NIGHT ATTACK BY YORKSHIREMEN

Southland Times, Issue 24890, 2 November 1942, Page 5

NIGHT ATTACK BY YORKSHIREMEN

MINEFIELD CROSSED (8.0.W.) RUGBY, October 31. An attack in the dark by a Yorkshire regiment of the 15th (Northumbrian) Division is described by a correspondent with the Bth Army. A battalion crossed a live minefield and moved up to the assault against heavy small arms fire and anti-tank guns firing over open sights. Bren carriers followed after the sappers had cleared a track through the mine. Companies went straight in and soon ran into many machine-guns. The first job was to wipe them out and they had to fight every inch of the way to do it. One platoon wiped out triple gunners with hand grenades and tommy-guns; others stormed posts with the bayonet. They then prepared for a counter-attack, which came immediately and was smashed.

One company commander captured 50 Italians by stopping his machine-guns firing and inviting the enemy to surrender. The Italians were in a strong position, but the Yorkshiremen had got round to their rear, and after the Bren carriers had broken their resistance, the Italians decided to pull out. The captain ordered cease fire. Elsewhere, at the height of the attack, an Italian white flag moved over a ridge towards the Yorkshire regiment and in broken English a voice called: “No support. No food. Officers drink all the water, so we surrender.”