HAMMERED INTO SUBMISSION

Southland Times, Issue 24648, 21 January 1942, Page 5

HAMMERED INTO SUBMISSION

SHELLS AND BOMBS DECIDE ISSUE

CAPTURE OF HALFAYA LONDON, January 19. Although a shortage of water and food contributed to the surrender of Halfaya, the last Axis stronghold in Eastern Libya, there is no doubt that the greatest effect was produced by the British artillery and air bombardment. The plight of the Axis prisoners is described by a correspondent as being without exception one of the greatest distress. Many were so weak that they were unable to march more than a mile or two without collapsing. Most of the prisoners were young picked troops. An eye-witness said: “They did not even have a squeak left; all they did was to grab the food we gave them and wolf it down. They may have been crack troops once but I would not have given twopence for the lot of them. I have never seen such wretched-looking soldiers. On reaching us they slumped on the ground. Some were sobbing while others lifted their hands towards us and asked for food and water. Many of the Germans were suffering badly from shell-shock and a proportion collapsed while being taken to the ‘cage’ and had to be carried to the lorries. Good-natured South Africans handed out their own rations to the prisoners, who wolfed down the bully beef like animals. Many were so thirsty that their hands had to be prised away from the water-bottles.”

However serious the water situa-

tion was there was no evidence that their food supplies were anything like approaching exhaustion, though it appears that the garrison was down to a single meal daily. In short, Halfaya fell early and inexpensively because the British applied their artillery and air superiority ruthlessly and thereby saved the lives of countless infantry. WAR WEARY GERMANS

An official count has not yet been made but it is estimated that Germans form one-third of the 5500 prisoners taken at Halfaya. The Germans assembled themselves in groups for surrender, keeping strictly apart from the Italians, whom the Germans appeared to loathe and also mistrust, for every section of the perimeter held by the Italians had a stiffening of Germans. South African prisoners who were released when Halfaya surrendered say that they had many talks with the Germans, who were obviously war weary. The Germans repeatedly said that they were unable to understand why they were at war against the English and also said it was absurd that Germany should have the Italians as allies. So far 48 German officers and 1770 German other ranks are accounted for; also 173 Italian officers and 2784 Italian other ranks.

In the operations which resulted in the capture consecutively of Bardia, Solium and Halfaya, apart from those killed in battle, approximately 14,000 ’Germans and Italians, together with a considerable number- of guns and a large quantity of war materials fell into our hands at a loss to ourselves of fewer than 100 killed and under 400 wounded.

According to authoritative quarters in London, Major Bach, senior German officer in the Halfaya garrison which surrendered to the British, was a pastor in civil life and a friend of Pastor Martin Neimoller but he turned soldier. It is interesting to recall that Pastor Neimoller, who was sent to a concentration camp for his beliefs, was a Üboat captain before he became a pastor.