BAYONET AGAIN

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 261, 3 August 1942, Page 5

BAYONET AGAIN

Italians Panic In Path Of Maoris ROUT OF ARTILLERY (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received August 2, 8 p.m.) LONDON, August 1. A British United Press correspondent with the Eighth /Army, says that sheer unadulterated Italian panic is written all over several hundred acres comprising the Alamnayil ridge on the south sector of the Alamein front. Here two battalions of Maoris chanting a blood-curdling war cry one night early in July charged an Italian artillery regiment when the Axis was making an effort to reach Alexandria. The Maoris, using cold steel in the face of point-blank fire, captured _ 44 pieces of artillery. The Italians streamed toward the Maoris with their hands up before the Jlaoris even reached the Italian gun positions. “I have just visited Alamnayil,” states this corerspondent “Many guns are still there, but only fit for melting. The New Zealanders wrecked the guns before pressing forward in the wake of the enemy advance guard which had flown in complete panic. The New Zealanders left hundreds of Italian prisoners behind. I have seen signs of Italian panic before —in Spain and in Albania—but never worse than here. Germans recently replaced Italians, but the New Zealanders’ ardour is. undamped. New Zealanders using stick bombs knocked out lots of German tanks. One New Zealander put two out of action by climbing; on the tanks and dropping stick bombs through the turrets.” ‘ BUILDING DEFENCES Enemy Works Hard'And Wants Reinforcements LONDON, July 31. There is a misleading air of apathy over the El Alamein front, where the silence is broken only by the occasional thump of bombs and the chorus of sharp explosions as anti-aircraft guns go into action, reports “The Times” correspondent in the Western Desert. This lull is misleading. It hides considerable activity as the enemy attempts desperately to build up and strengthen his defensive positions. „ Rommel is calling loudly for further reinforcements. A certain number of German troops have been brought in from Greece and surrounding territory, but it is doubtful whether they have brought anything more than small arms. Growing air raids against supply ports, combined with ceaseless attacks against'coastal shipping, have contributed materially to thwart reinforcements and supplies for Rommel.

PUBLICIZING URGED Mr. Nash On Work Of British Troops (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) LONDON, July 31. Criticizing Britain’s timidity in publicizinfi the work of her own troops, the New Zealand JHnister at Washington, Mr. Nash, in an interview with the Australian Associated Press, said: "Nothing can be more wrong than to think the Australians and the New Zealanders always attack and that the British always retreat. I know who are at present doing the fighting in Egypt, and I don’t know why they (the British) make the work of their troops such dull reading here. There is a natural urge in Britain to how New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa fight for the Old Country. We are not fighting for the Old Country in particular, but for a little bit more. Thev don’t see in Britain that by. giving ‘full credit to the Dominions they are dangerously belittling their own credit in the United States and elsewhere.” DUCE DISAPPOINTED No Triumphal Entry Into Alexandria LONDON, July 30. Egypt was to become an Italian protectorate when the Eighth Army was thrown out, says the “Evening Standard’s” diarist. This, he says, explains the recent visit of Mussolini to North Africa witli 50 Italian experts on Egyptian affairs, carrying suitcases crammed with Italian banknotes for use in Egypt. When Rommel was forcing back the Eiglith Army, Mussolini decided to be on’the spot to lead the triumphal entry into Alexandria. Ribbentrop, who doos not trust It Duce, decided to follow him. When Jlussolini was at Benghazi Ribbentrop was at Tripoli. Both were waiting word from Rommel that Alexandria was about to fall. Ribbentrop was the first to see that Rommel could not do it, so he fiew back to Germany, but it was three weeks before Jlussolini was convinced that his journey bad been in vain. Then, with his 50 experts and his bags of money, he returned to Rome. FOUGHT TO THE LAST (Received August 2, 10 p.m.) CAIRO, August 1. Fighting to the last against impossible odds, a Western Australian battalion which captured the ruin of a ridge was overwhelmed after it had hung on without protection, for seven hours, says an Australian ofllcial war correspondent, Kenneth Slessor, Surrounded by tanks and facing Rommel’s picked troops, they took heavy toll of the enemy before the Gorman armoured forces overran their exposed position. 'British tanks arrived too late to support the Western Australians. There is still a chance some men will find their way back to our lines. BRITISH BATTERY’S DEFIANCE (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, July 31. ••Come and get us” was the reply of a British battery which was surrounded by German tanks in the El Alamein area, when Germans called upon the battery to surrender, stales a correspondent broadcasting front the front. German tanks attacked the battery earlv in the evening, and the gunners replied until the barrels of their pieces must have been getting nearly red hot. German tanks and infantry broke through the British barrage at sunset and demanded surrender, but. the battery officer said that was the last thing in their thoughts. The battle continued for a long time, and then the defenders decided to break through the Gorman tank screen to the east. The battery ran the gauntlet through machinegun tire at close range, while German tanks engaged them, but the guns were travelling too fast for them, and not only got out, but also picked up some infantry.