DESERT WARFARE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20452, 13 January 1941, Page 4

DESERT WARFARE

FALL OF SIDI BARRANI NEW ZEALANDER’S STORY ARMY, NAVY & AIR FORCE The part played by members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Middle East in the fall of Sidi Barrani is described in a letter written on December 18 by a liawera signaller to his parents. Tribute is paid to the work of the Royal Air Force and the courage of a Scottish regiment in a desperate bayonet charge.

“Our part of the stunt,” the signaller writes, “was to guard our forward aerodromes, and the Royal Air Force made such a complete job of the enemy's forward aerodromes that we had nothing to do. Our aeroplanes concentrated on one enemy aerodrome first. At dawn Hurricanes arrived in force and attacked the 75 aeroplanes on the ground with dive machinegunning tactics. Then a few minutes later our bombers dive-bombed the hangars. “While this attack was in progress other of our aircraft were attacking i another big aerodrome, which was "rented with 60 tons of high-explosive bombs. Our land forces later took -if and not one aeroplane of the 135 which were there when the ttack was launched got away. Three Services Co-operate “The smashing of these two concentrations of enemy bombers broke what might soon have become a large-scale aerial attack on our positions, and also made our job a very quiet one, for we were only visited by high night-flying bombers in small numbers. “The Navy and the Royal Air Force co-operated magnificently in the attack on Sidi Barrani,” continues the writers. “Our land forces went welt out into the desert, travelled along the inland flank of the enemy, executed a right turn and drove through a weak spot to the coast. The naval and air force bombardment was terrific, and it was timed to give the land forces a chance to get into position behind a low ridge about a mile and a-halr from the enemy flank. The bombardment lifted at dawn and'our mechanised units went in under a protective barrage from our own artillery, which was by this time in position. “Most of the Italians were sheltering in their dugouts and were completely surprised, putting up no fight at all. The Indians who went in with the ‘l’ tanks lost only two men in their drive to the coast. The whole enemy * camp of 600 was taken in 20 miputes. Two hours later the strongly-held position at Sidi Barrani itself was encircled. Invincible Tanks “According to our troops the Blackshirts fought particularly well, especially the artillery, but they could not cope with our really invincible tanks. “There were several Scottish regiments in the frontal attack, and they were so impatient they would not wait f or the tanks and went in with their bayonets against enemy artillery two' hours before zero hour. Of course, they lost heavily getting through the enemy barrage, but' they got through to thp guns, and when the tanks arrived there was not a live enemy'left. It was here that an Italian general was killed. He was cornered in a dugout and reached for his revolver, but died on a Scot’s bayonet. “These tactics were successfully repeated at intervals along the whole of the enemy’s inland flank until his army was just a series of isolated strongholds. Some of these have fallen during the last few days, and now -it remains to finish Tobruk, Derna and Tripoli. I wonder if ‘Musso’ will wait for that to happen? If he has the good sense to sue for peace now he will get reasonable terms. Personally I would like to see the Free French forces in , Tunisia do to his army just what Italy did to the F-ench. De Gaulle has an excellent chance to strike a blow for Free France and make a name for himself. Trucks and Cycles for All “At present the desert is strewn with the bodies and equipment of half the Italian forces, and the dust and wind are burying them. None of our 1 army need walk, for there are enough trucks and motor-cycles for all. The enemy was well equipped, especially in motor transport. We are already making use of their eight-ton Diesel lorries and guns. “We are still wondering where our next move will take us. The boys are very sarcastic, and reckon it will either be up to bury the dead or back to Cairo. “After a month of dust storms the weather has become less boisterous, but it grows colder at night. Last night an eighth or an ; inch of ice formed on the-water. As 1 write my hands are blue and stiff with the cold, yet it is only 5.30 p.m.” ,