SUPERB GUNNERY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20826, 3 July 1942, Page 2

SUPERB GUNNERY

N.Z. BATTERIES NAZI TANKS BLASTED OPEN-SIGHT FIRING (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent.) (10 a.m.) WESTERN DESERT, July 2. The New Zealanders in an all-day engagement with the enemy on Saturday, about 25 miles south of Mersa Matruh, played a major part in allowing the Allied forces time to occupy prepared positions further east. Throughout the day our forward troops were under shellfire from artillery which accompanied a large column of motorised iniantry. They repelled strong tank attacks and, when called upon to retire, did so from positions which were still intact. It was the New Zealanders’ first engagement in the present campaign and. they were their cool .and determined selves. That the troops were New Zealanders is believed to have been unknown to the enemy, such was the secrecy and swiftness of the move from Syria. The proximity of the enemy became evident on Friday night, throughput which multitudes of flares lighted the sky to the north. The sound of distant artillery fire was heard early in the morning, but it was .not until about 9 o’clock that the first shells fell among our positions—the enemy was ranging his guns. By the middle of the morning, the barrage had become fairly heavy. Across the whole length of the New Zealand lines, huge clouds of dust and sand rose from falling Bin. shells which were used extensively with captured 25-pounders in an attempt to dislodge our troops. Our artillery .returned shell for shell and more. During a comparatively quiet hour or two at midday, some of our guns moved to new positions and were ready when, under heavy shellfire, the Germans launched a very stong tank attack. Anti-tank gtins, 25-pounders and six-pounders forced them back. Some direct hits were scored and the attack was not repeated. Respect For 25-Pounders It was all quiet by evening—a strange quiet after a day of almost continuous shelling. Although ’ the infantry were not strongly engaged at close quarters, a number of prisoners were captured during the day, mostly of a lorry-borne regiment of a Panzer Division. The majority had been flown from Italy on June 1' and some had fought on the Russian front. Asked whether they had the Italians with them, one replied: “Fortunately, no.” All who were questioned expressed the greatest respect for the 25-pounders which had done so nobly during the day’s battle. Every attack of the German armoured and motorised forces on the New' Zealanders’ line was driven off, mainly by the superb gunnery of our artillery. . For the first time in the history of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, all our artillery was in action together jn a field role. Scores of guns covered every possible route by which the enemy could attack. While the infantry battalions saw little of the actual battle, the artillery were in action all day, beating off tank attacks, returning round for round of the German barrage. The ' deadly accuracy of their fire was vouched for by one German prisoner, who rer ferred bitterly to the firing over-open sights, using three words of . English profanity to describe it. ! Smashed-to Pieces A battery of a field regiment attack, ed a large column of Axis troops when it approached our positions late in the morning. While the column was stilj. eight miles away when sighted, the battery allowed it to approach to within 15U0yds. before opening fire. Shot after shot smashed the German troop-carriers to small pieces. A leading troop in the same attack went into action against five tanks, destroying three. Two tanks which came out under cover to cut off the guns’ withdrawal were seen in time for the battery to return safely. Again that night, a troop of the same regiment was in close-range battle. As we forced our way through the gap in the German defences, four guns fired in the moonlight at a point from which tracer shells were being hurled at the column. In 30 seconds our guns were in' action and, within almost' as many seconds, the tracer shells had stopped. In every action our losses in men and guns were light. /