DESERT LULL

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 256, 28 July 1942, Page 5

DESERT LULL

Heavy Bombers Hit Tobruk GERMANS DIGGING IN (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) LONDON, July 27. There was again .no large-scale fighting in Egypt yesterday and the Cairo communique refers merely to patrol activity. Low cloud and dust storms prevented air patrols over the battle area by day. Last night heavy bombers attacked Tobruk where a direct hit on a ship was followed by a heavy explosion. Dispatches from Egypt yesterday said that our light bombers had effectively plastered enemy motor transports. Our artillery concentrated mainly against gun posts and motorized units. The British artillery appeared to be upsetting Rommel’s routing. Our guns opened up accurate fire immediately any Axis movement was noticed and had repeatedly frustrated Axis preparations for counter-attack. The Germans were reported to be digging in wherever possible, using disabled tanks for strong points. It was pointed out in London yesterday that the fact of the enemy digging in and laying mines in Egypt did not indicate necessarily a defensive attitude. The desert position was usually mined to hinder the advance of tanks, but the existence of a minefield by no means prevented the defender from attacking. Like Last War. The “Daily Teelgraph’s” correspondent with the Eighth Army in Egypt says that the recent fighting in the El Alamem area somewhat resembles that on the Western Front in the last war. The scale of advance and retreat is again measurable only in hundreds or thousands of yards, and again there is the same struggle for slight eminences. Again, too, a trench system is growing up, but vastly different from that of the last war. The Imperial front is held by the Australians in the north, with South Africans just to the south. New Zealanders and Indians hold the centre, and the United Kingdom troops hold the most southern sector. CAPTURE CONFIRMED Captain C. H. Upham, V.C. (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) CAIRO, July 26. Captain C. H. Upham, the first New Zealand officer to win the Victoria Cross in this war, is now a prisoner of war. He was captured when German tanks overran his South Island battalion during the brilliant assault by the New Zealanders on Ruweisat Ridge. Upham was in his first campaign since he won his V.C. for his magnificent exploits in Crete. When the New Zealanders went into action In Libya last November, Upham was taken to a desert hospital with sandfly fever two days before his battalion left its'forward base. Back with his battalion when the New Zealanders rushed to reinforce the Eighth Army, Upham was again outstanding in every action in which the New Zealanders engaged up to the time of his capture. He was seen in a jeep, racing across the battlefield, rallying his scattered company as the German tanks came toward them. Surtonnded by German armour, Upham ■ was forced to surrender. Wounded by Grenade. Earlier in the campaign, Upham escaped serious injury when a grenade he threw into a truckload of German infantry exploded after the time he had alIcwed for the fuse to burn through. It was during the New Zealanders’ memorable night attack at Minquar Qaim, 25 miles south of Mersa Matruh, where his battalion was fighting desperaiely to eut a gap through the German 21st Banzer Division’s defences. Upham was leading his men across the escarpment on which hundreds of trucks of German lorried infantry had been parked lor the night. He threw a grenade into the back of a German truck and waited for four seconds lor it to explode. When no explosion happened, Upham got in close with a tommy-gun. As he was moving forward, the grenade—one with a 7sec fuse —exploded. A piece oi shrapnel hit Upham in the arm.

When Upham left New Zealand with an advance part- of the first contingent be held the rank of temporary sergeant. He was among the first batch of New Zealand trainees sent to the Middle East O.C.T.U.

CAPTURE AND ESCAPE Another N.Z. Brigadier (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) WESTER’’ DESERT, July 23. For the second’time in this campaign, a New Zealand brigadier has been captured by the enemy and escaped. Early yesterday morning a brigadier of the third contingent was taken p'isoner by lanks. A bld for freedom in a small car failed when, after proceeding about half a mile, the car was hit by a shell. Tanks then appeared on the scene and the party was forced to surrender Throughout the day the brigadier remained with a medical orderly and others, acting as a stretcher-bearer and attending to wounded, frequently under shellfire from out guns. Later the enemy removed seme wounded in trucks and the brigadier and party prepared to make their escape, arming themselves and carrying hand grenades. They were heard by a listening post, which investigated while the New Zealanders hid in slit trenches. The lightest wounded were taken away then and stretcher cases about midnight. When the coast seemed dear, the party made thei. way past ;«>ckets of German infantry and tanks to our lines, which they reached about 3.30 this morning. Th'-' 7 slept in the sand till daylight, when they found themselves close to our divisional headquarters. LONG DESERT TREK N.Z.E.F Official News Sritvicu. CAIRO. July 25. A thrilling single-handed escape, followed by a gruelling 65-niile trek across the desert, with nothing to guide him except the stars with very little food and water, and practically no sleep, was lecontly made by Captain R. 11. T. Young, Wellington, who is now been with his battalion ready to fight again Captured after the New Zealanders' night advance on July 14, be eseaped and travelling al night on foot for four nights finally nrived among the New Zealand battiilim