Ned Russell - The Siege Of Stuka Acres

Soldiers of the press. Whenever new battle fronts are opened you'll find the shock troops of news the war reporters moving up with our armed forces For theirs is the difficult and dangerous task of keeping the home front informed of developments on the far-flung fighting lines When American and British forces formed ashore in North Africa

Seven United press correspondents rode with the Rangers and commandos in the landing barges or watched the action from the bridges and and gundacks of warship screening the landings. This is the story of one of those men, Ned Russell of United Press.

You've never heard of Stuke Acres, I'm sure. I know for a certainty you won't find it on any map. Yet in more than three years covering war, the events of 72 hours at Stuke Acres have left it deeper and more lasting impression on my mind than any other experience of my life.

The hook acres is, or I should say was, a small to an Asian farm near the equally insignificant village of Tobuba. The name was given it by those of us who went through three days of incessant bombing and strafing by German dive bombers that allied advanced post.

But perhaps I'd better begin by telling you how I came to go to Tobuba in the first place. Well I was one of a group of United Press correspondents sent out from London to cover what turned out to be the opening of a second front. I first sat foot on North African soil

in the half-flight of a chilly dawn with a small party of American rangers who'd been detailed to take a strategic airfield at Bleeder, 30 miles southwest of Elgiers. As we splashed to shore a British Lieutenant Colonel with our task force commanded sharply.