NEW ZEALAND TROOPS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 303, 24 December 1942, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND TROOPS

ENCOUNTeFwFtH GERMANS WEST OF EL ACHdI.A (Official War Correspondent N.Z.E.F.) N.Z. Headquarters, Dec. 16 (delayed). In a wide desert movement our troops reached a point near the road- 1 way, about 69 miles west of El Agheila, close on the heel of the main body of the enemy's retreating forces, and behind those left to delay the Eighth Army’s '.vance. After taking its position in the semi-light of an obscured moon last night, one formation was engaged in sharp conflict with an enemy force wb’'cup! I a hill top a few miles from the road. The position was cle cd at the bayonet point and prisoners taken. They were all Germans. Several 50 millimetre and many smaller calibre guns were captured. A counter- was , beaten off and more casualties inflict- , ed on th'-* Our ' '"’ik guns accounted for a Mark 111 tank and another tank was severely damaged, j pieces being found strewn over the ■ ground. ’ There is considerable mortar and artillery fire in this area this ; morning, but our casualties through- ; out have been light. ( In reaching the positions from ' which thp attack was made heavy - transport ! -orsed sev ■’ miles over appallin' ly rough, scrub-covered country, difficult, even for a Jeep to negotiate. Steep boulder-strewn hill- i .-ides and dee ' scoured water courses ] were encountered, but only one ’ vehicle of the many engaged failed to t reach its destination. By a series of swift moves over a. i route which took them many miles i south of El Agheila the first of our t coli’-ms reached t br * •'resent position \ at. dusk vesterday, and a cngcolidation < was started immediately. The strength i of the enemy’s forces to the east had \ not been fullv rlr 4 nine'’ and far \ iino the night, bulldozers wortr-.-’ in i the moonlight nrenaring gun posilions. Tanks rumbled to their ap- t pointed places and supply columns t disgorged their loads. By midnight a I quiet had settled over most of die c area and the men slept, by slit i trenches. There were artillery ex- i changes during the e /'ly hours of this t morning and our guns harassed the I retreating columns on the road. p Everything has been fairly quiet L since then, except for some return fire s from enemy guns and mortar fire in the more forward localities. One column of enemy tanks which came into contact with our light armoured forces broke its formation and made off without being engaged. Such was the surprise of the meeting that men were sitting on the tops of some of the tanks. Fighter planes of R.A.F. have frequently been overhead and so far there has been complete freedom ( from air attack. 600 Miles From Capuzzo. The great desert journey just com- b pleted has taken our troops a distance c of over 600 miles from the position n near Fort Capuzzo, where they spent w several weeks following the initial h chase (after the break throuh at El a Alamein. The last stages were tl through the desert, which at times G was without one relieving feature. ’ but in parts was broken by great v wadis. Down piecipitous slopes went ei columns of trucks, guns, Bren carriers \ and tanks without hesitation. Oc- c casionaily there was only a narrow f< gap prepared by sappers with bull- tl dozers through which the columns A could negotiate the soft going or dan- r; gerous slopes. The whole route had n been well marked by the provost with ti petrol tins and New Zealand track n signs, even to the extent of defining a the most treacherous parts. a: There were subdued lights on the d standards for night travel. The con- a;