CAPTURE OF TAKROUNA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 91, 20 July 1943, Page 6

CAPTURE OF TAKROUNA

AS THE ENEMY SAW IT Near Enlklaville, May 9. The ston- of the capture of the rock of Takrouna, as the Italians and Germans saw it, was recently given over the Italian radio and. presents an interesting commentary upon one of the. most dramatic, battles in all the North African campaign. Takrouna, a hill village, situated partly oh the summit and partly on the northern slopes of- a 60<0I foot high conical crag fronting the plain west of Enfidaville was taken by the combined efforts of New Zealand infantry and artillery in the attack of the night of April 19 and the following day. Our first foothold on the summit of the crag was gained by a party of Maoris and one palteha sergeant who sealed the steep sides of the cliffs bristling with enemy weapon pits and drove the Italians and Germans from the old mosque and fort and half dozen battered buildings on the summit. Here, with some reinforcements, both European and Maori, they held, out all the next day while our own and the enemy artillery literally raked the crag and its surroundings—the enemy shelling the summit and our positions around the foot of the hill and the New Zealand artillery bombarding the enemy gun positions in the hills behind and the enemy infantry positions on the lower northern slopes of the feature. 0-.Pip on Pinnacle It was during this bombardment that a New Zealand artillery officer established an O-pip on the. pinnacle after our first scaling parly had made prisoners the German officer and. his assistants who were using it for artillery observation. From a vantage point on thy pinnacle the X.Z. gunner officer then directed the lire of one of his own guns step by step up the cliff face till it scored a direct hit. on an enemy occupied building not more than fifty yards away from his O-Pip. Three battalions of the sth N.Z. Infantry Brigade took part in the bitter lighting for Takrouna and it was the tenacity of the small party of men on its summit backed by their own determination and the vigour of their artillery support that finally enabled these infantry to clear the enemy out. of the main village and its approaches and gain possession of the whole feature. We took over 400 prisoners and exceptionally large quantities of material in this engagement.

The Italian account of the battle,, although it exaggerates considerably the strength of the attacking forces, gives an accurate statement of the enemy strength on and around the crag. This consisted of one battalion of Italian infantry, a section of another Italian infantry group and a German anti-tank platoon of 20. men. These men, before the attack, were presented with an Italian and a German flag (so that the symbol of the Fatherland should be present.) Italian Account (The struggle continued without respite, Avithout breathing space for the Avholc. night but, by the morning, the enemy had succeeded in penetrating the streets of, the village), says the Italian account, It continues : A company of Grenadiers Avas sent in support and both the. Grenadiers and the enemy attackers, clinging to the hillside, sueeceded in joining their forces. In the early hours of the forenoon two companies of a battalion of the Foglore Division also succeeded in reaching the position and lending their support in a new counter attack Avhich completely restored the situation. (This is ineorreet as the New Zealanders holding the summit, avctc never driven from their position). But the British command did not spare its forces in order to break through the rock of Takrouna, Avhere the battle Avas raging most furiously . . . our artillery laid down a concentrated lire

. . . one of the most terrible artillery duels ever registered in North Africa then flared up. The enemy intended literally to submerge, under an avalanche of steel and lire, the garrison of Takrouna. The struggle reached a pitch of unprecedented Aiolencc. At 1700 hours the communications of tlie garrison Avere broken Avhen the radio operator collapsed over his machine, struck by splinters. Right until the .second night the battle was continued by our men Avho. barricaded among the smoking remains of the village and cntrenched behind natural cover, continued to defend the crags as they had promised. When the day of the 23rd broke and the enemy Avas able to set foot in these posi-

tions. he found nothing but dead and wounded. (This is scarcely accurate for over 400 prisoners were taken). The truly lionliearted courage of our infantry made a deep impression on others besides the New Zealanders . . . the Germans fought in this battle for life and death,, firing until the last cartridge and performing deeds of great valour. Stubborn Fight Those who know anything of the battle for Takrouna will agree that, making allowance for the needs of propaganda and a natural Italian bias, this is by 110 means an exaggerated account of the grim struggle for this Tunisian crag and its village stronghold. They will also agree, though less fulsomely, that the Italian infantry holding this position, as in others during the Tunisian campaign,, fought very stubbornly indeed. But, if these Italian and Germans fought stul> bornly. they did so in a natural defensive position of great strength and which placed most of the odds heavily on their side. In their weapon pits and gun j>osts on the summit and in the face of the cliffs, as well as from their .strong artillery posts in the flanking hills, they had all the advantages which accrue to defenders in such situations. If this defence required truly lionhearted courage. New Zealanders may Avell allow that phrase to rest as a comment upon the courage of their own infantry advancing across a rolling plain,, through cactus hedges and olive groves to scale the steep -cliffs bristling with machineguns and defended by a numerous and determined enemy. The strength of the enemy gun positions in this area may be guaged from the fact that even to-day, with Tunis and P>izerta fallen, enemy guns are still registering in the gullies around the Takrouna crag.