| Regiment | 10th Royal Berkshire |
|---|---|
| Location | CARROCETO, ITALY |
| Entry | 0001: C.O. to B "Fight it Out You have the Amn & the men 0013: 1 Pl C Coy (Lt Bond) arrive at B Coy 0032: C.O. suggest to Bde Tank would be helpful 0020: C.O. asks D Coy to send part of A Coy to help B Coy 0032: 2 Pls of A Coy being sent to B Coy at once. 0057: B Coy report Enemy 30y from farm building 0104: C Coy 1 Lon Scot being sent up to take Spt. Posn. 892323 (formerly A Coys posn) 0106: Bde report L.I.R. on left in serious posn. 1 Lon Scot must be held in reserve for them. 0111: 2 Remaining Secs C Coy drawn into Bn HQ 0120: House on fire in B Coys area 897336 0140: 2 Secs C Coy under CSM Clinton at Bn HQ 0200: Situation quieter. D & A Coys hold strong tight locality on left. B Coy with elements of C Coy hold locality 895337 and 897336. 1 Pl of each Coy on right flank 901336 appear to have been overrun. C Coy 1 Lon Scot in A Coys, old spt posn on Rd 892323 Both fwd Coys were well supplied with food & Amn as large reserves had been formed. Further supplied were sent up to both Coys that night 0230: Operation Instr sent to Coys 0230: Enemy fire smoke shells on D Coy DF SPOON called for 0235: Some shelling at Bn HQ. L.I.R. think enemy approaching down wadi 8832 0238: B Coy's posn stabilised 0240: D Coy ordered to send force to 884333 to prevent enemy infiltration down wadi 0242: L.I.R. ask for STONKER 6 & 9 - Given. 0315: B Coy report situation clearer. Area being cleaned up. Some prisoners taken. 0340: B Coy report 3rd Main Attack ask for DF KNIFE 0342: B Coy report being heavily attacked on left & right 0345: D Coy hear tanks in wood to front 0403: D Coys right Pl 888334 being attacked. SPOON fired 0418: D Coy receives Amn by Jeep 0436: D Coy expecting attack being heavilt mortared. DF's fired 0457: Bde Comd orders 1 Coy 1 Lon Scot to move up wadi 8832 to stem enemy adv. All available Arty being fired on whole front 0500: Spandau fire observed on both flanks of B Coy 0523: D Coy report that enemy now occupy house 895337 (B Coys left Pl posn) 0530: B Coy consider situation serious. Holding out 0546: L.I.R. right being hard pressed. Own 4.2's spt on Bridge & wadi 885333 0605: L.I.R. Inf that own tanks sweep east along rd across own fwd posns. 0612: Bde inf 2 Coy 1 Lon Scot to go up wadi 885352 0640: D Coy say posn I hand. Message from Major F.D.Jones O.C. Message accompany various PW sent back during night Summary of Events 071900 - 080700 1st Div DF's Summary of Events Night 7/8 Feb 1. It was decided to relieve C the right Coy whose Rt Pl had been attacked night 6/7 Feb. B Coy the reserve Coy were to relieve. 2. The enemy attacked during the relief. Major Foster O.C. C.Coy & his right Pl having remained to bring back the dead from previous night. 3. The first attack came in at 2210 hrs on D Coy. It developed seriously and part of the Left Pl was overrun. 2 Pls A Coy & 1 Pl C Coy (Lt Bond) were sent up to reinforce D. The posn was then restored & the Left Pl posn regained. D Coy was now in a strong posn being 2 Coys in strength. Serious losses had been inflicted on the enemy with little loss to ourselves. The Pl of C Coy (Lt Bond) was sent across at MN to assist B Coy making the left Posn approx 120 strong 4. The attack on B Coy on the right began at 2253. £ separately launched attacks were made by the enemy. The first attack cost them the right Pl posn which had been attacked the previous night. The second attack was directed at the centre pl and Coy HQ. This was beaten off after a pl of C Coy (Lt Bond) and a Pl of A Coy had been sent up to reinforce. Lt Bond's pl had the task of mopping up the house 895337 which commanded the rd which was the Coys supply route. 5. Meanwhile at 0200 heavy shell fire & smoke was observed in D Coys posn on the left. The enemy was attacking the L.I.R. right & had suceeded in pushing them back temporarily, & was suspected to be making down the wadi in 8832 2 Coys 1 Lon Scot were ordered up the wadi & the enemy were driven back. The posn at dawn on 8th Feb was on the Left a very strong locality with however an uncertain Left flank. On the right B Coy with elements of C & A were firmly established in the farm buildings 896336. The night pl posn was held by the enemy and the house 895337 had been lost, and supply route by rd was commanded by the enemy. Amn. & Rations had fortunately been dumped as a 2 day emergency reserve in both fwd areas. In addition further supplies were sent up that night 7/8 Feb. Casualties were comparatively slight in the Left Coy 1 Officer and only 2 or 3 had been killed while enemy casualties had been crushing. It was the same story on the right, though here 2 pls on the right had fired their last round & were missing. Off. Casualties up to this time were: Killed: Lt Hill, Wounded: Lt K. Jones, Lt Newnes, Major D.R.C. Foster. A feature of the fighting was the invaluable immediate spt of the B Mortars and the Bde Spt Coys 4.2's 0655: Bde L.O. at Bn HQ. L.I.R. attacking South of "Cemetry" (Left of D Coy) with inf & tanks. 0745: Bde Spt Coy 4.2 Mortars get direct hit 6 casualties. 0800: B Coy report enemy on left in front and on right. 0825: B Coy Hqhit by AP shells 0825: B Coy report 2 Enemy Tanks in FORK area 0830: B Coy's wireless Dis. Comm by FOO's W/T 0832: Mediums on FORK to deal with Tank threat. 0832: L.I.R. report at posns (Left of D Coy) retaken 0848: B Coy being attacked by 6 tanks. 0850: Bde say 1 Tp of Tanks coming to assistance 0900: B Coys WT again in action. 0939: Tank formations broken up by Mediums, tanks now dispersed on S Edge of wood. 4.2 Mortar DF's fired continually 1015: Tank Tp & Sqdn Comds at Bn HQ plan for retaking house 895336 worked out. 1038: 3 PW's received from D Coy 1100: 3 LMG's with A Coy out of action 1115: Enemy Tanks still on S. Edge of wood 1118: Attack on house 895336 worked out in plan B Coy had lost code for W/T & were told in veiled speech when action began. 1206: PW details to Bde 1215: Arty begins for attack on house 1225: Tanks move up & engage house. No action from B Coy. Probably too weak to take action 1252: Tanks pull out, - engaged by enemy AP guns 1240: D Coy observe Enemy Tanks & Inf in wood 8934 DF SPOON fired 1300: 4.2 Mortar having great trouble with sinking baseplates. Have to dig out in relays. Only one able to fire. D Coy continue to report signs of Enemy forming up in wood to north. Sounds of tanks, movement of men & vehs. Area is continually harassed by own Arty & Mortars. PW come in from D Coy 1500: Bde Comd at Bn HQ. 1 Lon Scot to have Coy at 9032. Mining to continue. No Reserve tps available 1620: Major Foster and wounded PW at Bn HQ back from B Coy. 8 PW's still at B. Coy HQ incl 1 Off. 1645: B Coy report enemy tanks moving out of woof and forming up. All DF's fired. Tank Spt asked for. 1740: Tank Sqdn Comd at Bn HQ. Tp will be ready at 1800 hrs. 1800: Tanks not available. DF's fired 1830: R.E.'s to lay minefield tonight 893334 SE along N edge of diagonal Rd 1945: RE Offs. At Bn HQ - Details for Minefield 2010: Lt Pearson (A/T Pl) at Bn HQ estimates B & C Coy 40 - 50 strong. Adjt estimates Bn Strength 15 Offs & 34 O 2138: D Coy estimate enemy cas. 1 Off. & 13 O.R. killed, 1 Offr. & 6 wounded PW's 7 other PW's 2200: A Coy ordered send strong patrol to seize house at 895336 to allow supplies to B Coy. B Coy supplies sent through by carrier. |
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