A German Valuation of Anzacs

Franklin Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 21, 23 February 1940, Page 4

A German Valuation of Anzacs

GREAT WAR EXPERIENCE MOST FEARED TROOPS DEMOHALISORS OF THE ENEMY NOW "JUST POOH COUNTRY LADS" An appropriate footnote to German sneers at the New Zealand soldiers—“just poor country lads, as it were, who do not know what it is all about and whose bones will bleach on the desert and moulder on steppes and bogs”—is supplied by an official German publication in which General von Roon, of the High Command, made a critical resume of the war of 1914-18. Writing of the troops of the British Dominions he says:

“From the first Germany underestimated the value of these contingents, and particularly did she fail to make allowance for the worth of the physically fine Australian contingents on the Western Front and in Gallipoli. To those of us who had opportunities of studying the position at first hand it was soon obvious that, when it came to warfare in which individuality and personal grit counted, the Australians and New Zealanders were, man for man, superior even to cur best, troops.

The Moral Ascendancy “At no time was there evidence that the Australians and New Zealanders had that rigid machine like discipline that was overdone with us. l:ul in Ire.nch warfare, when the soldier who had initiative and individuality was an asset. Ihe Anzacs proved 1 heir worth repeatedly. After the flower of our army had faded, we never had anything, in the line that could he compared, man for man. wilh Iho same number of Anzacs. Always was the moral ascendancy with the Anzacs when pitted against our Damps. “Consciousness of Ibis inferiority soon spread and il was not long till it became a source of weakness that had lo he counteracted by increasing Hie bayonet strength in the trenches when we found that we had Anzacs against us. Dread of the Name “We found repeatedly t hit I it took Ihe heart out of our best troops if H ey found that the trenches they had In attack were manned by Anzacs, and Ibis dread of I lie name was intensified when there came to the Western Front Germans who had served on Gallipoli lo stiffen the Turkish resistance. These men lold such tales o’’ the fighting qualities of ihe Anzacs that the young men had not Ihe strength for fighting when they came to grips with these redoubtable opponents.

“It was the same on the uel'ensive. 1 have seen our men holding their ground steadily enough till they found out they were being attacked by Anzaes. and then the resistance crumpled up. The inferiority complex on our side, so far as Ihe Anzacs were concerned, was so marked al one time that there was created a special reserve held in readiness to he thrown in to strengthen our line at the point where it came in contact with them.

“The uncanny habit the Anzacs had of working their way info our trenches \ hen least expected had the effect of demoralising our men completely.

Tough and Resourceful “The British were particularly well served, by their overseas contingents, red at certain critical stages they pioved the backbone of the British Army. The Anzacs proved themselves most resourceful, and some of the methods of trench warfare that have now passed into the text hooks were though I out by them." General von Roon's .lengthy appreciation concludes: “In Gallipoli I found everyone in agreement that the Anzacs were the toughest fighters we had to deal with.”