2nd New Zealand Divisional Artillery

Contents

• • [covers]
  • 2nd New Zealand Divisional Artillery
  • [frontispiece]
  • [title page]
  • Preface
  • Contents
  • List of Illustrations
  • List of Maps
• • CHAPTER 1 — The Early Days: New Zealand, United Kingdom and Egypt
    • [section]
    • Brigadier Miles, the First CRA
    • The First Echelon
    • The Second Echelon
    • The Third Echelon
    • Maadi and the Western Desert
    • Getting Ready for Greece
  • CHAPTER 2 — Greece: The Gunners' Campaign
    • [section]
    • The Aliakmon Line
    • Back to the Olympus Line
    • Rearguard on the Aliakmon
    • Desperate Fighting at Platamon
    • Crest Clearance on the Cloudy Slopes of Olympus
    • A Dominant Position above Servia
    • 26 Battery at Kalabaka
    • ‘Action Front: Tanks!’
    • Action Overlooking Elasson
    • Tempe: A Crucial Rearguard
    • Retreat to Thermopylae
    • The Passes of Dhomokos and Fourka
  • CHAPTER 3 — The Molos Battle and then the Beaches
    • [section]
    • Evacuation Plans and Moves
    • Molos: The Gunners' Battle
    • Retreat to the Beaches
  • CHAPTER 4 — Gunners and ‘Infantillery’ in Crete
    • [section]
    • Armed and Unarmed Parties
    • An Odd Assortment of Guns
    • The Gun Positions
    • The Airborne Assault on 5 Brigade
    • The Landing in the Prison Valley
    • The Second Day at Maleme
    • Minor Fighting at Galatas
    • The Counter-attack on the Airfield Fails
    • A Paratroop Attack on Galatas is Repulsed
    • 5 Brigade Withdraws
    • The Composite Battalion is Relieved
    • Difficult Gunnery at Galatas
    • Desperate Fighting by Gunners and ‘Infantillery’
    • Retreat from Galatas
    • Snadden's Gunner Platoon
    • A Cruel Ending to the Campaign
  • CHAPTER 5 — Recuperation, Training and Reinforcement
    • [section]
    • The 14th Light Ack-Ack Arrives
    • Lessons of Greece
    • New Equipment but No Medium Guns
    • Action for the Bofors Gunners
    • Preparing for Desert Operations
    • Field and Anti-Tank Batteries are Reorganised
    • The Battle Plan
    • The Move to the Libyan Frontier
  • CHAPTER 6 — CRUSADER: Retrieving a Disastrous Start
    • [section]
    • The Division Moves North
    • The Attack on Bir Ghirba
    • Bad News of the Tank Battle
    • 6 Brigade Overruns Africa Corps Headquarters
    • Hard Fighting at Point 175
    • L Troop's Anti-Tank Action
    • Major Sawyers recaptures a Dozen Tanks
    • An Anti-Tank Advanced Guard
    • 4 Brigade Captures Gambut
    • The Blockhouse
    • The First Attack on Sidi Rezegh
    • Sidi Rezegh and Ed Duda
  • CHAPTER 7 — crusader: A Hard-won Victory
    • [section]
    • The Enemy Armour Approaches Bardia
    • The Guns Fail to Save 5 Brigade Headquarters
    • The Garrisons of Menastir and Capuzzo Repel Attacks
    • Mopping Up Near Sidi Rezegh
    • Pressure on 6 Brigade
    • Divisional Headquarters under Attack
    • Point 175 is Lost
    • Panzers Overwhelm Most of 6 Brigade
    • A Merciless Bombardment of 25 Battery
    • The CRA Fails to Clear Up High-level Misunderstandings
    • The 6th Field is Overrun
    • Belhamed is Also Lost
    • The Remnants of the Division Gather at Zaafran
    • Duff's Gun Group Beats Back All Attacks
    • The Maori Victory at Menastir
    • Gunners in Tobruk Fortress
    • The Sinking of the Chakdina
    • The Gazala Battle
  • CHAPTER 8 — Interlude in Syria
    • [section]
    • Training in Combined Operations
    • 5 Brigade Mans the El Adem Box
    • Springtime in Syria
    • Increased Anti-Tank Strength
    • Key Men Leave for Service in the Pacific
  • CHAPTER 9 — Minqar Qaim: Another Gunners' Battle
    • [section]
    • The Minqar Qaim Position
    • More 6-Pounders Arrive
    • Vulnerable Transport
    • Threats from All Quarters
    • The Break-out After Dark
  • CHAPTER 10 — Summer in the Alamein Line
    • [section]
    • The Jock Column Policy Continues
    • Plenty of Work for the Bofors
    • The Attack on Ruweisat
    • El Mreir: Another Costly Failure
    • Stalemate in August
    • The Battle of Alam Halfa
    • The Counter-attack Southwards
  • CHAPTER 11 — The Alamein Offensive
    • [section]
    • Moving Up to the Front
    • The Artillery Plan
    • A Shortage of Gunners
    • The Barrage
    • The 4th Field Moves Up Behind the Armour
    • OPs Under Fire
    • Anti-Tankers on Miteiriya Ridge
    • The Enemy Gun Line Is Not Broken
    • The End of Operation Lightfoot
  • CHAPTER 12 — Operation SUPERCHARGE
    • [section]
    • Planning supercharge
    • The 192-Gun Creeping Barrage
    • Trouble for the Anti-Tankers
    • Breaking the Enemy Gun Line
    • Another Big Barrage
    • The End of the Alamein Line
    • The Pursuit
  • CHAPTER 13 — The Surveyors
  • CHAPTER 14 — The Conquest of Libya
    • [section]
    • Crossing Cyrenaica
    • The First Left Hook
    • The Action at Wadi Matratin
    • The Second Left Hook: To Nofilia
    • Lobs and Others on the Coast Route
    • Christmas and the New Year by the Gulf of Sirte
    • The Development of the Stonk
    • Moving on towards Tripoli
    • Beni Ulid
    • The Difficult Approaches to Azizia
    • Suani Ben Adem
    • Tripoli
    • The Parade for Mr Churchill and Other Events
    • The Bofors Gunners Defend Tripoli Harbour
    • Preparing for a Divisional Artillery Exercise
  • CHAPTER 15 — Tunisia: The End of a Long Road
    • [section]
    • Field Regiments under CRA's Command
    • Enemy Attack is Repulsed
    • Air Attacks
    • Outflanking the Mareth Line
    • The Tebaga Gap
    • New Zealand Corps Reinforced
    • The Advance to Gabes
    • Wadi Akarit
    • The Pursuit Continues
    • Takrouna
    • Operations around Djebibina
    • Return to Maadi
  • CHAPTER 16 — Italy: The Sangro and Orsogna
    • [section]
    • Burg el Arab
    • The Move to Italy
    • Marking Time at Taranto
    • A New Kind of War in Italy
    • The Journey to the Adriatic Front
    • Edging Towards the Sangro River
    • The Crossing of the Sangro
    • Guardiagrele and Orsogna
    • The Second Attack on Orsogna
    • The Third Attack
    • The Final Attack
    • The Casa War
    • Guns Firing Short
    • Famous Landmarks
    • The Ack-Ack Record
    • Survey Work
    • Withdrawing from the Orsogna Front
  • CHAPTER 17 — The New Zealand Attacks at Cassino
    • [section]
    • The Maoris Attack the Railway Station
    • Operation dickens
  • CHAPTER 18 — The Mountains above Cassino and the Action at Sora—Balsorano
    • [section]
    • Anti-Tankers Form 39 Mortar Battery
    • The Pursuit Begins
  • CHAPTER 19 — Arezzo and Florence
    • [section]
    • Infantry and M10 Training for Anti-Tankers
    • A Hasty Move to the Arezzo Front
    • Infantry Complaints about Short-shooting
    • Taupo Furlough Scheme
    • Committed to Florence Battle
    • M10s in Action
    • San Michele
    • Tragedy at La Romola
    • The Final Attacks
    • The Fall of Florence
    • The Montelupo–Empoli Front
    • A Brief Rest near Siena
  • CHAPTER 20 — Back to the Adriatic
    • [section]
    • Attack on the Gothic Line
    • The Coriano Ridge
    • The Rimini Front
    • Rivers, Canals and Ditches of the Romagna
    • Viserba and Bellaria
    • Rain Delays the Offensive
    • Anti-Tankers Support the Greek Brigade
    • Thrusting Along the Foothills
    • Across the Savio River
  • CHAPTER 21 — Winter in the Romagna
    • [section]
    • Some Units are Disbanded
    • Return to the Front
    • Surprise Attack West of Faenza
    • A White Christmas on the Senio
    • Manning a Winter Line
    • Departures and Replacements
  • CHAPTER 22 — The Senio to Trieste: the Triumphant Advance
    • [section]
    • A Sudden Move to the Front
    • The Forthcoming Offensive
    • Changes in Equipment and Methods
    • Changes in Personnel
    • The Artillery Plan
    • The Senio Crossing
    • Pushing on to the Santerno
    • Near Massa Lombarda
    • The Sillaro
    • Spaniel: a Masterpiece of Planning and Administration
    • Gruesome Effects of Artillery Fire
    • The Gaiana Canal
    • Across the Idice
    • A Rapid Advance towards the Po
    • Crossing the Po and the Adige
    • The Race to Padua
    • From Venice to the Piave
    • On to Trieste
    • Tension after VE Day
    • General Freyberg Sums Up
  • CHAPTER 23 — The End of the Story
    • [section]
    • The Disbandment
    • Jayforce
    • The End and the Continuation
  • Appendix I
  • Appendix II
  • Roll of Honour
    • HQ 2 NZ Divisional Artillery
    • 4 Field Regiment
    • 5 Field Regiment
    • 6 Field Regiment
    • 7 Anti-Tank Regiment
    • 14 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
    • 36 Survey Battery
    • I Survey Troop
  • SUMMARY OF CASUALTIES — (ALL REGIMENTS)
  • Honours and Awards
  • Index
• [backmatter]

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© 2007 Victoria University of Wellington | Contact us | Conditions of use

About this page...

Title: 2nd New Zealand Divisional Artillery

Author: Murphy, W. E.

Publication details: Historical Publications Branch, 1966, Wellington

Part of: The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945

This text is the subject of: ‘Something of Them Is Here Recorded’: Official History in New Zealand

Keywords: New Zealand World War II History

Conditions of use

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