SURROUNDED BY TANKS

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23695, 21 July 1942, Page 4

SURROUNDED BY TANKS

——— WELLINGTON TROOPS CAPTURED LOOSES IN ATTACK ON RUWEISAT RIDGE (Official War Correspondent, N;Z.E.F,) EL ALAMEIN. July 17. - It can now be revealed, that a large body of Wellington infantrymen of the second contingent were surrounded by tanks and captured .during the mgbt advance on the Ruweisat ridge. Without armoured support, with three antitank guns their only heavy weapons, and just starting to prepare _ positions upon reaching their objective, they were no match for the German tanks which had surrounded them. They had Meed terrific fire, and they were prepared to fight through heavy odds, but to attempt to contend with the overwhelming strength of the enemy tanks would' have been madness - . , . The men were in a reserve battalion about a mile behind two forward battalions whioh they followed m company columns at visibility distance. One company was to be used for mop-ping-up purposes if necessary, and the others were to be kept intac* for use where required. The forward battalions were in extended formation, each with a front of 1000 yards. Behind the whole followed anti-tank weapons, machine-guns and mortars in trucks, brigade headquarters with them. The leading battalions fought their way through without being checked for any length of time. They came upon a laager of tanks, disposed of two and continued the advance. The tanks appeared to have become separated. At 4.30 a.m. the reserve infantrymen had reached the near side of the ridge, and the forward troops were on the far side. When leaving the reserve to order up transport with weapons and ammuntiion after placing his troops in position, the brigadier , came under strong fire which, he thought, was from machine-gun posts, A platoon was ordered to attack them. Going bn his way, the brigadier encountered tanks at close range on both sides of him. It was their’ fire he had met, and they were closing round on the rear of. the infantrymen. He succeeded in reaching his headquarters. The position of the reserve infantrymen was worse than critical—it was hopeless. Anti-Tank Guns Silenced Dawn was just breaking when the three six-inch anti-tank guns of the hemmed-in New Zealanders opened up against the tanks. Their gallant effort was short-lived, and two guns were silenced by fierce concentrated fire. The third gun was moved to a better position, but it, too, could not last long. The infantry had little chance to dig in before they found tanks at their rear, but it is thought that casualties from this fire were light. The men were formed into columns and marched off under an escort of tanks. It is considered that probably few would have been captured had there been another 10 minutes in which to prepare positions. A small party which found itself in a more favourable position than the others, escaped, although observed and fired upon. The enemy left several stretcherbearers who were tending the wounded. One of these described the happenings upon the New Zealanders’ surrender. • He said that some tanks appeared to be manned by Germans and- some by Italians. The troops were made to remove steel helmets and web gear, but were told to retain water-bottles. . The enemy was. in haste to remove them, forcing them to make off almost at'a jog-trot. "It would have been useless for them to have offered further resistance,” said the stretcher-bearer. Later in the day three Bren-gun carriers braved heavy fire to bring to safety the stretcher-bearers and the wounded they were tending.