DRAMATIC DISPATCH ON NORTH AFRICAN FIGHTING

Chronicle (Levin), 6 February 1948, Page 5

DRAMATIC DISPATCH ON NORTH AFRICAN FIGHTING

/ N.Z.P.A. -

—Reutgr*

Covyright ) *

Received Friday, 7 p.m. ' ■ LONDON, Feb. 5. Field AL'irslial Viseount Alex« andei- provides whai probably is Ihe receiit war's most dramatic dispateli — Ihe, repoi't 011 the 141 Alaniein-Tiuiis Campaign fi'om August 10, 1943, to Alay 13, 1943, jmblished. in Ihe' Londuii Cazettc V today. Although the Austraiian Army's partieipalion in the campaign endcd witli the Battle oi* E1 Alauiein Field Alarshal Alexander makes it ])lain that the Austraiian 91 h Division rontributed vitally to ll)e battle's sueeess. Ilaving desci'ibed tlie ln.etieuloius prepai'ations he and Viseount -.Moii^gopiery luade I'or the battle. Field Alarshal Alexander refutes ihe "legend" that Koniniel prepared a trap by deliberately veakening the centre and keeping his artnour in two blocks at the roar. Ile says the eentre was sj)eeially streiigthened and generally eneiny troops were evenly divided along- the whole front with the norlhern seetor stronger than Ihe southern. It was against lliis northern seetor that Viseount Alonigoniery planned the main ihrust, — a plan whieh Field Alarshal Alexander approved — and |t was in the norlh that the Austraiian 9th Division I'ought. The Australiaus and 51st Highland Division to their lel't, attained snme oi' their objeetives in the battle's early stage on the night oi Oetober 23-24 but they were unahi e to overeoine the enemy strongpoints guarding the minetields, eonsequent ly British armour was held up. The delay threatened the whole. ]>lan. Bouth Al'riean and Xew Zoaland penetrations farther south liel ])(■(! ihis eritieal phase wliieh was eonipleted 24 hours late. Then ensued ebb and flow I'or severn 1 days in wliieh the Austrnlians and Xew Zeadander^s had signilieant roles. Viseount Alontgoniery, on Oe.toIjer 28, began a new plan for wliieh Ihe Anslralians wene used to keep sniashing at the Cermans' sl renglheued del'enees in the iiorthernniosl seetor and to withstand vieious enemy counterattaeks. Rommel, believing that this was the seene oJ' the main British drive, moved troops to

strengthen an already strong sector. Field Alarshal Alexander 's narrative makes it clear that Ihe Anslralians' vigorous diversionary aetivities eaused Rommel In switeh his uiain attention iTom the seetor wliere eventually the British armour st ruek eai'ly in the morning oi X'oveinber 2, resulting in the deejsive aetion whieh eaused Rommel to witlulraw his Dennan troops and desei't his Italian allies. Field Marshal Alexander gives ihe British losses as 13.500 killed,, wottnded and missing, 100 guns and 150 tanks. Axis losses li e i )nns at lu.000 'killed, 15,000 wounded, 30,000 prisoners, more iha 'UUO ?>"U'is Hihi 450 'tanks. "The battle was a stand-up fighi whie-Ji proved the turning I'nint in the war," he adds. The Austraiian 9th Division returiied hoine and while they were preparing to fight the Japanese, ihe long ehase aJ'ter Ronimel eontinued. Field Alarshal Alexander desei'ibes many thrilling elashes in lnost oi' whieh the New Zealand Division — I'ront runners in Viseount Alontgomery \s hunting paek ligured. A little more than six- months afFr Alamein eame Field Marshal Alexander's erowning t.riuinpli — Ihe Axis surrendel* at Cape Bon Tunisia and -his exultant signal lo Alr. Churehill: "All enemy re-

sistanee has ceased. We are masters of North Ai'rican shores.' ' Field Alarshal Alexander „ de- , scribes the final victory as "an usually complete example of a battle of annihilation. Xever had' a gre.at army been so to'tally destroyed. " Only 663 Axis troops escaped. A qnarter of a million uncon ditionally surrendered.