Maori battalion

Creation

The creation of the Maori battalion was discussed even before the outbreak of World War II. In mid-1939, when it became clear that war in Europe could not be avoided, Apirana Ngata began to discuss proposals for the creation of a military unit of Maori volunteers ^[3] , similar to the that served in the First World War ^[1] . This proposal was supported by two other Maori representatives, and , as well as the Maori community, for whom the creation of the battalion was perceived as an opportunity to participate in the war and test their military skills ^{[1] [2]} . At first, the New Zealand government rejected this idea, but on October 4 a positive decision was announced, and it was also decided to include the battalion in the 2nd division ^[4] .

However, it was decided to appoint New Zealanders of European descent to many senior positions, including officers and non-commissioned officers ^[5] , although after the unrest began, the government assured that worthy Maori candidates would soon take their place ^[2] . Major George Dittmer was appointed the first commander of the battalion, and reserve lieutenant colonel George Bertrand , half Maori, was appointed deputy commander. After the call, Bertrand received the rank of major (for Great Britain, the practice of having a reserve officer receive a lower rank at the next call is quite common). Both of them were veterans of the First World War and had the required experience ^[6] .

Almost immediately, the recruitment of officers began. A search was announced for volunteers from the 2nd Expeditionary Army and from the rear ^[7] . By the end of November, 146 trainees were enrolled in the army school in , where even serving officers should have passed the exam ^[8] . In parallel with October, there was a set of , ending in the call of about nine hundred people. The recruitment process was supervised by officers who consulted with tribal authorities; only bachelors aged 21–35 years were recruited, although later married were allowed to join the battalion if they had no more than two children ^[9] .

On January 26, 1940, the first gathering of the battalion at Palmerston North took place ^[10] . Before the creation of the battalion, it was decided that its structure would correspond to the tribal ^[11] . The battalion consisted of a headquarters company and four rifle companies, marked with letters “A” to “D”: immigrants from northern Auckland served in “A”, in Rotorua , Plenty Bay and the area served in “B” ; “C” - from the east coast from Gisborne to ; “D” - from Waikato , Maniapoto , Hawks Bay , Wellington and the South Island, as well as the Pacific Islands, Chatham Archipelago and Sikayan Atoll ^[11] .

In February, uniforms were issued and training began, interrupted by medical examinations and ceremonies dedicated to the celebration of the next anniversary of the signing of the Waitang Treaty ^[12] . The lack of experience in organizing military operations also slowed down the preparation of the battalion, there were not enough office workers, drivers and signalmen, since most of the volunteers came from rural areas, and their training had to start from scratch ^[13] . Organizational work was completed in March, and on March 13, 1940, the 28th battalion came under arms ^[14] . After a two-week rest, the soldiers underwent a five-week exercise before leaving aboard May 1, 1940 ^[15] . At that time, the battalion had 39 officers and 642 ordinary personnel ^[4] .

UK

On board the RMS Aquitania passenger airliner, the battalion arrived in Gourock (Scotland) ^[16] . Initially, it was assumed that the soldiers of the battalion would join the 2nd Division of the Middle East , but because of the threat of a German attack on Great Britain , it was decided to withdraw the second echelon of the division, which included the 28th battalion, which would help defend the UK ^{[4] [17]} .

At the end of June or the beginning of July 1940, the 28th battalion was attached to the brigade, under his command, the soldiers provided defense and underwent training ^[18] . Since the priority was to provide British soldiers with equipment, the 28th battalion lacked it, and training was mainly focused on gas defense and marching training ^[19] . King George VI inspected the battalion on July 6 and, according to him, was impressed by their grace and training, as well as excellent physical shape, resourcefulness and manners ^[20] .

Shortly after this, the brigade began rapid deployment and defensive maneuvers, as concerns about the invasion grew ^[21] . In parallel, all summer exercises were held, including various units, from company to battalion, according to various scenarios ^[22] .

In September, the battalion was declared prepared for a possible landing of the German armed forces ^[23] . Orders to transfer to Egypt were canceled, and the New Zealanders took command of the , taking up defensive positions in the area of Folkestone - Dover ^[23] . In October, a detachment under the command of Dittmer defended along with a tank company, a cavalry squadron, and accompanied by machine gunners ^[24] . The following month, when the invasion was considered unlikely, the battalion was sent to Aldershot for two winter months ^[25] . Little training was held at this time, but a game of rugby football was played against a team of Wales soldiers in Langley Park, where the Maori lost 12-3 ^[26] . Later that same month, the battalion received orders to prepare for departure to Egypt, the first batch of soldiers was sent in mid-December, and on January 7, 1941, the rest boarded the Athlone Castle ^[27] .

Middle East

After entering Freetown , Cape Town and Durban, the Athlone Castle entered the Suez Canal and arrived at Tawfik Harbor on March 3, 1941 ^[28] . Two days later, the battalion was sent to the desert, where motorized vehicles drove them to the Garavi camp, 32 km from Cairo ^[29] . There they were met by reinforcements of 300 people, who were supposed to replace the sick and lead to the headquarters ^[29] . Soon after, they were sent to Alexandria , from where they were picked up by the , heading to Greece ^[30] .

Greece

On April 6, the invasion of Greece began ^[31] . Three divisions of the Australian, British, and New Zealand infantrymen, who received the designation "Group W," went to defend Greece. Since only two of the three divisions arrived at the time of the attack, the New Zealand forces were dispersed and could only keep a strategically important pass near Katerini ^[31] . By that time, the 28th battalion was brought into the 5th Infantry Brigade, from which ANZAC was later formed. Since the enemy forces were several times larger ^[32] , within two days the Germans broke through the defenses near the Bulgarian border, and the Yugoslav resistance was defeated ^[33] . In the worsening situation, the headquarters ordered to keep the pass until the last person ^[34] .

The fall of Thessaloniki on April 9 predetermined an order to retreat south ^[35] . The battalion remained in position until April 12, helping to dig fortifications. On April 12, an order was received to retreat beyond the Mavronetti Gorge to the entire 5th Brigade ^[36] . The first clash took place on the pass of Peter ^[4] , along with the 28th battalion fought the . Before the clash, the Maori made wire fences and trenches, which were entangled with barbed wire . Patrols were put up at night, but they were not attacked. The next morning, the cavalry, which had previously been the rear guard , retreated, and the 28th battalion was closest to the enemy. Since the German soldiers were detained by the , the advance on the city of Larisa made the position of the battalion unstable, and they again received an order to retreat. At that time, ANZAK decided that positions 160 km south of Thermopyl should be the last line of defense ^[37] .

The Maori remained in position until April 17th. The previous two days, the battalion opposed the attempts of the 2nd Infantry Division of Germany to penetrate the rear, until it received an order to retreat ^[38] . The retreat was complicated by heavy rain and wind, and individual platoons were very close to parts of Germany ^[39] . The retreat was carried out in a hurry, as it was planned to undermine the bridge immediately after the withdrawal of troops in order to delay the advance of the Germans. As a result, the battalion barely managed to explode ^[40] .

Then the 28th battalion retreated to Ay Dhimitrios ( English Ay Dhimitrios ), where preparations began for the cordon of the exit from the Olympus pass. The retreat, however, continued, and on April 19, the 28th battalion, together with the 5th Infantry Brigade, went another 130 km to the south ^[41] . Immediately upon arrival, they were informed that the retreat was continuing to clear the way for the 6th Infantry Brigade. On April 21, the Maori battalion took the same positions as Leonid’s army in the Battle of Thermopylae ^[42] . After the battalion strengthened for defense, an order was issued on April 22 to completely withdraw troops from Greece ^[43] .

The battalion arrived in Athens on April 24, destroyed non-mobile equipment and vehicles ^[44] , delayed due to the fact that the platoon of Universal Carrier armored personnel carriers and mortar launchers fell behind. By 9:00 p.m. on April 24, the battalion was still not assembled, however, landing continued , and by 3:00 a.m. on April 25, transport ships departed from the coast. Some of the stragglers managed to reach the landing site, but a certain number, no doubt, were captured ^[44] . Losses in Greece amounted to 10 people killed or died from wounds, six wounded, 83 captured, 11 wounded and captured ^[45] .

Crete

After evacuating from Greece, the battalion was sent on the ship to Crete, where he joined the hastily assembled garrison. The 5th Infantry Brigade was sent to guard the airfield, and the 28th Battalion was stationed on the north coast in Platanias , on the right flank ^{[46] [47]} . On May 20, the Germans landed, launching Operation Mercury , dropping troops from Chania to Maleme ^[48] . Since the purpose of the landing was an airfield, there was no landing at the Maori positions, except for a small group of gliders who occupied a house on the beach 800 meters from the positions of the 28th battalion. The platoon was ordered to attack, and after a short shootout in which two New Zealanders were wounded, ten German soldiers were killed, and ten people remaining in the house surrendered ^[49] .

The main attacking forces were concentrated on the 22nd battalion defending the airfield. Under the onslaught of the Germans, the battalion requested reinforcements, and the brigade commander sent one company from the 23rd battalion and one from the 28th to help them ^[50] . The mission was given to company “B”, and, since only the company commander knew the road, the soldiers set off on a 13-kilometer march. On the way, they came across a detachment of Germans, holding them until reinforcements arrived ^[51] . The Germans surrendered, but one of the soldiers threw a grenade at the New Zealanders, injuring two. In response, the Maori launched a bayonet attack, killing 24 enemy soldiers, and then eight more in another battle ^[52] . Subsequently, the 28th battalion met small groups of Germans until they reached the headquarters of the 22nd battalion, where they received orders to retreat from the airfield ^[53] . Eleven hours later, the company passed the order to the 28th battalion ^[54] .

For the next ten days, the battalion defended the island, engaging in skirmishes with the Germans, including the , in which he took part together with the , in which 280 Germans and 100 Maori were killed ^{[4 ] [55] [56]} . However, it soon became clear that evacuation was inevitable, and on May 28, a retreat to Sfakion began .

On May 30, an order was received to retreat from Crete, which, however, could not be fulfilled due to the lack of transport vessels. It was decided to select people from each battalion who would defend the ships with the rest. The 28th battalion sent 230 people on board, and 6 officers and 144 soldiers remained ^[57] . Many volunteers volunteered to stay, and at midnight the last sailing departed for the ship ^[58] . The battalion lost 243 soldiers during the defense of the island, including 74 killed and 102 wounded. Another 67 were captured, of which 46 were wounded ^[59] . For command of the battalion in Crete, Dittmer received the Order of Outstanding Merit ^[60] .

North Africa

After sailing from Crete, the 28th battalion was sent to Egypt, where the soldiers were given summer uniforms. Reinforcements came to them. In June, they took part in a ceremonial parade for George VI and his wife , which was attended by the commander of the Second New Zealand Division, Lieutenant General Bernard Freiberg ^[61] . In July, the battalion underwent training to familiarize itself with desert conditions and participated in a sports parade, and then departed for Cabrit, where it connected with the rest of the 5th Infantry Brigade for a three-week exercise ^[62] . In August, soldiers set off at a position 32 km west of El Alamein , where roads were built from September to October ^[63] . Then they received an order to prepare for the offensive ^[64] .

On November 11, 1941, the 5th brigade strengthened near Mersa Matruh ; on November 14, advance to Libya began ^[65] . The first combat mission was to capture the coastal city of Sollum from the Italians, it was completed on November 23 with minimal casualties - 18 killed and 33 wounded, but the commander Dittmer and two company commanders were wounded. A total of 247 Italians were captured. ^{[66] [67]} Then the 5th Infantry Brigade came under the command , the 28th battalion took the area near Bardia ^[68] .

Three days later, the battalion attacked a convoy of tanks and motorized infantry, and then ambushed a convoy in Menastir on December 3. Large skirmishes occurred at the villages of and Sidi Magreb, where about 1000 Italians were captured. Then the battalion went to Syria, and then returned to Egypt by June 1942. Having received the first battalion in the history of the Maori commander, Lt. Col. Eruera Love , the battalion, together with the Second New Zealand Division, broke through the bayonet division under Minkar Kaim ^{[67] [69]} . By that time, bayonet attack skills had earned a Maori reputation as a bounty hunter among the German command, including Rommel ^[67] .

In September and October, the battalion took an active part in the attack on the Munassib lowland and the Miteiriya Ridge ridge during the second battle of El Alamein . On November 2, the battalion supported the breakthrough of the Allied forces ^[67] . Between July and November, the battalion lost three commanding officers ^[70] , but despite this, in March, the Maori switched from defense (under Medenine ) to attack (height 209 in the , where the German motorized rifle battalion was almost completely destroyed ^{[ 67]} . For the courage in this battle, the second lieutenant Moana-Nui-a-Kiva Ngarimu was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross ^[71] . The battalion commander, Lt. Col. Charles Bennet, received the ^[72]. .

Two weeks later, at night from April 19 to April 20, 1943, the battalion took part in the attack of the 5th brigade on the Tunisian village of Takroun. Due to the location of the village on top of a steep slope, strong fire from closed positions and many mines, the attack stalled. Many soldiers, including the commander, were injured ^[72] . Despite this, the company under the command of was able to gain a foothold on the rock at the beginning of twilight. Powerful shelling and hand-to-hand battles with Italians twice forced the Maori to leave the fortification, but each time the Manahi led a soldier in a counterattack. In the afternoon, Manachi with two assistants captured several machine-gun and mortar positions, encircling the Italians and forcing them to surrender. For these actions, Manakhi was recommended for the Victoria Cross, but received the medal "For Impeccable Service" ^[71] .

Italy

In May 1943, the battalion, together with the 5th brigade, returned to Egypt again, where it underwent refurbishment and retraining, and the skeleton of the brigade received a three-month dismissal from their homeland ^[73] . After Lieutenant Colonel Kingi Keiha was sent to the infirmary, there were no more Maori candidates for battalion commanders, and on September 11 he was replaced by Lieutenant Colonel Monty Fairbrader ^{[74] [75]} . The battalion did not take part in the Sicilian operation in July - August, but as part of the Second Division was sent to the Italian campaign . The battalion arrived in Italy on October 22, landing in Taranto. ^[76] The 5th brigade underwent exercises on melee tactics, remaining in the camp on November 18. On this day they were ordered to advance 400 km to the north to join the 8th Army ^[77] .

The 2nd New Zealand Division was to support the and take part in the , scheduled for the end of next month. The brigade consistently took up positions around Atessa , the Maori were in reserve, taking several low hills near the Sangro River ^[77] . The vanguard of the 8th Army reached Sangro in early November, and Harold Alexander , the commander of the , hoped that Montgomery with the attack on November 20. Montgomery secretly moved the 8th Indian division to narrow the front line, sending the 28th battalion to the ravine ^[78] . Downpour flooded the river, delaying the attack and giving the Germans time to wait for reinforcements. On the night of November 28, the 8th Army launched an attack with the support of heavy artillery. New Zealanders gradually broke forward, capturing most of the intended goals; The 28th battalion did not participate in the attack ^[79] .

In December, the 2nd Division took part in the . By that time, the attackers had broken through to the , and the 28th battalion crossed Sangro on December 1st. Congestion on the roads slowed down, and, arriving to capture Elici , the Maori discovered that the 23rd battalion and the cavalry division had already completed the mission. The battalion was again sent to the reserve, taking up positions 1,600 meters west of Castel Frentano ^[80] . On December 3, the 6th Infantry Brigade attacked Orsonia , first capturing it, but then leaving it in a heavy battle. The next attack was planned to be entrusted to New Zealanders from the 5th and 6th Infantry Brigades. The Maori attacked the 5th brigade to the spur Pascuccio ( Italian: Pascuccio ), it was planned to cut the road between Orsonia and Ortona east of the target of the 6th brigade. Fairbroder planned to attack with two companies. However, this did not happen due to the difficult terrain that prevented movement to Pascuccio ^[81] .

The attack on Orsonia began at 15:30, after a half-hour bombardment. This was the first battle of the battalion on Italian soil ^[82] . Despite some initial progress, the Germans managed to keep Orsonia in December under conditions of melee attacks ^[83] . In the end, the Maori were ordered to leave the front line on the night of January 15-16, 1944. During the battle, 11 soldiers of the battalion were killed and 222 wounded ^[84] .

New Zealanders were then sent to the to advance to Rome along the west coast ^[85] . In the process, the battalion was reorganized and trained near Sant'Angelo d'Alifé ^[86] . Fairbrader was replaced by another European officer, Major Russell Young, who was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He commanded the battalion until July 1944. ^[83]

While advancing along the Liri River valley, the Maori took part in the battle of Montecassino , where German troops strengthened near the walls of the Benedictine Abbey ^[86] . In January, the Allies continued the advance of the troops, but near Cassino they were detained by the Germans ^[87] . On the night of February 17-18, 1944, the Maori were sent to attack the railway station with the aim of creating a bridgehead ^[88] . They met fierce resistance and, despite the fact that they managed to capture the station, they could not hold it. In the absence of the requested armored vehicles, the 28th battalion continued to fight all morning and day, but after their positions were attacked by two tanks, the Maori were forced to retreat ^{[89] [90]} . Two attacking companies, “A” and “B”, lost more than 60% of the composition, 128 people wounded or killed ^[83] . In March, they again got involved in the battle of Cassino, but it was not possible to capture the abbey until May, by then New Zealanders were evacuated to the 8th Army ^{[83] [91]} .

Due to losses, the battalion returned to service only in July 1944. He took part in the operation near Florence , it is believed that they were the first to reach the city on August 4 ^[83] . At that time, Major Arapeta Avatere commanded the battalion (Young was hospitalized with jaundice ) ^[92] , although at the end of August Young returned and led the Maori attack in September under Rimini ^[93] . In November, Avater became the commander, and in December the battalion attacked the Germans at Faenza - for this attack, Avater received the medal “For Impeccable Service” ^[94] . In winter, the Allied attacks ceased due to snow ^[95] . Since January, the battalion held defensive positions until it was withdrawn in mid-March ^[96] .

In April 1945, the battalion returned to the front line to participate in the last stage of the war ^[83] . On April 1, the battalion was at the front near Granarolo dell'Emilia, along with the other troops of the 5th Brigade; the following month, they took part in major battles near the rivers Senio , Santerno , , , Guyana , pushing the Germans to Trieste ^[97] . In these battles, the battalion lost 25 people killed and 117 wounded ^[98] , and for the entire Italian campaign - 230 and 887, respectively ^[83] .

Dissolution

On May 2, 1945, it became clear that all German troops west of the Socha River surrendered. Five days later, the battalion found out about the unconditional surrender of Germany ^[99] . Despite this, the uncertainty regarding Yugoslavia and the disputed province of Istria meant that the 28th battalion remained on alert until early June ^[100] .

The next two weeks, the soldiers spent at a hotel on Lignano Beach, and then began to prepare for their return home ^[101] . At that time, the war with Japan continued, and it was assumed that the Māori would take part in operations in the Pacific Ocean. According to the order adopted at that time, soldiers who served longer were demobilized, and new people were expected in their place. Among other things, the commander, Lieutenant Colonel Arapet Avater, who was replaced by Lieutenant Colonel James Henare, left for New Zealand ^[101] .

In July, the battalion served a garrison service in Trieste , and then the 2nd Division received orders to move to Lake Trasimeno ^[102] . August 15, 1945 it became known about the surrender of Japan. In September, it was decided that before the departure of New Zealanders, funeral services should be held in Cassino, Sangro, Crete and (smaller) on the ranges of Koriano, Faenza, Forlì, Padua, Monfalkorn and Udine ^[103] .

The last group of old-timers was sent shortly after arriving at Trasimeno ^[102] , it was decided that the battalion would return to their homeland and then be dissolved. Because of this, the departure was suspended, the soldiers waited for the winter in Florence ^[104] . 270 people were sent to the in Japan under the command of Major J. S. Baker ^{[104] [105]} . On December 6, the battalion sailed on the vessel Dominion Monarch from Taranto via the Suez Canal to Wellington , where it arrived on January 23, 1946. There they were met by Prime Minister Walter Nash , a Maori welcome ceremony was held, after which the battalion was officially disbanded, and former soldiers were sent home. ^[106]

Over the entire period of its existence, 3,600 people served in the battalion ^[107] , of which 649 were killed or died from wounds, and 1712 were injured. Another 29 died in the service after the dissolution ^[105] . The reputation earned by the Māori battalion in North Africa led to the fact that they were often placed in the first wave of attackers. General Bernard Freiberg said:

There was no infantry formation more prominent, having seen more battles, and, alas, suffered more losses than the Maori battalion.

Original text

No infantry had a more distinguished record, or saw more fighting, or, alas, had such heavy casualties, as the Maori Battalion

- ^{[105] [108] [Note 1]}

The battalion also had a reputation with the enemy: some sources quote Erwin Rommel : “ Give me the Maori battalion, and I will conquer the world ” ^{[110] [111]} , others attribute this statement to General , who met the priest of the battalion, Huat, at a dinner dedicated to the meeting of the African Corps in Mainz in 1972 ^{[108] [112] [113]} .

In total, soldiers of the 28th battalion received more personal orders for bravery in battle than any other New Zealand battalion ^[114] . Second Lieutenant Moana-Nui-a-Kiva Ngarim was awarded the Victoria Cross ^[115] , and Sergeant Hannah Manahi was introduced to him. In the battle of Tacroun in 1943, Manahi led a detachment along the edge of a limestone ledge to occupy several Italian positions. The next day, he set off to capture Italian outposts. Four generals recommended the Manahs to the Cross, but their offer was rejected in London in favor of the ^{[116] [117]} .

In 2000, Ivi sent a petition to the Vaitangi for the replacement of the Haan Manahi medal with the Victoria Cross. In December 2005, the tribunal published finds that supported the petition, but in October 2006 the stated that replacement was not possible, since King George VI, who awarded the participants in World War II, was not able to do this ^{[71] [118]} . Instead, a letter from Queen Elizabeth II , altar vestments, and a sword was presented to his son on March 17, 2007, by the Duke of York . ^[118]

In addition, the fighters of the 28th battalion received seven orders “For Impeccable Service” ^{[Note 2]} , one order of the British Empire ^{[Note 3]} , 21 Military Cross with three ^{[Note 4]} , 13 medals “For Impeccable Service” " ^{[Note 5]} , 51 Military Medal ^{[Note 6]} , one ^{[Note 7]} and one Medal of Honor ^{[Note 8] [121]} .

The following is a list of the received by the battalion ^{[Note 9]} :

• Olympus Pass, Crete, El Alamen, Tebega Gap, Takrouna, North Africa 1942-43, Orsogna, Cassino 1, The Senio, Italy 1943-45, Mount Olympus, Greece 1941, Maleme, Canea, 42nd Street, Withdrawal to Sphakia, Middle East 1941-44, Tobruk 1941, Sidi Azeiz, Zemla, Alem Hamza, Mersa Matruh, Minqar Qaim, Defense of Alamein Line, El Mreir, Alam el Halfa, Nofilia, Medinine, El Hamma, Enfidaville, Djebibina, The Sangro, Castel Frentano , Monastery Hill, Advance to Florence, San Michele, Paula Line, Celle, Saint Angelo in Salute, Santerno Crossing, Bologna and Idice Bridgehead. ^{[122] [123]}

List of battalion commanders ^[124] :

• Lt. Col. George Dittmer ( Eng. George Dittmer , January 29, 1940 - February 7, 1942) ^{[Note 10]}
• Lieutenant Colonel Humphrey Goring Dyer ( English Humphrey Goring Dyer , February 7 - May 13, 1942);
• Lieutenant Colonel ( English Eruera Te Whiti o Rongomai Love , May 13 - July 12, 1942);
• Lt. Col. ( Eng. Frederick Baker , July 13 - November 2, 1942);
• Lt. Col. ( Eng. Charles Moihi Te Arawaka Bennett , November 2, 1942 - April 20, 1943);
• Lieutenant Colonel ( English Kingi Areta Keiha , April 22 - September 11, 1943);
• Lieutenant Colonel M.K. Fairbrother ( born MC Fairbrother , September 11 - December 27, 1943);
• Lt. Col. eng ( Russell Richard Thomas Young , December 27, 1943 - July 27, 1944);
• Lt. ( Arapata Marukitepua Pitapitanuiaranga Awatere , July 27 - August 29, 1944);
• Lieutenant Colonel R. R. T. Young ( English RRT Young , August 29 - November 18, 1944);
• Lieutenant Colonel Arapata Marukitepua Pitapitanuaniarang Avater ( born Arapata Marukitepua Pitapitanuiaranga Awatere , November 18, 1944 - June 21, 1945);
• Lieutenant Colonel ( eng. James Clendon Tau Henare , June 21, 1945 - January 23, 1946).

• New Zealand in World War II

• Webpage about the Second World War song Maori Battalion
• Official 28 Maori Battalion website