DESERT BATTLES
THE DRIVE FROM EGYPT TO LIBYA NEW ZEALAND DIVISION’S GALLANT PART. REPORT BY GENERAL FREYBERG. The part played by the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the present Libyan campaign is described in the following cablegram to the Minister of Defence (Mr Jones) from Lieutenant-Gen-eral Freyberg: — “(1) We are now outside Tobruk. Our advance from the Alamein position took just over a week, during which British armoured formations and the Second New Zealand Division drove the defeated enemy from Egypt. I am taking advantage of a short lull to cable a brief report for publication in the hope that it' will give the people of New Zealand a connected story of the battles in which the Second New Zealand Division has been engaged. STRONG ENEMY DEFENCES.
“(2) When the German attack in August failed to pierce the Allied position at Alamein, the enemy had either to stake all on holding his line, with its difficult communications, or go right back. Rommel decided to stay and while the Eighth Army trained for the attack, the enemy extended his minefields and prepared defences in great depth. The nature of the country, the extent of the minefields and the number of automatic weapons made a daylight attack extremely hazardous, while night attack was most difficult owing to the depth to which it had to penetrate. The best solution, therefore, was to attack in moonlight, and the October full moon was fixed for the offensive. SEPTEMBER REHEARSAL.
“(3) The Division was withdrawn from the line on September 11, after taking part in the battles.of Minqar, Ruweisat Ridge and Alamein. After nearly three months in the front line, during the beat of the Egyptian summer. the men were tired, but after a short break started to train for the next exacting battle. Spirits were high, for we were about to attack. On ground similar to the ridge we were to attack, we rehearsed, during the September full moon, with tanks, artillery and all infantry supporting arms, firing live ammunition. The, spirit of optimism increased as infan-’ try, artillery and new heavy tanks trained together. The remaining two weeks were used to correct shortcomings and improve technique. Nobody doubted our ability to capture the Miteirya Ridge. We felt confident the infantry would overcome any opposition in a night attack. The problem was to lift the minefields and get forward the vehicles of supporting arms and tanks. If we could achieve this, no enemy counter-attack could succeed against our defences of 6pounder and 2-pounder anti-tank guns and heavy tanks in hull-down positions, ready to prevent our infantry from being overrun. ASSEMBLY FOR ATTACK, “(4) On October 14 we ceased training and started to assemble for the attack. For days before the attack A.S.C. companies, under the command of Colonel Crump, were bringing ammunition and supplies to the communication line.
“(5) To .achieve surprise, deception and camouflage played a large part in our preparations. Guns and ammunition were brought up and dug in by night. Guns had been calibrated and surveyed so that -they would not need to open fire to register, and thus give away their presence. “(6) The infantry brigades, brought up before daylight on October 23, lay waiting all day for the attack that night. While their transport was withdrawn at dusk on October 23, the routes from the back areas to our front line began to fill up in orderly sequence with anti-tank guns, Bren carriers, mortars and tanks, to support the infantry, and behind them rumbled up the heavy tanks and transport of the British armoured divisions. It was brilliant moonlight. Every man was tense as zero hour approached. Suddenly, with a single crash, over 500 guns opened fire in the greatest barrage seen in Africa. The opening roar oif the guns was the sign for the assault infantry, armed with rifle and bayonet, Tommy-gun and Bren, to move to the start line, and half ‘an hour later they went forward with the barrage. The Fifth Infantry Brigade was on the right, commanded by Brigadier -Kippenberger, and the Sixth Infantry Brigade on the left, commanded by Brigadier Gentry.- The attack was planned in two phases. The 23rd Battalion on the right and the 24th Battalion on -the left; were to capture the enemy forward defences. The Maori Battalion had the role of mopping up centres of resistance left in the course of the advance. The 21st and 22nd battalions on the right' and the 25th and 26th battalions on the left were to leap-frog over, the first two battalions to capture the final objective, the Miteirya Ridge. The enemy defences were manned by German infantry, and thoughout the 6-,000 yards advance strong point after strong point had to be taken at the point of the bayonet, in clouds of dust and smoke. The inevitable uncertainty of war prevailed (in some companies all the officers became casualties), but the attack went on for hours. The situation was obscure, but at last the signals came back from one battalion and
then another: ‘We are on our objective.’ MAGNIFICENT ASSAULT. “(7) By morning the Miteirya Ridge was in our hands. The infantry assault was magnificently carried out by our infantry and by the Australians, Highlanders and South Africans. On the whole corps front in such an attack casualties must be expected, and we had all suffered, but we had driven a great wedge in the enemy line. 1 pay tribute here to the great work of our Divisional Medical Serivces, under Colonel Ardagh, who looked after the wounded. Many lives were saved by our blood transfusion units and the fully equipped surgical team. “(8) While the infantry assault went forward, our engineers _ and provost corps followed close behind. The success of the attack depended on the skill and determination with which they lit tracks on the line of advance and detected and lifted all the mines and booby traps on the whole route from our own front line to the final objective Great credit is due to the Divisional Engineers, under LieutenantColonel Hanson, and the Provost personnel for their vital work. Anti-tank guns and infantry weapons were rushed along the lit routes, to be dug in on the objective before daylight. Tanks followed and by dawn we were ready to meet -the panzer counter-thrust.
SUPPORT BY TANKS. “(9) During October 24 and 25,;fighting on the Miteirya Ridge continued, but both brigades, supported by artillery, anti-tank guns, machine-guns and tanks, held all the ground and on the night of October 25, the Sixth BnFade went forward in another determined attack which consolidated the position. I wish to -pay a ‘tribute to the gallant support of 'the dank regiments of the Ninth Armoured Brigade, under Brigadier Currie, who went .into action v/ith us for the hist We-held'the-line until October
27 when we handed over the sector to the First South African Division for a short relief, before returning to the line alongside the Australians, who had been attacking continuously and most successfully along the coast. “(11) On the night of November 1, we attacked again to breach the enemy position for-our armour to sally out to conserve the strength of our infantry brigades, weakened by losses in the earlier attacks. General Montgomery placed the Tyneside Brigade and the Highland Brigade under my command. These two brigades, and the Maori Battalion, attacked, supported,,by an ever greater concentration of artillery than in the first attack, under the command of Brigadier Weir. By the end of the attack our gunners had flr- ’ ed nearly 8,000 rounds per gun. without rest during 10 days of battle. THE FINAL BREACH. “(12) Our infantry went forward with great dash, admirably supported by our engineers, machine-gunners, signalmen and the whole divisional organisation and captured all objectives. Despite heavy casualties, the tanks of the Ninth Armoured Brigade and .the Divisional Cavalry broke through the enemy gun line. It was this attack, following so quickly on the first series of attacks, that finally made the breach through which the Tenth .Corps, comprising two armoured divisions and the mobile Second New Zealand Division was passed on November 4.. ' . “(13) The role of the armoured divisions was to seek out and destroy the panzer divisions, while the Second New Zealand Division and the British Fourth Light Armoured Brigade, comprising tanks and armoured cars-under our orders, were to move west, avoiding the armoured battle to the north, and cut the enemy communications at Fuka, 60 miles behind the enemy line. It was a difficult -manoeuvre, especially as the majority of our -battalions had to ambush from positions in the front line. Congestion and shelling at the gap, and the armoured battle en route, delayed progress, and when darkness came the brigades were still miles apart. Concentration by night in unknown enemy country, 25 miles behind his line, is a difficult operation, and it was not till two hours before dawn on November 5 that all units had concentrated, using as an assembly beacon a blazing ammunition lorry hit by enemy fire in a night skirmish. “(14). Before dawn on November 5 cur advance continued, the force moving in desert formation over the open desert, with armoured cars and tanks ahead. At daylight we encountered a column of -the latest type of German Mark 3 and 4 tanks, eight of which the Fourth Light Armoured Brigade surprised and disposed of in as many minutes. Fires and explosions from enemy dumps on the.coast could be seen during the day as we moved westwards, and reports of a precipitate retreat were received later in the day. Our tanks and artillery drove off the rearguard covering the Fuka position. “(15) On November 6we were directed on Bagush, where unfortunately a heavy storm turned the desert into a morass, and all the wheeled transport not using the coastal road was bogged. The enemy made full use of this respite, but had to leave ' behind many guns and trucks caught in the iTI “U6). On November 8, the weather improved, and we pushed on, passing within sight of our June battlelicla at Minqar Qaim. The enemy at this stage -had evacuated Matruh Fortress, and the division and attached troops were directed on Sidi Barrani. ATTACK ON HALFAYA. “(17). Sidi Barrani was occupied- on Novembe 9, and on November 10 we advanced on the heavily defended escarpment at Halfaya. The pursuit continued along roads strewn with all manner of wreckage and abandoned vehicles, an eloquent tribute to the R.A.F., whose fighters and bombers had piven the Army magnificent support throughout the battle. Below the Halfaya escarpment,-our light armoured advance guard was held up by the enemy, covered by a minefield, but as .we deployed to attack the enemy withdrew by dark. On November 10 the Fifth Brigade moved 'forward through the minefield to the support of the Fourth Light Armoured Brigade. Halfaya, the last of the Axis fortresses to fall last year, is a formidable defensive-position. A surprise attack was decided on, and just before daylight on Armistice Day 110 men of the 21st Battalion went in with Bren guns and bayonets. It was a complete success We had one man killed and one wounded, and took 612 prisoners, some German but mainly Italians of the Pistodia Division, whose motto is ‘Valiant even unto death. Solium fell automatically, and Egypt was cleai of the enemy. . “(18). The enemy is still retreating, and we are now waiting to go forward to the final objective.
DIVISION IN GOOD HEART. “(19). 'Your Division has again added to its record by a series of battles and .operations which reflect the greatest credit on the brigadiers, commanding officers and junior commanders foi the way they have trained and commanded during the -battle. The courage and tenacity of our fighting soldiers remains of the highest order. The training, equipment , and efficiency of the force has stood the test of -a most exacting campaign, and we look to the future with confidence, “(20). J am sending-this • from my office truck.”
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 November 1942, Page 4
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1,997DESERT BATTLES Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 November 1942, Page 4
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