New Zealanders Fight Against Heavy Odds

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 290, 6 December 1941, Page 7

New Zealanders Fight Against Heavy Odds

Crazy Patchwork Of Desert Warfare

THRILLING STORY OF WEIRD BATTLE

(Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) Near BIR EL HAMID, Nov. 28.

Fierce fighting continued all round headquarters to-day and over near Sidi Rezegh. One New Zealand infantry brigade fought a terrific battle to hold up the grim German onslaught. Bir el Hamid is still held by another of our brigades and el Duda is held by some New Zealanders combined with the Tobruk forces. At tlie backdoor of headquarters the tank battle has gone on all morning and all afternoon. The fortunes of the New Zealanders, have fluctuated fast to-day. There has always been a doubt as to whether our tanks would hold the greater numbers of the Huns oil*. They not only did the job magnificently but also drove the Huns off. it seemed that we had Avon another round. Then when dusk was falling fast and we grouped around our trucks finishing off our bully and biscuit evening meal to our amazement machine-gun fire rattled on us from a nearby escarpment. It was puzzling because it came from the direction of - our dressing station which is just over the hill and from a nearby compound Avhere we held hundreds of German and Italian prisoners. More bursts of machine-gun and tracer! We were being attacked by a German raiding party which had sneaked up in the gathering gloom. Defensive positions were taken by quickly-organised headquarters platoons. We had. been surrounded 'by intensive fighting from dawn till dusk and just when we thought there was to be a lull in this crazy patchwork of desert warfare a surprise attack 'began. Aided by the gathering darkness our defenders changed their role to that of attack and drove the enemy off the commanding ground. It was an anxious time, for just over the escarpment where the enemy waß attacking was our dressing station and mobile surgical unit overcrowded with our wounded. We dare not use artillery but we cleared out the machine-gun nest with anti-tank guns.

When the German attack was repulsed it was discovered that our dressing station was in the hands of the German prisoners. There was nothing we could do. We could not go into an attack because we would nave been shooting into our own wounded. Orders came to move and before midnight we were again driving across the desert towards Tobruk. The moon shone fitfully from a cloudy sky. We i cursed that moon as it revealed so much. We travelled about four miles through part of one of our infantry brigades and then we stopped for the night, in the distance another tank battle raged near Sidi Rezegh. Near BIR EL HAMID, Nov. 29.

The first fight to-day brought realisation that we were in a tough spot. We discovered that we were surrounded by the enemy on all sides. With grit and courage tne New Zealanders clenched their teeth and fought Avith that determination born of confidence which had existed in the New Zealand Division since this fantastic battle began. It | was a day of hell and fury. Other days have produced fierce and l-eientless lighting by both sides, but it is doubtful if any has been as bitter and as hectic as this.

Headquarters were found in the incongruous position of being iu the front line of one of our infantry brigades. That can easily happen, in this jigsaw puzzle of desert warfare. On the side of the arc to the south-east the enemy appeared to attempt some sort of encircling move. Ail day loug the battle rageu out in front of us. British tanks clashed with the Hun to my left. Our machine-guns blazed just over the escarpment on 'the right.

Tne New Zealanciers and Australians are driving down against terrific enemy machine-gun, artillery and mortar fire in a gallant effort to clean out a strong enemy pocket. (They are being badly knocked about.) Shells mom tne German artillery continue to land all around us. We have been shelled for hours with artillery fire, high explosive and mortal-.

I have been diving from my typewriter to a slit treucu and back to the typewriter for a long time. This afternoon I have the very friendly cover of tiiis tiny slit in tne uesert. I have watchea the battle rage. Tho desert birds kept out of the sxies by flying steel chirped and flew irom brancli to branch of the small plants, it seemed strange to sec oird and animal Ijlo in this -man-made hell. Up tlie side of the slit trench crawled a lutie blacK. beetle. l turned him back, juveu a blacK beetle was company Avhile shells screamed overheau and mortars burst all round.

Towards mid-aiternoon the shelling abated. It had been tough going, but the enemy had been driven oif at least from around Divisional Headquarters. Our infantry brigades fought on away on the soutnern say line, vve could see a big convoy and u gave us an uneasy feeling, for it was uusk. and we could not determine whether it was friend or foe. Ono of the divisional cavalry’s little reconnaissance tanks went out to investigate, it wirelessed back its report and the next minute our artillery opened up. This was Mussolini’s lauded Ariete Division. They did not stop long once the shells started to land among them! Away across the desert into the night raced the convoy and Divisional Headquarters had a quiet night.

Near SIDI REZEGH, Nov. 30. When dawn came this morning another puzzle presented itself. Back on the same skyline was another great convoy. Was this the Ariete Division back again or was it a German column which had slipped up in the night? It could not be determined. , Soon one of our reconnaissance tanks Avirelcssed that the convoy was the enemy. Tha batteries of the New Zealand

artillery opened fire and within a minute great broadsides of Hun artillery and mortar lire crashed around us. It was the prelude of another day of intensive enemy shelling. Here we were in the position of being in the New Zealand front line for the second day in succession.

The personnel of Divisional Headquarters —the defence platoon, a few signallers, anti-tank rifles, anti-tank guns and odds and ends equipped with rifles—formed a thin red line of defence between the oncoming enemy and Divisional Headquarters. Ceaseless fire from enemy mortars and artillery kept the personnel of Divisional Headquarters in slit trenches for the greater part of the day. There Avas a heavy concentration of vehicles which formed an admirable target for the Hun. His barrage Avliizzed and whined over the escarpment and our own artillery crashed back at the Hun with a solid and relentless attack. Again the Hun mortar and high explosive artillery shells kept tho head down. Througnout tne day tnw fierce artillery- fight continued. Out in front German tanks formed a scren in front of the formations of enemy infantry. They Avere waiting ready to pounce, waiting for the German artillery to batter our artillery and pave the Avay for the tanks and infantry.

Towards late afternoon German tanks and infantry started to advance towards us. We were not greatly perturbed Avhen the sun had fallen behind the escarpment and the shadows made spotting difficult for both sides. The barrage decreased in intensity until only occasional high explosive . shells were sent over by the Huns. There were intense minutes uoav.

The German tanks were only 700 yards away with the infantry 500 yards behind our line which is holding its fire. They had withheld it all day. They had determined to fire over open sights with everything they had at point blank range once the attack started, it was that silence from the front lien that tricked, puzzled and bluffed the enemy. The Hun did not know what to expect and so when night was falling last he retreated bewildered. The whole German column started to move away and as it moved our artillery rushed on to the top of the escarpment and gave the German convoy a terrific pasting. Several hits sent enemy transport blazing.

Believed to have been led by the German General Rommel himself, a strong force of enemy tanks was thrown against El Duda on Saturday night. It was a determined effort by Rommel to smash the corridor—'but it failed. New Zealand, Australian and British troops aided by a few tanks fought through the night and when morning came >ve wore still in possession of El Duda, one of the key positions of the corridor.