NZ in WWII

A member of an expatriat list sent this out yesterday.  I have known some of the amazing NZ story in WWII, but this brief summary demonstrates the pride and power of the Kiwi's much better than I could tell...

Hi all

Given that the 70th anniversary of the German invasion of Poland to start World War 2 was last week, it might be useful to very quickly recap what New Zealand did in World War 2 for those not so well versed in NZ history.
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3 September 1939: New Zealand Declare War on Germany after ultimatim for Hitler to withdraw from Poland expires. Britain follow suit when the ultimatim expires in London. At this time the British Commonwealth very much functioned as one unit when it came to military issues - Britain was expected to provide security and supply the armaments

September 1939-May 1940: NZ troops arrive in Britain and France.

December 1939: NZ cruiser Achilles participates in Battle of River Plate where the German pocket-battleship Admiral Graf Spee confronts three British cruisers (Achilles was still a British ship but crewed by Kiwis). Graf Spee scuttled a few days later.

10 May 1940: Germans invade France, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg. NZ soldiers caught in the trap and are involved in the massive evacuation at Dunkirk.

July-September 1940: NZ fighter pilots join other Commonwealth, French, Czech, Dutch, Belgian, Polish and Norwegian fighter pilots in the Battle of Britain to defeat German Luftwaffe

September- November 1940: Blitz - German bombers bomb London for 57 consecutive nights with as many as 500 planes a time; NZ fighter pilots join the aerial defence of the UK.

November 1940: African campaign begins. British begin rolling back Italian gains in North Africa. 2nd NZ Division deployed there.

January 1941: Fears starting to grow about Japanese militarism in Pacific. NZ Division stays in Middle East.

6 April 1941: In response to Yugoslavia toppling pro-Nazi Prince, Germany invades Yugoslavia and Greece. Ferocious fighting on Crete between Commonwealth forces and Germans costs nearly half of German invasion force on first day, but the aerial support is overwhelming and the island falls.

Early April 1941: Rommel counter-attacks in Africa with a German-Italian force, and rolls back all British gains in 3 weeks to the Egyptian border, surrounding Tobruk which is subject to 7 month siege. NZ Division joins in the battle after being evacuated from Crete.

November-December 1941: Commonwealth forces counter-attack in Desert. Fierce fighting all the way back to Benghazi in Libya. Rommel becomes aware of how the Commonwealth fights around this time - impressed by common fighting spirit; Commonwealth troops recognised Rommel as a brilliant commander when other German field commanders in Europe and Russia developing track records that would incriminate them at Nuremberg.

7 December 1941: Japan bombs Pearl Harbor - you all know that. Simultaneous invasion of SE Asia begins. Despite rapidly growing danger, NZ stays in Middle East.

21 January 1942: Rommel counter-attacks to complete horror of all in the Desert - again British gains rolled rapidly. NZ Division being rebuilt after bruising campaign and not involved in this phase.

15 February 1942: Singapore falls. The British fortress island which was supposed to last three months in a siege falls in two days after Japanese come through back door. New Zealand starts preparing for invasion at this point with home guard forming, fortifications being built and requests for American assistance with personnel - Japanese plans actually did exist for an invasion of both Australia and NZ.

27 May 1942: Rommel attacks - again, dismantling incomplete British defensive line. NZ division is recalled from Syria where it was being rebuilt.

4 June 1942: US Navy planes destroy 4 Japanese carriers at Midway - NZ probably would have been invaded if the US had lost this battle.

21 June 1942: Rommel captures Tobruk. Suddenly the whole British position in the Middle East and the security of Middle East oil - yes, it was as important then as it is now - is in jeopardy.

3 July 1942: First Battle of El Alamein starts. About 4 New Zealanders won Victoria Cross's for exceptional bravery during this event, including only the third time a Victoria Cross and Bar has been awarded.

7 August 1942: Americans invade Guadalcanal. The Japanese airstrip there would have put Australia within bombing range if it had been completed. It is now the airport for Honiara.

23 October 1942: General Montgomery launches major offensive against the Germans at El Alamein. After 2 weeks of fierce fighting, Rommel finally retreats - Hitler never reinforced him after Tobruk and eventually paid a huge price for it. New Zealand Division leads one of the major break throughs in Rommel's defensive line.

April 1943: Japanese naval operations try to regain initiative in Solomons. First and only NZ naval involvement in Solomons results in mine sweeper being lost.

February-May 1943: Rommel retreats into Tunisia. One final attack launched at Kasserine but defeated after NZ Division cuts off the advance. African campaign ended with 250,000 prisoners on May 13.

July 1943: British Commonwealth and American forces land in Sicily.

September 1943: British and Commonwealth forces land on mainland Italy. Slow slog up the boot (thats what Italy looks like on the map), instead of a "jolly romp to Rome" begins.

January 1944-May 1944: Cassino. A five month slog through a town of only a few thousand people, but every pile of rubble fought over with incredible tenacity. More than 800 New Zealanders killed in one three assault in March. Single biggest NZ mistake of the war was that a senior officer thought the Germans were fortifying it, so he asked for the place to be bombed. None were there, but now that it had been bombed large numbers of troops did move in.

6 June 1944: Five NZ squadrons of fighter pilots participate in D-Day attack.

December 1944: NZ fighter bomber crews active in Allied air campaign in support of the ground forces fighting off the German Ardennes offensive.

May 1944-January 1945: Slow slog up Italian Peninsula continues. NZ'ers help break German defensive line in August. Progress hindered badly by onset of winter.

29 April 1945: Germans surrender in Italy. Mussolini hanged. New Zealand soldiers reach Trieste which becomes first flash point of Cold War when Yugoslav partisans try to claim the Italian town.

15 August 1945: Emperor Hirohito tells Japan to "endure the unendurable" and announces that it is folly to continue the war.

2 September 1945: Japan surrenders. NZ navy representatives present.
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It needs to be said that for a nation with a population of about 1.5 million, New Zealand sustained very high losses. 10% of the total population mobilised. 12,000 were killed.

Rob