HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1942-07-02, Page 6PACE SIX
'T TP SE .+'ORTI-I NEWS
THURSDAY, JULY 2, 1942.
A Tank Fg t
in Libyan Pesert
(This first-hand report from Libya
has been reeeived by Bri.-Gen, F1. S.
Sewell, incl in the telling of the tale
t1i General has refrained from alter-
ing the stark simplicity of Sergt. N.
J. Mills' wording, Released by British
Information Services). •
Sergeant Mills, one of four mem-
bers of title County of London Yeo-
manry, tells an experience during
the battle of Sidi Pezegh in Libya
the story starting at the time when
the team was attempting to get their
damaged auk out of the action;
We came out, Sergeant Mills says
in a special report recently received
from Cairo, carrying three extra
lade on our tank, their own "bus"
having been knocked out from under
them. We were tearing along at 35
miles per hour, which is all very well
for a tank in good shape; but Buc-
caneer 11 had a shaky water system
(we'd only barely had time to patch
it up to get into the battle) and the
old girl couldn't take it, She blew
ail her water -joints and ran two big -
ends just as we reached the ridge
running parallel to Sidi Rezegh. In
a cloud of steam and oil vapor she
halter for good some thirty yards be-
hind a battery of South African 25
pounders which were in position on
the back of this ridge.
Finding it impossible to get her
any farther under her own steam,
we decided to try to get a tow. Capt.
Matthews, then commander of Buc-
caneer II, went over to some of our
tanks which were coming past to try
to get help, but they were all too
busy pushing Jerry around to worry
about us.
While he was away the three boys
we had brought out had a lively ar-
gument with us over the situation.
They were all for blowing the old
girl up and legging it back. But they
hadn't any affection for her—she'd
only brought them out of action. We
who lived in her wanted to get her
back to the repair shops. Finally it
was decided that we, her crew, would
stay and the others went back to a
South African transport section in
the rear of our position.
Digging in for the Night
When Captain Matthews returned
he told us we would, have to stay at
least a night, and that we should dig
a trench in front of the old girl's
nose as we could expect shelling. We
dug a hole six feet long, four feet
wide, and two and a half feet deep,
and that night we slept like tops,
little dreaming what we were in for
next day.
'We were up at dawn, breakfasted
off friend bully and biscuits and
straightened up our tank while Capt.
Matthews went off again to find out
V he could get a tow. In front of
our tank, and stretching away to the
right, were four South African 25 -
pounders and crews. About 15 yards
to our left was the battery's mobile
armored limber, for supplying these
guns with ammunition: and about
half a mile behind, closely, packed,
was the South African transport sec-
tion with the ammunition reserve.
The Shells Burst Closer
Having straightened our tank up,
Ditchman ,(operator), Steinke ,(driv-
er) and I I(gunner) made friends with
the South African gunners around.
We were told they were taking up a
defensive position against an attack,
and this didn't sound so good to us,
immobilized as we were. I took the
gunner bombardier in charge of the
ammunition carriers to see the dam-
age Buccaneer II had sufferedin
the battle the day before. He was
impressed when he saw her scars
and expressed the greatest admira-
tion for the tank boys. He told me
that they expected fighting in a big
way, and that his colonel had given
orders that the guns were to be
fought to the last. There was to be
no spiking of guns.—How those boys
stuck to that order!
After this talk I went back to our
tank feeling rather thoughtful and,
looking at the trench we had made,
something prompted me to dig it an-
other foot sleep and to raise the para-
pet somewhat. At about 10 o'clock
Captain Matthews rushed back with
the news that Jerry tanks were
about to come through the transport
behind us. On this we piled into the
"bus" and trained the gam around in
that direction, but we didn't get a
eight of them as they went through
the line of vehicles, though apparent-
ly some of the field gunners did.
We stayed in the tank for some
time, but as nothing appeared to be
happening we got out to prepare our
midday meal. Captain Matthews
went over to the artillery observa-
tion officer for further information
and Ditchnan went to a tank which
had broken down behind its to apply
for a tow, as it wes then being hauled
away. 7 got the water on the (looker
ready for some tea, but shells started
get into the bink, bet by• now .an
armored car, had 0001e almost up to
the high ground cin the right of oar
ridge, presumably to observe for the
eueliry guns. fie spotted C.aptsili
Mattliews and a Mast of ntaelline gun
bullets hummed over the irenell like
a swarm of bees. Captain Matthews
lot downquick, swearing as he diol
so. The abetting got worse and the
11utc111(10 gtln fire pinned us to the
tI teach whenever, we made any
movement.
All the while Ivo could 11etu• the
voice of the South African bomber-
(tier vehicle urging his cicalae ear -
Hera to full -out efforts to supply the
9uas with ammunition. The dtu•kies
Were wonderful. They did11'1 really
know what it was all about, but they
carried on through the rain of hell,
sometimes carrying armfuls of armor
piercing shells and at others the bags
of corditte which the guns regeh•ed-
The bombardier himself was magnifi-
cent, standing 11p ignoring the shells
laterally bursting all around hint, His
valor alone seemed to keep the
carriers going.
Ammunition Runs Out
Every now and then Captain
Matthews would pop his head up to
look over to our right and each time
that machine gun spat at him. By
glory, that Jerry was a mean guy!
The captain began to get on my
nerves with his continual popping up
and down, so I warned him that be
would cop it if he didn't pack in.
Presently I heard the South Afric-
an bombardier shout that No. 1 gun
crew had been wiped out and that
ammunition was running short and
soon after he left the ammunition
vehicle to take the place of a gunner
of another gun, who had been killed.
For a time I know that Ditchnlan and
I were wondering how much more we
could stand, but by 4 o'clock our
nerves had become deadened to the
shock and concussion of bursting
shells. Around this time, the South
African field guus ran out of charges,
No moire were available, for Jerry
had shelled the transport to blazes.
The gun crews remained motionless
by their silent guns, waiting for the
vital charges to come, Each gun had
fourteen rounds of twenty-five poun-
der solid shot waiting to greet the
enemy tanks. If only they had had
the cordite firing charges, necessary
to project the shot, the Jerry tanks
would have died on tthat ridge long
before they could have got at the
guns.
Shells seemed to be falling nearer
all the time and eventually one land-
ed on the front suspension of our
tank, about four feet from the
trench. The crash was terrific. For
some minutes I could neither hear,
feel nor think. I did not know wheth-
er I was bit or not. Then I heard
Steinke in the tank coughing and.
swearing and he shouted to us: "Are
you blokes all right?" To our mu-
tual surprise we found that we were.
During these four hours of shelling I
had heard our tanks moving in and
out of action to the left and right of
us, and, during a lull, raising half an
eye over the trench I saw some Am-
erican "honeys" (Light Mark III)
coming out, but too far away to sig-
nal to them.
Presently Captain Matthews said:
"I think it is time we disabled the
tank completely and made a break
for it." We were all in agreement
with this, but I think that all the
Jerries in creation must have heard.
his remark, for suddenly from our
right and left flanks came an abso-
lute hail of machine gun fire, all
over the top of our trench. In a
flash we became again the world's
flattest men. Keeping my face side-
ways I could see out of the corner of
my eye streams of tracer whipping
overhead. Captain Matthews lay on
his back with his tin hat over his
eyes and a South African gunner ly-
ing on his belly. Personally I just
swallowed that part of my stomach
which had crept into my throat. I
thought: "If this is a party, I want to
go home!"
Under Fire in No -Man's -Land
Shortly afterwards, I heard the
coughing of Bren guns from our rear,
and half opening one eye I saw tra-
cers streaming over 11s in the oppos-
ite direction, "Wel]," I thought,
"this is a thing," for were now in a
sort of No -Man's -Land between the
Jerry and the South Africans.
The gunner who was on top of
Captain Matthews whispered: "Can I
get inside your tank, sir?" We told
trim to stay down with us and he'd be
011 right. After all, it was euieide
even to kneel up in the trench then.
By about 5.30 the machine-gunning
1508 at its peak and shots were thud-
ding into all, sides of our parapet. I
kept asking Captain Matthews the
time and praying for dark, I found
out afterwards that Jerry had moved
rep some iui'airtry in trucks behind
bursting much closer and bath the cur positicm and Was at that moment
Captain and pitchman came running
hack towards the tank and dived attucicing from the rein,
into the trench as a shell fell within The sun was sinking and clouds of
smoke from burning vehicles were
beginning to form a fog, It was :al-
most time for us to maks our break,
twenty feet of them,
This was about noon and Jerry had
got the range of the battery in front
of ne. We called to Steinke to stay
where 11e was in his driving com- By 5;45 the sun had set and the
partment of the tank and we lay in light was fading fast. The machine -
our trench till there was a lull in the
shelling, The captain looked gunning died down a little and Cap -
from the trench to see if we could tain Matthews raised his head care-
fully and peered back under the tank
then he julnped, as if surprised, antl
said; '"Oy, this is where we get go
Mg. Follow 111e,"
"Steinke," be shouted, to ourourd1'iv
e r, stoke, tile breech loelce Out of th
guns and get out quicltly." Then 11
crawled out of the trench and, ben
alluoet double, 11e ran to the left. On
alter auciher• the two 900(11 Afrieal
gtul
ners followed hien.
1 waited for a moment to se
which way the machine-gunning Iva
coaling from, then crawled out olnt
the parapet and crouched in front o
the old girl's left track telling Ditch
ata to follow me, I stood up with t11
tank covering ate front the right
Shouting to Steinke to hurry up , I
Peered down the hack of the tank —
aud got the shock of my life.
• Jerry Strikes Hotne
Coming out of the smoke diagonally
towards us was a dirty big Jerry tank
1 think a Mark IV, I stood petrified
as Steinks clambered out of the tur-
ret, Ile jumped to the ground but
before his feet touched the earth the
Jerry stopped and fired. The scene
in front of me seemed filled with a
harsh red glow and my ears Were
deafened by the crash as the tank's
gun fired only some fifteen yards in
front of me. The back of our old girl
seemed to lift as she was hit and a
bit of armor plate whooshed over MY
head, 1 shouted to the boys and we
all dropped to the ground,
Twelve or fifteen yards to our left
was the South African armored am-
munition limber, and as the Jerry
tank started to move. again we three
crawled on our bellies towards this
vehicle. After about five yards of this,
I said the the boys: "Come on, let's
make a run for it." So we gbf up
and tore towards our objectives, It
must Have been then that I was bit
by a machine gun bullet, which
struck a jack-knife which I hal in my
pocket. The knife, I found after-
wards, had a deep gash in it and a
broken blade where it had deflected
the bullet and thus saved me.
We got to the armored ammunition
limber and Ditcham started to open
the door just as a Jerry shot hit it.
All I can remember is another red
flash and the roar of an explosion. I
felt something hit my foot hard and
a stinging in my calf, but I didn't
stop to look. I Have a feeling I'd
have got out of that place even with
no legs, let alone a wounded foott!
We Break Through to Safety
Out of the billowing smoke past
the front of the limber came a fifteen
hundredweight truck with a crowd of
fellows on it. They shouted to us to
get on. I called to Ditcham and
Steinke and thought I saw them get
on all right. There was no rooin for
me except by lying on the fender
with my arms round a headlamp.
This I did, and away we tore, with
me holding the headlamp with my
ight arm, a hand grenade witth my
eft hand, and my left foot trying to
hang itself under the front wheel.
By now there were Jerries all a-
round us and as we tore through
hem, three who were by a machine
un shouted: "Halt, or I fire." A
cots colonel who was on the back of
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OFF TO WASHINGTON
These CWAC's were in a happy frame of mind, as they left Ottawa for Washington, mindful 01 the important
work they must do in the Il. S. capital, Posted for duty with the British Inspection. Board this group brings the
number of "CWACS" now serving in Washington up to 35. From left to right they are: Privates Margaret Hall of
Sarnia; Blanche Rees of Regina; Janet Scott of Saskatoon; Katherine Morris of Winnipeg; Gerry Hanson of
Kingston; Donna Moore of Lion's Head, Ont.; Ethel Leader of Kingston; Lance Corporal Margaret hackney of
Woodstock, Ont.; Lance Corporal Margaret Pearse of Guelph,
the truck shouted ono terse word in
purest English at them. They let fiy
at us, but their aim was high and
wide of the back of the truck. For a
few hundred yards we dashed
through machine gun fire until we got
into the safety of the darkness be-
yond the fires.
After going on a little way we came
upon a larger vehicle into which we
decided to transfer, as there were
some twenty of us packed onto the
little fifteen hundredweight. It was
then that I foundto my horror that
Ditcham was not with us. I felt pretty
bed about it because he was my friend
as well as my comrade, I felt as
though I had deserted him. I had been
so sure he was on the truck because
I was the last to get on, and nobody
else was in sight. I guess the blast of
that last shell by the limber must
have dazed him so that he ran the
wrong way into Jerry's arms, for he
is now a prisoner of war.
After we had changed trucks we
had to go on, for we were still far too
we sped on into the night full out ov-
close to the enemy for our health. So
er the desert.
Presently we came upon a station-
ary field ambulance which we found
contained a badly wounded officer
crying out for water. The orderly ask-
ed if we had any so we all gave up
our water -bottles. We did what we
could to help the ambulance chaps
and then went on our way. Eventual-
ly we met a small column with whom
we stayed the night.
Steinke and I spent five days with
various units trying to find our regi-
ment, during which time we again ran
into Jerry and had some more adven-
tures. I think it was the following
Sunday when we finally regained our
unit and could pause really to get our
breath.
After a few days' rest we were gi-
van a new tank. We christened her
Buccaneer III and off we went up the
line again to get our own back on
Jerry.
With this old girl we had many a
juicy scrap with the Hun and we let
him have it with everything we'd got.
One occasion I remember particularly
was when we wiped out a troublesome
Jerry anti-tank gun team in half a
dozen seconds, Our first .shot hit their
gun, then we raked the crew attend-
ing it with a machine gun. Those boys
won't "Heil Hitler' 'any more! Buc-
caneer III certainly avenged her pre-
decessor. She chased Jerry right up
to Agedabia and Steinke drove her all
the way.
NEW TYRES OF STEEL
On 30,000 More Farm Vehicles for
Britain's 1942 Harvest
Thirty thousand farm vehicles,
wanted by British farmers for this
year's harvest, will be- delivered in
time, thanks to two naw standard
wheel patterns.
Agricultural engineers in Britain
were faced with two shortages—of
materials for making pneumatic
tyres for tractor trailers and tum-
brils, and of seasoned timber and
skilled wheelwright labour for mak-
ing the old-fashioned wooden cart
wheel.
The first of these problems had
arisen long before the loss of rubber
producing territories in the East, for
war work of greater priority had al-
ready made it difficult to get moulds
and presses for tyre making, So the
engineers have evolved all all steel
wheel 3 ft, in diameter with a mini-
mum tyre width of 6 in. To absorb
the shook formerly taken by the
pneumatic' tyre there are two coil
springs between the axle bed and
the cart, kept in line by a sliding pin
in grooves. Tlie 3 ft. wheel can be
turned out in as many months as it
took years for the older types.
A road test, with two tons over a
7 mile trip, at 10 and then 15 m.p.h.,
proved the rubberless trailers to be
quite as good as those with pneu-
matic tyres.
The British Agricultural Engineers
Association have given to the world
the design for the new 3 ft.. wheel
and one for a 4 ft. 5 inch steel wheel
for farm carts free of all patent and
license rights.
AUCTIONEER
F. W. AHRENS, Licensed Auction-
eer for Perth and Huron Counties
Sales Solicited. Terms on Application,
Farm Stock, chattels and real estate
prope"ty. R. R. No. 4, Mitchell.
Phone 634 r 6. Apply at tbis office.
HAROLD JACKSON
Licensed in Huron and Perth coun-
ties. Prices reasonable; satisfaction
guaranteed. For information, write
or phone, Harold Jackson, phone 14
on 661; R.R. 4, Seaforth.
Counter
Check B.o ks
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The Sea'forth News
SEAFORTH, ONTARIO,