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19 Battalion and Armoured Regiment

APPENDIX

APPENDIX

The following are extracts from German war diaries and reports on the action at Perano on 18 November 1943:

10 Army War Diary, November-December, 1943

From a conversation Kesselring-Lemelsen, 0850 hours 18 November.

‘I think things will get going at Perano. This Archi is a very commanding point, from which the enemy can see into the Sangro and Aventino Valleys. Archi must be held as long as possible ….’

16 Panzer Division War Diary

18 November 1943:

1602 hours: From 16 Pz Arty Regt: Enemy attack from the east on Perano and the area north of it, with one company and 15 tanks.

1620 hours: From 16 Pz Engr Bn: Enemy attacking along the road from the NE to the area north of Perano. Heavy smoke in battle area. A lot of tanks are firing.

page 357

1640 hours: From 64 Pz Gren Regt: Enemy tanks have broken into Perano.

1645 hours: From 64 Pz Gren Regt: The enemy has rolled up 3 Coy from the south. The enemy is in Perano. 3/64 defending itself on Pt 121. Enemy tanks firing on it. Enemy pressure continuing.

1700 hours: From 16 Pz Arty Regt: Enemy tanks pushing forward on both sides of Perano.

1715 hours: To 79 Pz Gren Regt: 1/79 will disengage from the enemy tonight, carrying out demolitions as it withdraws, and will move back into divisional reserve.

19 November:

1240 hours: Papers taken from the tanks knocked out yesterday revealed that they belonged to a New Zealand armoured unit.

Daily Report 18 November:

Enemy movement was seen and engaged by our artillery. At 1600 hours the enemy attacked the village of Perano from the east and SE and along the road south of the Sangro with strong tank support. About 10 troops of guns, a heavy smoke screen, and a large number of mortars fired a short, heavy concentration, after which 15 tanks and a company of infantry advanced and rolled up the protective posts at Perano from the south. The company took up a new position on Pt 121 and beat off further attacks, by about 40 tanks from Perano and Pt 141, supported by shellfire. One tank was brewed up.

At the same time at least a company of the enemy and about 20 tanks attacked from Piazzano station, but this attack was driven off with heavy losses. 3 tanks were brewed up and 2 more immobilised.

About 1900 hours the outposts of 3 km NE of R24 withdrew 1½km SW according to plan.

A patrol got some documents from a knocked-out tank.