CAPTURE OF HILLS

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

CAPTURE OF HILLS

—_—l -o* NEW ZEALAND INFANTRY FIGHTING ON ANZAC EVE (N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent) NEAR ENFIDAVILLE, (Rec. 9 p.m.) Apl. 25. On the eve of Anzac Day New Zealand troops were in action among the hills and wadis of Tunisia, and when 1 his significant day in New Zealand military history was only three hours old, another heavy barrage crashed and thundered among the hills north-west of Enfidaville, supporting the New Zealand infantry in bitter fighting for valuable hill features of the Enfidaville line. Following up their almost unimpeded 2000-yard advance of the previous night, the troops of one New Zealand infantry formation drove almost another mile and a-half to the north to establish a line fronting Djebel Mengoub. Unlike the attack of the previous night, when only one enemy patrol was encountered, this attack met very stubborn opposition, but when the armour of a famous British regiment swept through at the first light it was able to complete the work of the New Zealand infantry and clear the enemy from these hill features, which were the main objectives. A simultaneous attack which was launched by English troops on the New Zealand right flank also resulted in a considerable advance through difficult country. Attack at Night

The New Zealand infantry attacked at 10 o’clock, silently, without artillery support. On the right they took a conical hill named Takrouna without meeting very strong resistance, but in the centre, where they attacked another similar feature, Biress Kali, they found the German and Italian infantry strongly entrenched and prepared to fight it out. In the face of heavy mortar and small-arms fire, the New Zealanders swept up the forward slope of the hill and engaged the enemy fiercely on the summit. In the fighting which followed, in which rifles, tommy-guns and grenades were used freely, heavy casualties were inflicted on the enemy, who finally abandoned the hill. It was then realised that if the positions already gained were to be consolidated a flanking hill must also be captured. Here again the enemy fought very stubbornly and, although the New Zealanders drove them to the summit, a determined counter-attack, launched before they could consolidate, drove them back again. By three o’clock in the morning, although we held Takrouna and the reverse slopes of Biress Rafi, the situation was still indefinite. Artillery support was, therefore, called up, and under a barrage our infantry attacked. At the first light, when tanks were sent through, the enemy still held the flanking hill and some positions on Biress Rafi, but the tanks smashed stubbornly-manned machine-gun nests and cleared all the objectives completely. As the positions captured on the flanking hill could not be consolidated at this stage, the tanks left this feature, which was again occupied by the enemy, but the attack left us in possession of two valuable hill features and the intervening ground. During the course of the tank attack several enemy anti-tank guns were dealt with and strong machine-gun mortar posts over-run. Losses’ Not Heavy These attacks on successive nights have advanced our front nearly another 5000 yards into the hills and, in conjunction with the advance on our right flank, have brought the combined front line within striking distance of rugged Djebel Mengoub. The New Zealand losses were not heavy, and some prisoners were taken. This morning the artillery on both sides was very actively engaged in counter-battery work, our guns being assisted by a strong bombing attack.