DESERT FRONT

Grey River Argus, 18 November 1942, Page 3

DESERT FRONT

TRIBUTE TO N.Z. TROOPS.

BY POLISH JOURNALIST.

"Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn. 1 CAIRO, Nov. 13. Admiration for the New Zealander as a fighting soldier was expressed to-day by M. Latinski, a Polish journalist who followed the New Zealanders as far as Tobruk. He added that the New Zealanders contributed the largest part to the success of General Montgomery’s second major offensive. -“They were amazing,” he said, “They launched the attack which resulted in getting Rommel on the run. If they had failed in the highly important task with which they were entrusted the Eighth Army may not have been at Tmimi to-day. By making the New Zealanders once again the spearhead of the attack General Montgomery showed the great com fidence he has in the New Zealanders. Under another terrific creeping, artillery barrage the New Zealanders waded in. They knew just how much depended on them and they never faltered —on, grimly on, until all their obiectives had been won. I saw them again at Mersa 1 Matruh, and then at Hellfire Pass, still chasing the Hun, to their great delight Next I saw them at Bardia, but they didn’t ston there, for there was only one German prisoner to take. I slept that night in deserted Bardia'—-just mv driver, myself and a dog. “Your troops were engaged in 'a skirmish at El Adem when the Boche attempted a we'ak delaying action, but your fellows soon cleaned that up and 'were after h : m again. Some of them shot into Tobruk, but did not stop. They were too keen on the hunt. Senior officers of the Allied armies to whom I have spoken have agreed that the New Zealanders are without doubt the finest shock troops in the world.”

AERIAL COMBATS,

LONDON, November 12. A communique from Middle East Headquarters says:. “The Eighth Armv continues following up the retreating remnants of the panzer armies into Cyrenaica; capturing, prisoners. Yesterday the retreating enemy air force was caught up by the sneed of our advance and brought to batjje. At least 23 enemy aircraft were destroyed in combat. At least six of them were large transport machines. Our air forces attacked dense enemy vehicle concentrations between Bardia and Gambut. Ten of our aircraft are missing from all these operations.” A United States Arm v communique states: Fighter aircraft of our desert task force yesterday resumed large scale operations against the enemy. A series of fightep sweeps started fires amongst mechanical transport, and three Stukas were destroyed. Our heavy bombers on Tuesday evening attacked shipping at Benghazi and Candia. Benghazi was attacked again at daylight yesterday. Hits on jetties were observed at Candia, and also a possible direct hit on a merchantman. Yesterday’s daylight attack on Benghazi resulted in four direct hits and 11 near misses by heavy calibre American bombs on a large merchantman.

Air Chief Marshal Tedder has revealed that Germany rushed large air reinforcements to Libya from Russia in an effort to save Marshal Ven Rommel. “At one airfield we found 80 Messerschmitts of the latest type, including one with markings showing it was completed on October 18, nine days after the western drive began. Some of the enemv pilots captured had come from Russia. Wiien the Battle of Egypt opened last month the Allies did not have air superiority, but we rsgfiined .it with a series of paralysing blows from which Marshal Von Rommel’s air power never recovered. ’ PRISONERS GOING TO CAIRO. (Rec. 12.10.) LONDON. Nov. 15 Referring to Mussolini’s infantry divisions left to their fate in Egypt, a News Agencv correspondent says?: Large numbers of prisoners are marching back in the direction of Cairo unescorted. They are marching towards food and drink. The Italians are verv bitter against the Germans. Germans and Italians are driving their own trucks full of prisoners into camps, and then returning for more.