ITALIAN INDIFFERENCE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20634, 9 December 1941, Page 5

ITALIAN INDIFFERENCE

OUTCOME OF WAR PRISONERS IN LIBYA (From the Official War Correspondent with the N.Z.E.F.) (Reed. Dec. 9, 9 a.m.) OUTSIDE TOBRUK, Nov. 27. The Italians have formed an extremely small percentage of the enemy troops encountered by this New Zealand formation in six successive days of battle. There are signs now, however, that the Germans may either be drawing on the Italian forces or leaving their allies to hold the fort while they withdraw, at least temporarily. In a night attack a South Island officer with a small party ran into 40 Italians, who threw down their arms as the New Zealanders approached. When the party, hampered by the prisoners, continued to advance, it was captured by more Italian troops. The New Zealand officer with some of his men managed to break away and walked boldly back to their own lines, ignoring every enemy challenge.

The same South Island battalion encountered more Italians -during a heavy engagement this morning. This time the Italians showed more spirit, for the New Zealanders had to fight right up to the barrels of their Bren machine-guns. The demeanour of the Italian prisoners taken during the campaign as a whole is reported to be not so much lack of morale as indifference to the outcome of the war.