BITTER FIGHTING

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24135, 29 November 1941, Page 11

BITTER FIGHTING

NEW ZEALAND ADVANCE VIVID ACCOUNTS GIVEN f SURPRISE AT GAMBUT JBwd, 10.5 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 23 .The New Zealanders' drives from Capuzzo through to Gambut and along the coast met with bitter opposition from German tanks and infantry, whch took heavy toll of men and machines. Dead, wounded and wrecked tanks and lorries of both sides littered the desert for 100 square miles. When the New Zealanders captured Gambut, they completely surprised the Germans, who thought their tanks had smashed up the British miles away. The New Zealanders captured . 19 Messersehmitts and their crews on Gambut aerodrome. German Fear of Bayonet * Describing the'operations leading; to the capture of Gambut aerodrome, a New Zealander said: "We were advancing at night and -found four lorry-loads cf Germans asleep without a sentry. We captured them all. Then the German < brought up 17 motor-cars filled "with men armed with machine-guns. Our tanks knocked out 11 cars. The Germans keep on, firing until >ou are within 10 yards of them and then put tip their hands. They will not face the bayonet." A New Zealand company commander described the capture of a Keries of enemy fortifications. "Our tanks were advancing to mop up machine-gun posts cleverly hidden on a ridge," he said. "Suddenly a terrific "artillery barrage opened up on our ®ank, and under the cover of tanks the Germans began to advance. A strong "wind whipped up the dust from the tanks into a handstorm and all we could; see through the haze was the sharp, flashes of guns. Tanks Charge Ihiough Positions ''it seemed a good time to advance. We fixed bayonets and in single file 0 lew paces apart went through the MeU'e. Huge shapes of tanks loomed up through the storih but there was no knowing whos6 tanks they were. They opened fire and hit some of our boys, but we finally reached the ridge, spread out and stormed th° positions. We took those Germans by surprise. They did not see us until we were on top of them "We captured the position, but had ® bad moment when German tanks . broke off the battle and came charging through the positions we were holding. • But apparently they did not know what was happening or were too busy because they did not stop. Wy captured 280 Germans and killed tod wounded 110."