MAORIS’ BAYONETS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20570, 2 June 1941, Page 4

MAORIS’ BAYONETS

FIERCE CHARGES CHECKING GERMANS N.Z. UNITS AT SUDA BAY (Elnc. Tel. Copyright—United Presr) Assn.) (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service.) (Per Cable and Wireless Limited.) (Reed. June 2, 9 a.m.) CAIRO, May 30. New Zealand troops returned from Crete had been stationed in the Suda Bay area, which had borne the fiercest attack of the enemy. They put up a grand show. In one batch of 300 parachutists

which attempted to land on a New Zealand battalion, not one reached the ground alive. “We are not worried about the German soldiers. We have got their number. It is his air force which gives us the trouble” is the opinion heard on every side. One New Zealand soldier said he had found the German parachutists to be fairlv well educated men. Most of them spoke good English. However, he had been told by several prisoners that the parachutists never expected to find troops underneath them. They all said they had been misinformed before setting o'ut: This soldier had been in Greece and rowed seven miles in a dinghy to rejoin his unit, from which he had bedn cut off. He was quite cheerful, but was naturally somewhat worried about his comrades. He stated that the Germans h&d landed howitzers and light armoured vehicles by parachute. Several soldiers confirmed the rumour that the German pre-war boxer. Max Schmelling, had been seen among the parachutists and taken prisoner by New Zealanders. Schmelling, it is stated, had caused a lot of trouble with the other prisoners. “Kamerad, Don’t Shoot” Many of the parachutists had landed in trees and some even in telegraph wires. When caught in such a predicament many of them lost their nerve. One man caught in a tree had called out: “Save me, Anglais. Save me,” while r. was quite common to hear all around cries of: “Kamerad, Anglais. Don’t shoot. Kamerad. Water please.” From several come claims that German troop-carriers were piloted by women. An amusing story is told of the initiative of New Zealanders. Apparently the Germans pinned Nazi flags to the ground as a signal to the supply carriers as to where to drop loads. Sure enough an hour later over would come supplies aild land right in the vicinity. The New Zealanders were not slow to take advantage of this custom. Once again the Maori battalion proved itself for bravery, initiative and the hardiness of the men. In Greece they started a new and glorious page in their history. In Crete they added to that glory. A pakeha officer who had been with them .since the battalion’s inception said: “The Maori boys put up a really wonderful show. >We are all very proud of them. They were right after it all the time.” After the Greek business, he said, they became a trifle restless, as 'hough impatient for more action. Thus when the opportunity occurred again they were more than ready for it. Their work with the bayonet had again been magnificent. Nothing made them hesitate. They would charge at anything, whether it was a big concentration or a small one. Retort to German This opinion is warmly confirmed by New Zealand, Australian and British soldiers, who hold the Maori in high respect. Tbe story is told of a conversation a Maori soldier had with a prisoner and a pakeha officer. The officer had asked the prisoner who he thought was going to win the war. The prisoner replied: “Germany, of course, first because Britain has no ships.” The Maori replied: “Yes, that’s right. We swam across from Greece.” “The best hand-to-hand fighters we have ever seen” is the opinion of troops who watched the Maoris in action in Crete.

They prefer to abandon the European style of fighting and fight in the manner of their ancestors with bare steel.

The Maoris inflicted severe casualties almost every evening upon the hun invading parties on the island of Crete. One evening near Malemi a company of Maoris was proceeding to relieve another New Zealand oattalion when they saw a huge Dornier crash on the beach. It spewed forth a large number of troops who disappeared under cover of darkness into olive groves.

The Maoris proceeded along the road to carry out their relief when suddenly they found themselves ambushed. They lost six men, but thenleader made a rapid decision. “Fix bayonets,” he said. In the semidarkness the Maoris utterly exterminated at the point of the bayonet, not only the troops who had landed from the Dornier, but also a large party of parachutists who had linked u# with them.