SEVEN DAYS OF ACTION

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23739, 10 September 1942, Page 4

SEVEN DAYS OF ACTION

NEW ZEALANDERS IN DESERT BATTLE GUNNERS PLAY IMPORTANT PART (Official War Correspondent N.Z.E.F.) CAIRO, Sept. 8. Seven days of tense, hectic action, seven days of fierce, intermittent infantry fighting and constant artillery action, seven days of being divebombed by day and night have for the New Zealanders been completed. They contributed much to the Bth Army’s spectacular defeat of Rommel when just a week ago he launched his fullscale attack in another determined effort to drive to the Nile without delay. The gunners of, the New Zealand Field Artillery, the gunners of the sixpound anti-tank guns, and the men who man the Bofors anti-aircraft guns played a part of the greatest importance. They had more work to do in the last week than ever before. And so did the infantry and cavalry with their new “Honeys.” The action of the last week has been the toughest and most exhausting the New Zealanders have fought since they returned to the desert from Syria. This time there was not a sorry tale to tell of the overrunning of brigades by tanks; this time it is a brighter picture. The casualties reported are not heavy. The New Zealanders did their usual sound job. When asked to attack they did so with their usual telling effect, and gained all their objectives, just as they have done in every action. Before' Rommel made his thrust with the Afrika Korps—the 15th and 21st Panzer, Divisions and the 19th Light—down in the south below the New Zealand positions, the New Zealanders carried out a spectacular and successful raid on Sunday night.' They raided in strength, did a great deal of destruction, and brought back many prisoners. They repeated the performance on Monday night, but this time there were no prisoners—at least there was just one German for identification. While New Zealand 25-pounders and six-pounders knocked out tanks and armoured cars. New Zealand ack-ack gunners brought down aeroplane after aeroplane as the Luftwaffe carried out raid after raid The biggest, most successful, and most spectacular action for the New Zealanders came last .Thursday night, when, with British troops, they launched an attack. The New Zealanders, on the left of the British, who were fighting their first desert action, were in the centre. It was a silent night attack with the bayonet, unsupported by an artillery barrage in the early stages. By midnight there was fierce hand-to-hand fighting as the New Zealanders pushed on under a hail of mortar fire. For three hours the battle raged. The New Zealanders gained all their objectives. Next day came the anticipated and solid counter-attacks. Italians in force, supported by tanks, came at the New Zealanders in three solid attacks, but the terrific firepower and the deadly accurate laying of the New Zealand gunners destroyed tanks and drove the attackers back. The enemy tried from three different directions to dislodge. the New Zealanders from their newly-won ground, but the New Zealanders refused to budge. While the enemy infantry and tanks were thrown in against the New Zealand positions Stukas roared overhead to dive-bomb relentlessly. All day on Fr»dav the dive-bombing and infantry attacks continued, but the New Zealanders stood firm, just as they always do. They crashed back at the enemy with terrific firepower, and by the end of the dav the battered and bewildered enemy threw in the towel.