DESERT SWEEP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25111, 30 December 1942, Page 2

DESERT SWEEP

NEW ZEALAND FORCE LIGHT CASUALTIES SUFFERED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 29. " The operations foreshadowed in my earlier cablegrams are now over. These resulted in turning a strong enemy position at El Agheila and in driving the Axis forces back for nearly 200 miles. Our casualties, I am thankful to say, were comparatively light. Three officers and 11 men were killed, 8 officers and 53 men were wounded, and 3 officers and 9 men are missing."

This is the opening paragraph of a cablegram received from Lieutenantgeneral Sir Bernard Freyberg by the Minister of Defence, Mr F. Jones. "The role involved a series of desert moves totalling over 600 miles," General Freyberg states. "On December 5 we moved from Bardia across the desert past our November, 1941, battlefields and south of Jabel to the assembly position near Agedabia, 350 miles away. At Agedabia we were joined by a British armoured brigade and replenished our supplies in order to be self-contained with food, water, ammunition and petrol for 12 days, since wc could not expect any lines of communication until the Eighth Army had fought its way through on the coast.

" Full medical arrangements were made. Two full field ambulances, one light field ambulance and two complete surgical teams were with us, 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 Red Cross supplies were provided by the New Zealand Red Cross. Attack on Enemy Flank "On December 13 our plans were complete and several thousand vehicles set out in desert formation on 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. The success of our operation depended on negotiating a 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 the later stages by night. " Then came the last dash to the north of 40 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 were severely mauled by our armour, artillery and infantry as they withdrew, losing tanks and a considerable number of anti-tank guns. Further Move to West

"During the afternoon of December 16 we made preparations for a further move to the west, and at dawn on December 17 we moved 30 miles to outflank the enemy covering • 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 and captured 250 prisoners. The enemy withdrew under the cover of darkness.

" The success of the operation," General Freyberg concludes, "was largely due to the skill and efficiency of our drivers and mobile workshops, which have kept our vehicles in serviceable condition, notwithstanding the roughness of the desert going. I have ]ust visited our wounded. In an isolated spot in the Tripolitanian desert they received the best of surgical treatment in what amounted to a fully-equipped field hospital. They are being carried back by ambulance as soon as the roads are all clear. The most serious cases have been evacuated by air ambulance over many hundreds of miles of desert to our hospitals in Egypt. As usual, your division maintained its high standard and the fighting spirit expected of it. The health and spirits of trie men are excellent."