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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 c 0 t e e 0 f e 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 • We Are Selling Quality Books Books are Well Made, Carbon is Clean and Copies Readily. Al] styles, Carbon Leaf and Black Back. Prices as Low as You Can Get Anywhere. Get our Quotation on Your Next Order. • The Sea'forth News SEAFORTH, ONTARIO,