HELD FOR A WEEK

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 April 1941, Page 11

HELD FOR A WEEK

REGIMENT AGAINST ARMY The story of how the Ist Northern Rhodesian Regiment, 800 strong, held the Tug Argan gap in British Somaliland for a week against at least 10,000 Italians was told in November.

The gap is in the mountains on the main road to the coast fifty miles beyond Hargeisa on the way to Berbera, stated the “Manchester Guardian.” After preliminary outpost skirmishes, during which a Rhodesian platoon crept silently through the enemy lines with theii’ boots slung around their necks and puttees bound round their feet, the main battle developed. “From August 11 to August 15 every day and night the Italians tried to force a gap to get their mechanised columns through to Berbera. Our casualties were extremely light in spite of the weight of shells and bombs directed at us. On the othei’ hand we killed a large number of the enemy. One Askari sniper, who went without sleep during the five nights of the battle, simply would not stop firing his rifle whenever a target presented itself.

! “The shooting of our few light guns , was amazingly accurate. The attack |on Knobly Hill by 2000 Italians was I repulsed by one company of Rhodesii ans. The bewildered enemy endeavoured to re-form his broken columns, I but the Rhodesian gunners scored di- | rect hits on the Italian general and I his staff, who were wiped out.

j “Finally, the enemy attacked our i positions in mass formation. Two light battery guns firing over open [ sights at 700 yards simply slaughtered [them.” j Eventually the Rhodesians were ordered to withdraw to a position 15 miles from Berbera, which they did Without losing a single man. The Ital-

ians, unaware that the Rhodesians had gone, bombarded the positions for two hours after their withdrawal. A Scottish regiment covered the withdrawal and embarkation,