Machine Gun Fire North Africa Essay - 1,700 words

... division of X Armoured Corps from breaking through the bridgehead and into the enemy's communications before dawn. The failure to penetrate the minefields lost an exceptional opportunity because dawn on 24 October saw the German forces without direction as the barrage had dislocated their communications and the German commander, General Summer, was missing and was later found to have died of a heart attack. Furthermore, the German armour was dispersed across the desert and the German command was unaware of the intended point of the breakout. The 8 th Army attack continued on the night of 24 / 25 October and the previous night's final objectives were taken. However, a breakthrough was not achieved with the armoured thrusts faltering as the Germans established a new front line.


With the failure of the original plan, Montgomery began preparing a new strategy and the main brunt of the battle, which increased in intensity daily to a climax on 1 November, fell on the 9 th Division. The Australian's task was to shift the focus of their attack from the west to the north and destroy the enemy between them and the sea. On the night of 25 / 26 October, the 9 th Division made the first of three attacks that would create the conditions for victory at El Alamein. The attack opened at midnight with an artillery barrage. It was made by 26 th Brigade with the 2 / 48 th Battalion attacking towards Trig 29, a slightly raised feature on an otherwise flat plain, and the 2 / 24 th attacking on the right. The 2 / 24 th captured its objective but depleted by casualties it was unable to hold an extended position and withdrew 1000 yards.


The 2 / 48 th captured Trig 29, an excellent observation post which was used in subsequent days to call in artillery to break up enemy counter-attacks. Advancing with the 2 / 48 th was Private P E Gratwick who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. The citation for his award said: During the attack on Trig 29 at Miteiriya Ridge on the night of 25 - 26 October 1942 the Company to which Private Gratwick belonged, met with severe opposition from strong enemy positions which delayed capture of the Company's objective and caused a considerable number of casualties. Private Gratwick's Platoon was directed at these strong positions but its advance was stopped by intense enemy fire at short range. Withering fire of all kinds killed the platoon commander, the platoon sergeant and many other ranks and reduced the total strength of the Platoon to seven. Private Gratwick grasped the seriousness of the situation and acting on his own initiative, with utter disregard for his own safety at a time when the remainder of the Platoon were pinned down, charged the nearest post and completely destroyed the enemy with hand grenades, killing amongst others a complete mortar crew.


As soon as this task was completed, and again under heavy machine-gun fire, he charged the second post with rifle and bayonet. It was from this post that the heaviest fire had been directed. He inflicted further casualties, and was within striking distance of his objective, when he was killed by a burst of machine-gun fire. By his brave and determined action, which completely unnerved the enemy, and by his successful reduction of the enemy's strength, Private Gratwick's Company was able to move forward and mop up its objective. Private Gratwick's unselfish courage, his gallant and determined efforts against the heaviest opposition, changed a doubtful situation into the successful capture of his Company's final objective. (London Gazette: 28 January 1943. ) On the night of 26 / 27 October, the 7 th Motor Brigade attacked Kidney Ridge in front of the right flank of the 51 st Highland division near its boundary with the 9 th Division. It was here that the armoured breakout later took place but throughout 27 October, the 2 nd Battalion Rifle Brigade repelled strong armoured assaults without field artillery support and showed that German armour could not throw back an infantry front pushed firmly forward and protected by anti-tank artillery.


The Rifle Brigade's commanding officer, Lt Colonel V B Turner, was awarded the Victoria Cross. Neither the 8 th Army nor the Africa Corps continued the attack during the daylight hours on 28 October but at 10 pm, the 9 th Division's 20 th Brigade struck northwards towards the coast road. In heavy fighting involving many casualties the Australian line was pushed a little closer to the coast road. As a result of these operations, Rommel concentrated even more forces in the north and in the following four days the Australian sector became the focal area of the battle. The 9 th Division again attempted to cut the coast road on the night of 30 / 31 October. Under command of 26 th Brigade, the 2 / 24 th, 2 / 32 nd and 2 / 48 th infantry battalions and the 2 / 3 rd Pioneer battalion attacked and although not achieving all that was hoped for, inflicted substantial casualties and took over 50 ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Essay Tags: 1 november, machine gun fire, north africa, platoon, 2 november

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