six Spandau nests in one operation. Otherwise life was fairly quiet, with nightly tank patrols to eliminate enemy outposts and to support the infantry in capturing prisoners.
By the end of January the front held by the Bays was widened, 'C' Squadron being relieved, with 'A' and 'B' now in the line. On 2 and 3 February the regiment moved to another sector of the line in front of Ravenna at Villa Nova; each squadron had three dismounted troops in the line acting as infantry, with the fourth troop supporting in its tanks. The remainder of the tanks were parked fifteen miles back in Ravenna under the care of maintenance party. Life was quiet, apart from sporadic shelling, but it was exhausting with too few men carrying out too many tasks in the winter weather. On 2 and 3 March the Bays were relieved, remounted in their tanks, and withdrawn to a training area at Massa near Ravenna, where they joined the rest of 2nd Armoured Brigade. Each armoured regiment of the brigade was attached to one of the infantry brigades of 78th Division, to prepare and train for the spring offensive. The Bays were with 38th Brigade.
On 10 March 36th and 38th Brigades were ordered back into the line, with 'A' Squadron of the Bays accompanying 38th Brigade to their old area in the Lugo sector. The same tactics of shelling the enemy by day and patrolling by night helped to establish good relations with the men of the 38th Irish Brigade.
The remainder of the regiment trained hard for the coming operations, until 'B' Squadron relieved 'A' on 27 March. On 8 April the Bays moved up to Borgo fra Giovanni in preparation for the forthcoming offensive, with 'B' Squadron and 11th Brigade covering a gap of 5,000 yards on the Senio opposite Cotignolo. A troop of 105 mm tanks from 'A' and 'C' Squadrons moved up to take their place among the 1,500 guns massed for the main attack.
At midday on 9 April 800 heavy bombers saturated the area between the Senio and the Santerno with fragmentation bombs, so as to avoid cratering the ground in front of the advance, while 1,000 medium and fighter bombers attacked gun positions, headquarters and any target that moved. At 4 p.m. the air bombardment ceased and the artillery took over for three hours, when at 7 p.m. the infantry attacked. 11th Infantry Brigade had little opposition, with the Germans evacuating their positions as well as Cotignolo. But the 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers on the right got caught in a minefield, with lieutenant Lyle of 'C' Squadron going to their rescue and losing Trooper Boyter killed and Sergeant Glastonbury wounded when their tank blew up on a mine. 'B' Squadron had a direct hit on one tank, but with no casualties.
The offensive was going well, and on the 10th and 11th the whole regiment concentrated in support of 38th Brigade north of Lugo. The bridgehead across the Santerno was not secured until the 12th when the Bays crossed over, joining the 38th Brigade at Mondaniga by last light. 'B' Squadron leaguered with the 2nd Inniskilling Fusiliers on the right, and 'A' with the 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers on the left. At dusk 'A' was straddled by a concentration of mortar bombs, which wounded two men. Before first light the infantry advanced, followed by the tanks, and by dawn the church of San Maria di Fabriago had been reached. As the infantry and tanks pushed forward, mortar and small arms fire came from around the various houses. Each was methodically attacked, resulting in a flow of prisoners. The leading tank in each troop moved slightly ahead of the infantry, covered by the fire of the other two tanks. When opposition was met, the tanks would silence it, and then the infantry would go in to clear up. The first serious resistance was met at Scola Fossotone after the tanks and infantry had advanced three miles. 'A' Squadron and the Royal Irish Fusiliers cleared a series of buildings on both sides of the canal, and the Engineers got an Ark into position, enabling 'C' Squadron to cross, covered by smoke from 'A', and move forward to catch up with the infantry. In the meantime 'B' Squadron had been making steady progress with the Inniskillings on the right.
By midday 7,000 yards had been gained and the 9th Lancers, with the London Irish carried in Kangaroos, passed through to attempt to seize the bridge over the Reno at Bastia. Six hundred prisoners had been taken by the brigade, and the Bays had lost one NCO killed and one wounded. The regiment consolidated in the positions which had been reached. The way was now open to assault the Argenta Gap, a narrow two-mile defile between Lake Comacchio and the Reno, which ran for five miles to beyond Argenta. The attack by the 9th Lancers and London Irish met with strong opposition, and 'C' Squadron of the Bays was sent to support the 11th infantry Brigade six miles east of Bastia, where the Engineers were putting a Bailey bridge across the Reno. There 'C' Squadron was joined by the rest of the regiment late on 15 April.
On the 16th the advance started again with 'C' Squadron on the right supporting the 1st East Surreys, and 'B' Squadron on the left with the 5th Northamptons. 'B' made a certain amount of progress until halted about a mile south of Argenta by stiffening resistance, when Lieutenant Clarke was mortally wounded by a sniper. 'C' fought its way around the outskirts of Argenta until it encountered an extensive minefield south of the Fossa Marina and flail tanks were called in to clear a way. The flails worked very slowly against opposition from the elements of three German divisions, indicating that the Fossa Marina was the main line of resistance. At this point Lieutenant Perkins was wounded.
That night the 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers with 'A' Squadron in support forced a bridgehead across the Fossa Marina. An Ark was placed in position, and by first light one troop was across in support, losing one tank soon after to an enemy tank, followed at 8 a.m. by another. Then a German counter-attack with tanks developed and two more troops were ordered across, one tank being lost on a mine but the rest fanning out and helping the Fusiliers to regain lost ground. Two troops of 'C' Squadron were also pushed across onto the lateral road 1,000 yards beyond the canal, where one tank was knocked out by an enemy gun. Next 'B' crossed with the 2nd Inniskilling Fusiliers, swinging left and behind Argenta, where they had to fight their way forward house by house, losing one tank to a Tiger but capturing many prisoners. By nightfall they were facing the Germans across the no man's land of Route 16. On the right 'C' with the Irish Fusiliers met determined resistance. Lieutenant Read's tank was hit and Read wounded. By midnight the Fusiliers had reached their objective at the Scolo Cardinolo, another canal.
By first light on the 18th the Northamptons had taken Argenta, but 'B' with the Inniskillings had a stiff fight to capture the village of San Antonio to the north west, taking fifty prisoners from 29th Panzer Grenadier Division. Turning along Route 16 there was another battle for Casa Tomba, which required not only tanks and infantry, but flame-throwers, and took until evening. 'C' made progress with the Irish Fusiliers, who captured Mark IVs intact with the crews asleep inside. By evening it was clear that the battle for the Argenta Gap had been won. The morning of 19 April saw the 9th Lancers and the London Irish passing in pursuit to the north, while 'B' and 'C' Squadrons helped the infantry clear up remaining pockets of Germans around Argenta.
For their part in the he battle Major Rich and Lieutenants Saunders and Clough were awarded the Military Cross, Sergeant Bruten the DCM, and Sergeants Battles, Bovill and Foster the Military Medal.
On 20 April 'A' Squadron with the Lancashire Fusiliers, and 'B' with the East Surreys, crossed the Scolo Bolognese, making progress against constant scattered opposition and establishing a bridgehead by dark. A counter-attack knocked out two of B Sqn tanks with bazookas, but the position was soon re-established. The 21st saw 'B' Squadron helping the East Surreys clear the Ronco, then moving on to the Po di Volano canal, while by dusk 'C' Squadron had moved up alongside with the Northamptons. On the 22nd 'A' Squadron with the Lancaster Fusiliers took Contrapo, and on the 23rd a bridgehead was established across the Po di Volano by the Northamptons with 'C' in support, coming up against fierce resistance at Fossalta, which was taken with many prisoners. The 24th saw 'C' Squadron reaching Corlo, where Lieutenant Beak was wounded before 'B' took over and captured the village. On 25 April 'B' Squadron helped the Lancashire Fusiliers and the East Surreys clear the area south of the Po and westwards; the whole regiment was then concentrated in the village of Boara, three miles north east of Ferrara. In the meantime the Eighth Army was chasing the defeated enemy northwards. On the 27th the weather broke, and on the 28th the Americans captured Piacenza, followed on 2 May by the surrender of all German forces in Italy. The Queen's Bays had reverted to command of 2nd armoured Brigade on 30 April.
