PAMPERED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 303, 23 December 1941, Page 4

PAMPERED

ROMMEL'S FORCES BUT ONE SERIOUS LACK (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service) CAIRO, December 21. Evidence that General Rommel's. North African forces are specially pampered in the matter of equipment —probably even at the expense of other Nazi fronts—became increasingly obvious as the campaign's advance crept eastward and a large amount of material fell into New Zealand and other British hands. Apart from tanks, guns and vehicles built to suit the peculiar desert conditions' was the fact that down to the smallest article of personal gear carefully planned ordnance preparations were evidenced. However, as* far as clothing was concerned, plans could not have been farseeing, since few signs were noticed that the Germans were provided with anything in the nature of warm clothes to ward off the extreme cold of the desert winter nights. What Was the Reason? What was the reason for this peculiar deficiency? Did Rommel or the higher-ups think the specially-chosen North African Corps was sufficiently hardy to withstand such exposure as appears to have been the case in Russia? On the other hand, did the Nazis confidently expect to settle Libya's fate and that of Egypt's before the chill winds, sweeping in from the sea, made the desert dawn attack a teeth-chattering experience? Or was it because such supplies were either unavailable or unable to be brought across the Mediterranean? Whatever the case it was a matter of grim satisfaction to the British to know that in an unassuming. but important way this deficiency must have contributed in some degree to the Imperial success. One large concentration of dug-in bell tents provided a huge amount of German material for the curious advancing New Zealand forces. Here, in the ' midst of evidence of the hurried departure of the late inmates, the New Zealanders were able to examine at leisure many gadgets with which the Nazis helped make war. Here were cleverly camouflaged, constructed bivouac tents, khaki shirts, shorts of well-cut, strong looking material, cotton khaki socks, with elastic tops reaching to the knees, fancy handkerchiefs made from cotton and artificial silk, gas capes by the cozen, and steel helmets of traditional ear-covering design. Some tents, which must have been officers', contained white dress-shirts and white cotton socks. Boots Were Shoddy Boots apparently worn by all ranks were light, canvas-topped and tawdry. They looked quite comfortable, but were not built to stand up to hard wear, as some hopeful New Zealanders, who thought they had found a good thing, soon discovered. Practically all German clothing was strongly scented. Such field gear as webbing, valises, waterbottles and messing equipment was sensibly designed with a view to compactness, portability and general utility. The curious fact was that much of the metal parts was aluminium, which has been considered in short supply in Axis countries, confirming the view that this North African corps was specially catered for. A large quantity of canned foods was also found, mainly of good quality. The tinned pork was excellent, as also was the tinned bread, ready cut slices, made from rye, round-shaped and tasting of treacle. Ersatz cheese, redolent of toothpaste, was contained in metal tubes. Other foodstuffs included good quality tinned fruits from Italy, also jams, and even sweets. There was much in the way of propaganda books and instructional publications, including one depicting most of the types of planes used by German and British Air Forces. There was also a copy of the Nazi creed. Most books contained frontispieces of Hitler.

Two books found in a captured Italian truck were a collection of pictures and material dealing with the damage purported to be done by the British R.A.F. in Cyrenaica, and an Italian translation of a novel by Edgar Wallace. On the other hand German books were very military. One was about a boy who longed j°.in the army, the whole narrative glorifying the German military machine. Grimmer was a suspicious looking whip found in a captured German vehicle, the owner's name beine carved on the handle. It appeared as though it may have been used to some purpose in a concentration camp. A German officer, who was questioned, said it was a fly-whisk It seemed a lot of trouble to go to to Mill a few flies. Axis Get-Together Despite stories on all sides of German-Italian mutual dislike there were found in German tents many propaganda postcards showing GerI^?, lians Proudly marching together. There was also a multifarious collection of booklet dictionaries in Italian language, specially prepared for soldiers. Similar Arabic WCre SO ' d or a f ew piastres Germans paid Italian currency while in Cyrenaica, and there seemed evidence that they were able to get eave from the desert and spend It Jh o^ eng ? sl and Tri P°li- Photos of these places were found, as also were many photos of family errouDs which must have belonged to faiYW men. Actually, although many of the prisoners were verv young quite a number had large irwi! 168 ai ? been conscripted in the early part of the war. It was a sorry end for such men d already witnessed during a lifetime one Huge German only to see a second, as tar as they were concerned, conclude ingloriously in a prison camp in a barren desert in North Africa.