PUSH OF 12 MILES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20634, 9 December 1941, Page 3

PUSH OF 12 MILES

GRIM DESERT FIGHT ZONES STRONGLY HELD (From the Official War Correspondent with the N.Z.E.F.) (Reed. Dec. 9, 9 a.m.) OUTSIDE TOBRUK, Nov. 27. An appreciable quiet reigns t.0.-night on this, left flank.of the.New.Zealand sector for the first, time- 'since the grim battle for the high ground southeast of Tobruk began six days -ago. The formation tinder •_ Brigadier Barraclough, which was detached to begin this attack'last Sunday in order to relieve.the pressure 'on the, British troops supporting; ~o’ne of pur armoured forces, has fought .with outstanding determination _ across 12 miles of strongly-defended ground. Twelve miles in six* clays—tpat phase, war of movement,, becomes almost mythical on this field of bitter battle. This is unspectacular warfare, devoid of colourful conquests and fought over drab, empty ground with men and guns pitted against men and guns, with one side struggling mercilessly to gain and the other side mercilessly to hbld.

Here and below us. where another New Zealand formation once commanded by the present chief of the New Zealand General Staff and now under Brigadier Inglis, .is fighting, it has gone on through crisp days and cold moonlit nights with set-piece attacks and set-piece counter-attacks, hardly a step removed from the positional warfare of 1914-18. Let there be no illusions about the resolution with which the enemy has defended himself and the intricate preparations he made against this clay. He knew every inch of his ground and long before we crossed it he made each feature a potential death trap.

He had time to range his artillery, mortars and machine-guns to the last yard, so that he could open scientific concentrated fire from dug-in posts and concealed pits as our troops appeared on the familiar crests and open ground in front of him. Shell-Swept Ridges

It has taken our troops all the courage, daring, determination and skill in the world .to cross these shellswept ridges and plateaus. We have had reverses, but they have been incomplete and temporary. Always we have been gaining ground slowly but steadily. Here on the left flank, Auckland and Wellington infantry, with supporting troops, fought fiercely under a pale moon two nights ago beyond Ihc Sidi Rczegli airfield area, and during the whole following day they faced and repulsed heavy counterattacks. Enemy mortars and artillery cracked and thundered with little respite and machine-guns swept across the open fields of fire. South Islanders met. similarly strong opposition from the first light onwards, but made an advance of 800 yards by 8 a.m. They reported a tank battle raging in the distance. Darkness last night saw further ground gained, Aucklanders moving 1200 yards westwards before digging in and then pressing north this morning towards the edge of the escarpment. South Islanders also attacked by night and were again in a hot engagement this morning until the enemy retreated, leaving three tanks which he had been using as machinegun nests.

Every night here reminds me of Crete, because of the Germans’ fondness for filling the sky with brilliantlycoloured flares. They seem on edge after dark through fear of night attacks in which the New Zealanders have had much practice and experience. During these night operations the noise of their artillery and mortar barrages, mingling with our own attacking fire, has been terrific.