NEW ZEALANDERS IN GREECE

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23323, 8 May 1941, Page 10

NEW ZEALANDERS IN GREECE

BRILLIANT ARTILLERY ACTIONS GERMAN PARACHUTISTS AT WORK (N.Z.E.E. Official News Service.) CAIRO, May 6. A party of Maoris that had been attached to a brigade for special duties described the landing of parachute troops which they saw south of the Corinth canal. Our troops had withdrawn across the canal and were restingin a dispersed area when suddenly clouds of bombers appeared in the sky. They circled over the area, bombing it constantly for nearly three hours. Then came huge troop-carrying aeroplanes, which came down to 300 feet and dropped parachute troops. Several parachutes failed to open, which was just too bad. However, hundreds did. Here and there was a red parachute, about which the others gathered when they landed. Here and there shell holes which the bombers had made were used as machine-gun pits. Guns and ammunition had come down with the troops, and these were used to cover the landing of huge carrier aeroplanes, which disgorged fullyequipped troops and small armoured Ca oiir small arms fire killed hundreds of Germans, but with most of our equipment already abandoned, our trooos could not cope with the sheer weight' of numbers and armament which suddenly opposed them. They pulled • out, and continued the withdrawal covered by the withering fire of our fighting rearguards. Scenes in Athens New Zealand troops who made a daylight withdrawal through the streets of Athens tell a moving story about the farewell given them by the Greek people. As the convoy entered the city, crowds were seen to be lining the streets. No chances were taken, and Bren guns were prepared for action. False tales had been spread about the Greek collapse. When crowds began to. shower the New Zealanders with flowers arid cheer them it was too much for some of bur boys. With tears run-ning-down their cheeks they drove through the cheering Crowds, who paid their respects to the: heroes who had tried to save them from conquest gt Mount Olympus and Thermopylae. New Zealand artillery regiments carried out rearguard actions which are probably unique in artillery history. At Mount, Olympus field artillery units actually covered the retreat of the infantry. Overcoming tremendous odds, they got the guns out. The covering demolitions and amazing road blocks by New Zealand engineers made it possible to withdraw. the guns to the Thermopylae area, south of Lamia, under. cover of night. As the big _ 25pound guns withdrew they passed right through the infantry, who held up ihe Hiin advance into Thessaly while they consolidated their new line in this Thermopylae areal By performing brilliant leap-frogging tactics, the artillery was able to cover the withdrawal ’ of. our Infantry into southern Greece,, and at the same time managed to inflict tremendous German losses in tanks, motor equipment, and personnel, ' : German Tanks Destroyed Our big guns dominated an essential river crossing,’ preventing reconstruction, of the .bridge which our engineer s had already destroyed. When our shell hit the German tanks, a stream of molten metal poured frbm the blazirig , wreck'.which remained. Again it was a question of ‘timed withdrawal, arid if our flanks could havC'been.maintalried. our &uns could have held, the German advance almost ' indefinitely. The -forward guns were dragged back behind the second Une.pf guns. However,' each lean, back meant the loss of mcre They were falling back on Athens,--and the time came for a last stand. Infantry protection for the guns was -withdrawn. The guns were striked, and the carried but a brilliant'series‘of detiiolifions and blocking tactics, which held un the advancing Huns’ ' and enabled, the artillery to eradiate alriiost- the whole of their remainln^gyt)e^Sonpel;, .Gerierai l^4 'Speaking!; the -artillery Wbrk' whicb thby did; and'the punishment they received from dive bombers. It must 1 be, home in mind that throughout these operations German reconnaissance aeroplanes and spotting aircraft were able to hover unhindered over our gun positions. \'