The night after Lieutenant-Colonel Seagrim staged his long-odds defense on the Mareth Line in Tunisia, the 2nd New Zealand Division completed its flanking maneuver and reached the Tebaga Gap. Progress here, just as on the main attack, was slow; finally, on 26 March, a heavy aerial bombardment preceded a final attack by the New Zealanders on the Gap. By nightfall they had broken the German lines and British tanks streamed through the opening by the light of the moon. During the attack, the 28th (Maori) Battalion was assigned to capture a well-defended hill overlooking the Tebaga Gap. To do this it was necessary to advance up a steep slope under heavy machine-gun and mortar fire. The lead Platoon, led by Second Lieutenant Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu, reached the hilltop and cleared out the machine-gun posts there, but were stopped by gunfire from the next slope. There were not many men now left, but they were able to withstand a large German counter-attack backed up by mortar fire; Second-Lieutenant Ngarimu, although wounded, maintained the defense and set a personal example by killing several attackers himself. He was urged to go to the rear for his injuries, but asked to stay with his men. The Germans staged several counter-attacks throughout the night against his depleted Platoon; once, they even managed to break through one portion of his line, but he rushed at them and was able to ward them off with his weapon and some well-aimed rocks. When his line was broken a second time, he led a counter-charge and fended off the Germans once again. By morning there were only two unwounded New Zealanders left on the slope, and reinforcements finally arrived not long before the Germans counter-attacked one more time; Second-Lieutenant Ngarimu stood up and fired at the advancing enemy troops, killing a large number of them, but here is string of luck ended and he himself fell in front of a large pile of dead attackers. For his efforts on this slope, he was the first Maori to receive the VC.
Posted on: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 00:50:36 +0000
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