A FIERCE ENGAGEMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25213, 30 April 1943, Page 2

A FIERCE ENGAGEMENT

ITALIANS INTIMIDATED (N.Z.P.A, Official War Correspondent) ARMY FIELD HEADQUARTERS. (Rec. 0.45 a.m.) Apl. 24. Climbing hand-over-hand 600 feet up a sheer-sided pinnacle into the mountain stronghold of Takrouna, a small group of Maori infantrymen began one of the fiercest episodes in close-quarter fighting the New Zealanders have known in this war. Acting on their own initiative the Maoris set out, and on the way up intimidated into submission about 100 Italians occupying points on the cliff face. Throughout the day the enemy shelled the pinnacle, but could not dislodge the Maoris. Takrouna was then in the strange position of being shelled at the same time by both sides, for the enemy still held the remainder of the villages on the lower slopes to the north. Towards dusk the Maoris of the original storming party were relieved and fresh troops took up the struggle to hold on against overwhelming odds. That night the Germans somehow reoccupied part of the area. They came well armed with mortars, machine guns, and grenades. Then in the moonlight bitter fighting for full possession of the pinnacle began at close quarters. Everything was thrown in—grenades, automatics, bayonets, even rifle butts. Men were hurled over the brink of the cliff on to the flat hundreds of feet below. All through the night crashing grenades and stuttering machine guns echoed across the hills. In daylight next morning the final blasting of the enemy from the pinnacle was handed over to the New Zealand artillery.