DOMINION TROOPS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIII, Issue 25, 29 December 1942, Page 2

DOMINION TROOPS

3.45 P.M. EDITION

MESSAGE FROM LEADER. (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 29. ' "The operations foreshadowed in earlier cables are now over. These have resulted in turning the strong enemy position at El Agheila and in driving the Axis forces back nearly 200 miles. Our casualties, I am thankful to say, were comparatively light. Three officers and 11 men were killed, eight officers and 53 men wounded, and three officers, and nine men are missing." This is the opening paragraph of a cablegram received from General Freyberg by the Minister of Defence (Mr Jones). After recording the moves from Bardia to Nofilia, General Freyberg concludes: "The success of the operation was largely due to the skill and efficiency of our drivers and mobile workshops, who have kept our vehicles in serviceable condition notwithstanding the roughness of the desert going. "I have just visited our wounded. In an isolated spot in the Tripolitanian desert they have received the best surgical treatment in what amounts to a fully-equipped field hospital. They arc being carried back by ambulance as soon as the roads are all clear. The most serious cases are evacuated by air ambulance over many hundreds of miles of desert to our hospitals in Egypt. As usual, your division has maintained the high standard and the fighting spirit expected of it. The health and spirits of the men are excellent." SERIES OF DESERT MOVES.

General Freyberg states: "The rolo involved a series of desert moves totalling over 600 miles. On December 5 we moved from Bardia across the desert past our November, ]941, battlefields and south of Jebel to our assembly position near Agedabia, 350 miles away. At Agedabia we were joined by a British armoured brigade and replenished to be self-contained with food, water, ammunition and petrol for 12 days, since we could not expect any lines of communication until the Eighth Army had fought its way through on the coast. "Full medical arrangements were made, and two full field ambulances, one light field ambulance and two complete surgical teams were with tis and also additional equipment for brain, chest, and abdominal surgery, and a blood transfusion unit with supplies of blood preserved in refrigerators. Invaluable medical comforts and Bed Cross supplies were provided by the New Zealand Red Cross.

"On December 13 plans were complete and several thousand vehicles set out in desert formation and a wide encircling move of over 250 miles round the southern flank of the El Agheila position to threaten, and, if possible, cut off the Panzer army.

OPEBATION DESCRIBED. General Freyberg describing tho operation says: "'the success of our operation depended on negotiating an hitherto uncrossed desert. To obtain surprise wireless silence was imposed until contact was gained with the enemy. We were also helped by heavy rain which laid the tell-tale dust. The first stage of the soft, bad going was negotiated by day and tne later stages by night. "Then came the hist dash to the north of -10 miles. Starting at dawn on December 15, by that night the Sixth Brigade had. almost reached the coast road. This manoeuvre was a complete surprise to the enemy who had to turn and fight to get out, or be surrounded. Our force was too small to cover all the lines of retreat and the panzer army escaped, but the enemy was severely mauled by our armour, artillery and infantry as they withdrew, losing tanks and a considerable number of antitank guns. During the afternoon of the 16th we made preparations for a further move to the west and at dawn on the 17th we moved 30 miles to outflank tho enemy covering the position west of Nofilia. "Again the enemy rearguard was surprised by the speed with which our force moved and struck, In the ensuing fighting our armour and the Fifth Brigade caused the enemy further losses in equipment, capturing 250 prisoners, and the -enemy withdrew under cover of darkness.