Tobruk As Seen By New Zealander

Northern Advocate, 24 December 1941, Page 3

Tobruk As Seen By New Zealander

(N.Z.E.F. Official News Service)

CAIRO, Dec. 22.

Although just over a week, it now seems lost in retrospect since the first New Zealand troops from Cyrenaica to return by land from Tobruk slipped up the ashphalt road to the New Zealand main base camp. Looking back, impressions which then were hurriedly created and assimilated are tumbling over one another now to form a series of defined pictures and incidents, together making a panorama of the four most exciting weeks in which the New Zealand forces have taken part since Crete. Among the most outstanding pictures thus created is that first glimpse of the narrow sapphire inlet which is the harbour of the bomb torn port of Tobruk. The night before I had slipped unchallenged from Sidi Rezegh through the corridor by the light of an almost full moon. Only Discordant Note The night which had early seemed peaceful was marred only by an air raid or two and half an hour’s shelling from the enemy long range gun on the perimeter and fondly named “Phyllis.” This period we spent stretched out shivering beside the truck and next door to a large prison cage. There were three shell bursts after breakfast—about 11 a.m.—and we rode up the ashphalt road to the crest of the hill overlooking Tobruk and passing slip-shod gangs of Italian prisoners engaged in tar sealing and mending the damage j made by stray shells and bombs during I the,month of the blitzing of Tobruk. Ragged Roofs The town came upon our eyes suddenly like a clear film flashed on 'a screen. There were ragged roofed whitte-washed. houses. clinging in a cluster to the opposite hillside which sloped down to the tranquil blue and narrow strip of harbour and gave the impression of a peaceful coastal town in the heel of southern Italy. As though defiant of the destructive forces of man the proud spire of the church in the centre of the town pierced the dilapidated surroundings. The harbour itself was gashed by a score of half-hidden hulks of sunken ships grounded on the far shore. One of the hulks was the great rusted shape which was once the pride of the Italian navy. It is the San Georgia, a battle cruiser which represented Italy in the proud international naval cavalcade at the time of the British Coronation. She has now found a permanent showplace as a curio in this tiny harbour which once formed part of Italy’s vaunted African Empire. Famous Ladybird There is also the famous vessel Ladybird on which the crew lived for many weeks before conditions became impossible. Between two protruding sterns is the tail of what was once a German raiding plane, one of 80 odd shot down—a record which an Australian anti-aircraft gun battery holds to its credit. The whole makes a picture in which destruction and beauty are almost unbelieveably mingled. Down hill again, skirting green patches forming the harbour’s crater-torn shore, leads on to one of the busiest cross roads in the Middle East. Here a solemn English provost corporal directs the continuous streams of traffic with the ease of a nonchalant London policeman. • Shells, he says, have fallen all round, but none have been serious enough to even temporarily dislocate the junction. Transport Cemetery Turning westward the trucks headed up the Derna road and eventually arrived at a huge flat wadi which was indeed a cemetery of Italian transport. Everywhere giant trucks lay halfburied in the soft sand with occasional deserted guns and now and again a derelict plane. It was a fortunate chance to happen on-this huge rubbish heap. Italian mangled wrecks here and there with a truck or gun with little wrong with it, could be seen. One of these guns was successfully used by the Polish brigade to pound the enemy on the west perimeter of Tobruk. Converted Ammunition

The Poles had discovered stacks of ammunition and were prepared to use it all. They had a man stationed on a prominent point of the escarpment to call out the apparent results of the aiming to, them. It was a grim game of outwitting the enemy, whom they never expected to discover their whereabouts in the midst of the Italian wreckage. A few days later a visit down to the town of Tobruk gave an opportunity for a closer inspection of the besieged town, with its winding hilly streets reminding one of Palestine, and backed by empty white shells which had once been shops and restaurants and houses. Shells had not destroyed the sign “Restorante Roma,” but the building was a great blackened breach. • However, one could imagine pre-war Italian holiday-makers eating spaghetti and drinking wine and watching the unhurried life of this sleepy Mediterranean town.

Italian Preparations

But down below in deep caves which must have taken months of hard labour to prepare, was evidence of Italy having designed this pretty seaport of Tobruk for defence as well as pleasure. During the long siege these caves were used by the gallant defenders with improvements of their own, which was perhaps singularly ironic.

From a promontory in the midst of the town itself it was possible to look down on the harbour below, where New Zealanders were helping to load and unload ships, while New Zealand engineers took stations to repair the damage done by the enemy’s intermittent shelling. It was not long since the harbour was menaced daily by the famous “Bardia Bill” which was silenced a few weeks before by the brilliant action of 9 Scots regiment. This gun had the range to a nicety and would even open up on dinghies crossing the harbour. Troublous “Phyllis” Now the main trouble was from “Phyllis” and her younger sisters, as well as a few guns in the direction of El Adem. Just then shells began falling on the other side of the harbour, hitting nothing but a sandy (escarpment. - j A few dropped into the harbour which created the impression that the enemy was trying to hit a hospital ship riding at anchor. Then the firing ceased only to recommence a few minutes later. This time on the town side of | the harbour they screamed overhead, i uncomfortable reminders of Sidi I Rezegh, but they failed to do any damage. One narrowly missed the I Tobruk Y.M.C.A., which is not far - from the church.

Beauty Ravaged As we left Tobruk some days later' it was cold in the early morning and; there were of course a shell or two to, say good-bye, but the uppermost • thought was one of sadness that such; a beautiful little town could be so ravaged by war. When peace comes to Tobruk again,; it may take its rightful place as a peaceful resort untroubled by the whine of bombs and shells and blast of explosions. It is in many ways pleasing to think that TCew Zealanders were able to take a prominent part, in the town’s relief before all signs of its unforgettable charm were utterly erased.