Alamem Assault Initiated Twelve Years Ago Today

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27488, 23 October 1954, Page 2

Alamem Assault Initiated Twelve Years Ago Today

At 10 o’clock on the night of October 23, 1942—12 years ago today—Lieuten-ant-General B. L. Montgomery (now Field-Marshal Viscount Montgomery), commander of the Bth Army, launched at El Alamein the attack that was to smash the Axis yoke in the Middle East. In their accustomed role as shock troops, men of the 2nd New Zealand Division, with other Empire infantry; broke into the enemy defences with the bayonet. In spite of heavy casualties caused by mortar and machinegun fire, the infantry advanced against successive strong pockets of resistance, which were held with the aid of the tank brigades. On November 4, the enemy’s last line was broken and the Bth Army began its advance to Tunisia. Supporting the infantry at El Alamein was the then heaviest concentration of artillery of the war. This was exceeded later in the war, however. One and a half times the fire-power at El Alamein was concentrated on the Germans on the afternoon and evening of April 9, 1945, when the New Zealanders formed the spearhead of the Bth Army’s Senio river assault in Italy.

The toll exacted by the Bth Army in the Alamein push is illustrated by the following facts:— After 12 days and nights of ceaseless attack more than 9000 prisoners,

including General Ritter von Thoma, commander of the Afrika Korps, had been captured; more than 260 Axis tanks had been destroyed and at least 270 guns captured or destroyed; and among the exceedingly large number of enemy dead was General von Stumme, who had been substituting for Rommel during the latter’s absence in Germany. In addition, with light losses, the Air Force destroyed or damaged more than 300 aircraft in aerial combat and accounted fdr many more on the ground. The Navy, with Air Force assistance, sank 50,000 tons of enemy shipping bringing in supplies, and damaged as much again. That the New Zealand Division’s contribution to the success at El Alamein was no small one was illustrated on November 8, 1942, when General Sir Harold Alexander (now Field-Marshal Viscount Alexander), Officer Commanding the Middle East Forces, cabled Lieutenant-General E. Puttick Chief-of-Staff of the forces in New Zealand, as follows;

“In the Sth Army's victory in the Western Desert the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force, under Lieu-tenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg, glayed a part worthy of its splendid istory. Its fighting spirit and achievements during the last two weeks of decisive battles have been magnificent.”