N.Z. TROOPS GET THERE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 27, 27 October 1942, Page 5

N.Z. TROOPS GET THERE

Thrust Developed OBSERVER WITH ATTACKERS (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) CAIRO, October 25. New Zealand forces, more heavily armed than ever before, are in the forefront of the Eighth Army’s full-scale offensive against the Afrika Korps. When the attack was launched at 10 o’clock on Friday night, New Zealand formations fought their way through to their objectives against heavy enemy fire. By the first light on Saturday morning the New Zealanders had gained all their objectives. EL ALAMEIN’ FRONT, Oct. 24. A chilly autumn evening had settled on the El Alamein front. It was no different from many other evenings when there had been “nothing to report from our land forces.” The Germans used the last rays of the sun setting behind them to send across an occasional shell. Infantrymen smoked in their trenches. Dispatch riders and liaigon officers hurried between office and trucks with their messages. That is how the front last night appeared to the enemy, and to anyone on our side of the line who had not been in close contact with the careful preparations made for large offensive action. No unusual movement of transport or troops, extra shelling or air bombardment indicated to the enemy that we were about to bpgin an attack that would shatter his defences and carry our line into his territory. Bringing Troops Up.

A week’s careful planning and manoeuvring of transport had beep used so that the German air reconnaissance would show no development at any particular part of our line. Night working parties stored ammunition behind the positions our guns would take up for their tremendous barrage. Yesterday the New Zealand infantry Jay hidden in slit trenches they had dug after their march into the line oil the previous night. At dusk they were equipped and ready to begin the attack. “Even his evening hate is less tonight. There were only two shells on that ridge.” a brigadier remarked as he indicated to us a long, low mound that was to be the start line for the attack.

The whole front was quiet as the New Zealanders scrambled from their trenches and walked out in extended line, rifles and tommyguns hanging on their shoulders ready for the advance. Most of them were quiet, but some joked among themselves and with the first American war correspondent to watch a New Zealand attack. ' “What are you going to do when you get there?” he asked. “Ask Rommel in a fortnight,” was a Now Zealander's reply. We walked forward with them and spoke to a veteran sergeant whose main concern a few minutes before —lie was qmong mortars and machinegun bullets — was whether his wife was cutting the lawns round his Auckland home. For many of those men it was their first big attack, but all had rehearsed the action over ground almost the same as their line of advance. They knew that the guns would lay down a concentration which senior officers had thought would be one of the greatest barrages of its kind since the Somme. Barrage Begins. Tie line of infantry moved ahead, nnd just as they were becoming silhouetted against the bright moonlight on the skyline a sound like the gathering of all thunderstorms ever began behind us. Tn almost a complete semicircle behind tile attack the flashes of the guns danced madly along the horizon and shot out bright streaks to light the area up like day. Then two heavy guns a short distance behind us opened fire, almost blotting out .every other' noise with their roar and wide red glow. Our guns were directed at the German batteries, and plotted and checked up to the last niinute. For twenty minutes their screaming shells hammered the enemy guns so effectively, that scarcely a shot , was answered. Then the whole terrific gun power came down on the defences the infantry were to take. Every three minutes the curtain of lire lifted and fell 100 yards, tjeeper into the German and Italian lines. Only one-third of the infantry fighting force had so far advanced with the engineers to blast a track through the barbed wire and minefields, with a force of Maoris for effectively dealing with pockets left in the initial advance. Battle for Hill. Word came that the first objective had been taken, and up toward the lights along the start line came Wellington and South Island men to press forward the attack toward the fiual ridge that was to be held. Tho gaps' in the minefields lyere ready, The opposition in the first stage of the attack had been mainly front mortar and machine-gun fii’e, and again on the second objective our infantry found heavilyarmed pockets and snipers. At first light they were still struggling to drive the Germans from a ridge which commands valuable observation of much of the surrounding country. One half of the attacking force was on the ridge, and the other fighting to capture the heavilydefended corner ends.

Powerful Striking Force LONDON, October 25. “The most heavily armoured fighting force New Zealand has ever prepared for battle now faces the Afrlka Korps,” says Reuter’s Cairo correspondent. General Montgomery described General Freyberg’s units of tanks, armoured cavalry, and experienced infantrymen and artillerymen as a division equal to any in the world, The New Zealand desert force has been prepared in weeks of training. They rehearsed with tank support every phase of their attack.- General Montgomery told the tank regiments concerned: “You will now light with veteran New Zealanders —trained meh, trained to fight. Together, we are expecting great things from you.” “A start has been made on what FieldMarshal Smuts called ‘the offensive,’ ” said General Montgomery, addressing newspapermen just before the Eighth Army's attack began. He added ; “During the.night there will be a terrific battle. We will know belter at dawn tomorrow (Saturday) where we are. There is no doubt of the issue.

“in this battle the Eighth Army and the air forces supporting it ure one. They are both operating on one set plan, not two, and in thin 1 believe lies their great strength. I have always maintained that we are one fighting force. The British troops are first-class. All they want is success. The British Tommy will never let. you down. The Eighth Army's morale today is right up on the top line, and I. and ray commanders will see that it stays there.” AUSTRALIANS FIRST (Received October 26, 10.50 p.m.) CAIRO, October 26. The Australians, who in their part In the general Allied advance in the El Alnmein area on Saturday reached the first stage toward the planned objective, steadied themselves while waiting for the barrage to lift, and then went on to take the final objective at bayonet point, 'rhe Australians were the first Io achieve their objective, capturing en route a number of prisoners comprising surly Nazis and dejected Italians, all hungry and thirsty, and for the most part shell-shocked by our gunfire. Our casualties were comparatively light..