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2nd New Zealand Divisional Artillery

The First Left Hook

The First Left Hook

The next move on the 11th started with soft sandy ground on which many trucks stuck and had to be towed out. Then there were several miles of smooth, firm desert followed by more soft patches which caused some gunners to spend more page 440 time pushing their lorries than riding in them. The final stage, however, was little short of perfection: white sand, firm and flat as a billiard table on which trucks seemed to glide in relative silence in top gear. The distance was about 40 miles. The rain came in the new area in the afternoon and continued throughout the night and the morning of 12 December—a depressing downpour which augured badly for the next stage of the journey. Here Captain Robinson3 of A (Survey) Troop of 36 Survey Battery caught up after a long drive from Amiriya and consulted the CRA. Brigadier Weir decided that there was little chance of using the troop in the immediate future and therefore sent it to Agedabia on the coast, together with 24 surplus vehicles from various units, to await the opening of the coast road through El Agheila.4

black and white map of el agheila

left hook at el agheila

Sappers had meanwhile been busy with bulldozers and explosives preparing a crossing of a difficult stretch of desert known as Chrystal's Rift—a succession of almost impassable patches of rock interspersed with extremely soft sand. It was such a formidable obstacle to the passage of a large force that the enemy expected no such ambitious outflanking move as the New Zealand Division, reinforced by 4 Light Armoured Brigade (with 26 Sherman tanks, four Grants and 15 Honeys), was now attempting. The route, wide enough for three vehicles abreast, wound whimsically through the Rift; but it was not nearly as difficult in the event as the gunners had been led to expect. The rain had added to the good work of the sappers by providing a crust on the soft sand just strong enough in most places to hold the weight of the lorries, and a further bonus was that no tell-tale clouds of dust attracted enemy aircraft. By the 14th the Division was safely through the Rift, having passed a point called the South Pole—the most southerly point, more than 50 miles from the coast at Marsa Brega. Beyond the Rift there were many wadis and rocky defiles and the morning of the 14th started with a thick fog. Somehow progress was maintained and the Division halted near what was called the Marada Track, though in fact it ran from Agheila through Marada and far beyond it to the south. There the gunners passed through ‘scanty defences prepared by the Italians’ (as the Headquarters diary puts it); but no enemy were seen on the ground or in the air.

page 441

The enemy was in fact withdrawing by degrees from the Agheila position and General Freyberg, anxious to cut off whatever forces he could, advanced the timetable. The Division carried on after dark on the 14th, along a route marked by hurricane lamps inside petrol tins with holes in them in the form of a fernleaf—the night-time equivalent of the diamond track. The going at first was atrocious, but it quickly improved. Halting before midnight, the Division pushed on north-westwards after breakfast on the 15th. The 4th Field, the 5th Field, the 7th Anti-Tank less 33 Battery, and 42 Battery plus A Troop of the 14th Light Ack-Ack were now all with 5 Brigade, which made it far stronger in artillery than 6 Brigade. Since the latter was forward and much more likely to become involved with the retreating enemy armour, this seemed a curious allocation of resources; but Freyberg was concerned about the vulnerable mass of divisional transport. With 4 Light Armoured Brigade were the 3rd RHA, a troop of the 64th Medium, and a troop of Royal Artillery Bofors.

The Division and the enemy rearguards were now driving along parallel lines with the former slightly in the lead and hoping to be able to cut northwards across the enemy's line of retreat. The situation was complicated by mistakes in navigation which took the Division farther west than was realised, and by a dearth of maps of the ground north-west of Marble Arch on which the guns would have to fight if contact were established. After dark on the 15th 6 Brigade pushed on towards the coast, unwittingly making for the Wadi Matratin (rather than Bir el Haddadia). Lieutenant-Colonel Walter went forward with the brigade commander and others and they came under close-range fire. A few tank shells and mortar and small-arms fire were directed at the brigade group and Gunner Andrews5 of 30 Battery was killed. The ground was too hard to negotiate in the dark and the brigade deployed. Two battalions, each with a troop of 33 Anti-Tank Battery, staged an attack on the ridge from which the firing took place and the battalion on the left made contact with two or three enemy companies which retreated in disorder. In the course of this encounter a J Troop gunner was wounded in the leg. The ground was almost solid rock and gun pits or trenches were out of the question.

Fifth Brigade also deployed in the dark, about six miles away, unwittingly leaving a gap through which enemy rear- page 442 page break page break page break page break page break page break page break page break page break page break page break page break page break page break page break page break page 443 guards could easily pass. With the help of three bulldozers lent by the sappers, gun pits were prepared for the 5th Field and the positions were occupied by 8 p.m. Some of the 4th Field guns remained on wheels, but everything possible was done to facilitate a quick deployment in the morning. The CRA was with Freyberg's small tactical headquarters, forward in the area of the armoured brigade, which was well dispersed. There was much uncertainty, Freyberg was worried, and Brigadier Weir went towards the coast road. He got to within two miles of the coast and it became clear to him that registration by night was impossible and that the guns would have to do the best they could when daylight came. On the latest information it seemed possible that the German Africa Corps with up to 100 tanks was trapped, in which case there would certainly be a hot fight in the morning.

black and white photograph of military movement

wadi matratin, 15–16 december 1942

black and white photograph of artillery movement

A Bofors approaching Matruh, November 1942

black and white photograph of artillery movement

Continuing the pursuit: Sidi Barrani

black and white photograph of artillery climbing hill

B2 of the 6th Field climbs Sollum Pass

black and white photograph of artillery movement

A Bofors on the road above Sollum

black and white photograph of artillery moving uphill

Winching a 4th Field gun up a slope in the course of the left hook round El Agheila

black and white photograph of artillery movement

27 Battery at El Haseiat

black and white photograph of artillery ready for parade

The parade for Mr Churchill at Tripoli: 5th Field guns

black and white photograph of artillery in parade

6-pounder portées pass the saluting base

black and white photograph of artillery in parade

Assembling the guns before the parade

black and white photograph of artillery in action

A 6-pounder in action in the Tebaga Gap

black and white photograph of artillery firing

The 5th Field fires in front of Medenine

black and white sketch of artillery attack

Armour attacking the Roman Wall. From a sketch made from a 5th Field listening post by C. Hansen

black and white photograph of soldier working

Plotting corrections on an artillery board near Takrouna

black and white photograph of soldier looking through binoculars

Jack Spring observes from a camouflaged quad near Takrouna

black and white photograph of house on hill

Building on Takrouna

black and white photograph of soldiers standing

Senior officers in Tunisia: Bill Philip, Roy Sprosen, ‘Snow’ Walter, Jack Mitchell, Steve Weir and ‘Gussy’ Glasgow

black and white photograph of artillery

A ‘Pheasant’ at Maadi Camp—a 17-pounder mounted on a 25-pounder carriage

black and white photograph of training

A class at the Artillery Training Depot (the 32nd Field), Maadi Camp. Bombardier T. Galloway is the instructor

black and white photograph of artillery firing

A 5th Field gun firing on manoeuvres near Maadi, August 1943. The shell can be seen emerging from the smoke

black and white photograph of artillery movement on trucks

High-platformed Austin 6-pounder portées of 34 Battery preparing to leave Maadi, September 1943

black and white photograph of soldiers standing

Artillery HQ officers outside the ACV near the Sangro: Ken Myers, Steve Weir, George Cade, Murray Sidey, Phil Norrie

black and white photograph of artillery headquater

Artillery HQ in the first engagement in Italy on the way to the Sangro

black and white photograph of soldier oiling gun

D. McKenna oils a 5th Field gun during a lull on the Sangro front

black and white photograph of soldiers planning

Operating a Bofors predictor near the Sangro: J. D. Howard, V. R. Vinsen and L. M. Pamment

black and white photograph of artillery firing

A B Troop, 4th Field, gun firing from a muddy gun pit near the Sangro

black and white photograph of soldiers surveying

A Bofors crew surveys the Sangro front

black and white photograph of soldiers planning

Steve Weir, Ike Parkinson and General Freyberg near the Sangro

black and white photograph of painiting of soldiers

An American 155 drives past on the snowy Orsogna front—from a painting by Russell Clark

black and white photograph of aircraft

An Air OP aircraft on the Orsogna front

black and white photograph of artillery movement

Crossing the Sangro

black and white photograph of soldier looking with binoculars

A 5th Field troop command post during an Air OP shoot. The man on the left is watching for hostile aircraft, to warn the Air OP pilot. The signaller outside is in communication with the pilot. Another inside is in touch with BHQ by telephone. The GPO is F. H. Mullins and the Section Commander P. Hayden

3 Capt E. L. Robinson; Titirangi, Auckland; born Dunedin, 13 Feb 1905; civil engineer and surveyor.

4 Lt N. D. Russel of the survey troop and his driver stayed with Artillery Headquarters.

5 Gnr W. D. S. Andrews; born Dunedin, 7 May 1913; watersider; killed in action 15 Dec 1942.