ANZAC TROOPS

Camp News, Volume 2, Issue 82, 18 July 1941, Page 3

ANZAC TROOPS

What German General Thought Of Them

THE TOUGHEST FIGHTERS

Accounts of the stirring deeds of the Australians and New Zealanders in Greece and Crete, as well as enemy tributes to their valour, make worth recalling a commentary on their Great War prowess by General von Roon, member of a famous military family, who was attached to the German High Command throughout 1914IS, studying the position on all fronts. What he wrote in a critical resume of the World War is considered worth reprinting in pamphlet from for display in every military camp and establishment in New Zealand. At the least General von Roon’s comments are the opposite of Hitler’s first description of the New Zealanders as “poor country lads.” General won Roon wrote in his resume, which was published in English, French and German :—

“From the first Germany underestimated the value of the contingents from the British overseas Dominions and particularly did fail to make allowance for the worth of the physically fine Australian contingents on the ■Western fronts and on Gallipoli. To those of us who had opportunities of studying the position at first hand,, it was soon obvious that when it came to warfare in which individuality and personal grit counted, the Australians and New Zealanders were, man for man, superior to even our best troops, for they were used to outdoors and skilled in the art of taking cover and turning to account every natural advantage and improvising ruses to suit the peculiar conditions in which they found themselves.

“At no time was there evidence that the Australians and New Zealanders had that rigid machine-like discipline that was overdone with us, but in the trench warfare when the soldier who had initiative and individuality was an asset, the Anzacs proved their worth repeatedly. After the flower of our army had faded we never had anything in the line that could be compared man for man with the same number of Anzacs; always there was the moral ascendancy with the Anzacs when they were pitted against our troops. Consciousness of this in feriority soon spreads even in the bestdisciplined army, and it was not long before it became a source of weakness that had to be counteracted by increasing the bayonet strength in the trenches when we found we had Anzacs against us.

Dread Of Name.

“In attack we found repeatedly that it took the heart out of .our best troops if they found the trenches they had to attack were manned by the Anzacs. This dread of the name was intensified when there came to the Western front men who had served on Gallipoli with the skeleton forces that had been hurried there to stiffen the Turkish resistance. These men had been distributed over various

formations on the "Western front and they told such tales of the fighting qualities of the Anzacs that the young men had no strength for fighting when they came to grips with these redoubtable opponents. It was the same on the defensive. I have seen our men holding their ground steadily enough till they found they were being attacked by Anzacs and then the resistance crumpled.

“I have known instances where the mere belief that the attacking troops were Anzacs caused our lines to give way or an attack from our- side to crumple up. Others who have been on the spot have told the same story.

Backbone In Crisis.

“It is obvious, therefore, that the British were particularly well served by their overseas contingents and at certain critical stages they proved the backbone of the British Army both in attack and defence. The Anzacs easily proved themselves the most resourceful, and they had no equals in the improvising of disconcerting methods of trench warfare. • -

“The Anzac artillery was always efficiently served and, gun for gun, they outclassed ours.

“On Gallipoli I found everyone in agreement-that the Anzacs were the toughest fighters we had to deal with.”