The Germans catch up with the rearguard
18th April 1941: A small group of New Zealand soldiers find themselves on the run in Greece, running across country to evade capture
Lieutenant-Colonel Howard Kippenberger commanded the New Zealand 20th Battalion in Greece in April 1941. Very soon after arriving at their positions in northern Greece in early April, the whole expeditionary force had been outflanked and forced to make a fighting withdrawal. In mid-April, Kippenberger was responsible for the rear guard action. This was often a nerve-wracking business, as the shouts of New Zealand stragglers could be heard in the distance just before they demolished bridges and roadside obstacles to hinder the German advance, forcing them to wait precious minutes longer.
Half a mile ahead, fairly across the road, were two German tanks, firing fast down the road towards me.
Then, on the 18th April, Kippenberger1 suddenly became concerned that the Germans might have found a way to get ahead of his rearguard:
Walking back to my car I saw that everyone had stopped again, and saw a truck, half a mile ahead, burst into flames. Another truck blazed up an instant later. The men were scrambling up the low bank right of the road or diving into the shallow ditch beside it. I walked off the road to the left to get a better view, and looked through my glasses. Half a mile ahead, fairly across the road, were two German tanks, firing fast down the road towards me.
As I watched, with bitter disappointment, one swung its turret round and started firing in the opposite direction. I saw tracer from there lashing all round the tanks. Later I learned this was from our armoured car rearguard. It seemed just possible that we might clear the way by attacking with our three Bren carriers and their anti-tank rifles.
A two-pounder on portee[mounted on truck], presumably cut off from our rearguard, was out on the left firing furiously. A carrier from somewhere ahead in the column swung out from behind a truck and raced straight at the tanks. As I watched it suddenly slewed into the ditch and capsized. There were now three tanks, a hail of tracer round them and bouncing off.
