SWITCH TO NORTH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 June 1943, Page 3

SWITCH TO NORTH

“It was at this stage that the Allied forces were regrouped for an all-out attack on the First Army sector by two infantry divisions and two armoured divisions, assisted by simultaneous advances in the north and south by the American and French forces. The New Zealand Division was relieved from the Takrouna front to support the French operations in the direction of Pont du Fahs. The new attack in the north could not have been unexpected, but under the weight of the combined blow of infantry and armoured divisions of the First and Eighth Armies, supported by very powerful artillery and air support, the enemy defences crumbled.

“From the north to the south the Allies advanced," General Freyberg continued. “The collapse was so sudden that the commanders suspected a trap, but it soon became clear that the enemy had been completely disorganised. Tunis and Bizerta were occupied, and our armoured divisions swept across the base of the Cape Bon peninsula before the enemy could regroup to face them. “On the southern flank of this attack the New Zealand artillery had been very active supporting the French, and the Fifth Brigade had made three night advances, capturing prisoners and equipment. In an enemy counter-attack on this front a company of the 28th Maori Battalion were surrounded and had to fight their way out. The next morning they counter-attacked, retook the position and captured 75 prisoners —a characteristic operation to end the New Zealand Division’s part in the battle. “The Allied success in the north had made the position of the large force of positional infantry on our front most precarious. On May 11 we sent a letter back with a German prisoner to General Graf von Sponeck, the commander of the 90th Light Division, pointing out that further resistance was useless. He refused to surrender unconditionally, but did so the next day when his headquarters was attacked from the rear by a British armoured division.