“We can’t see machine guns with tank invulnerability. They’re like the Zulus so they can’t even stop explosive bullets,” were the words of the Australian commander. GPW Meredith in front of the press to apologize for the withdrawal during the war that the Australian Army was involved in flying with this flight. Bird compared to the terror of the African Zulu warrior is an exaggeration, but Meredith was a surreal engagement that lasted for almost forty days and resulted in the ignominious defeat of Australia.
great enemy
The exercise took place from 2 November 1932 to 10 December of the same year, the purpose of which was to contain the growing population of emo in Western Australia. About 20,000 eels settled on the newly cultivated land in this area, destroying the crops of the farmers.
These birds – the third heaviest bird in the world – led the work of many Australian and British veterans. The First World War who are forced to become farmers and work the land in marginal areas and in miserable conditions. Adding to this problem was the plummeting price of wheat The Great Depression of 1929. Moreover, these large winged birds not only devour the wheat, but also damage the hedges, which allow smaller, more destructive animals, such as rabbits, to further destroy the crops.
A man holding an emu was killed by Australian soldiers
Faced with these threats, the birds represented the farmers; They received the old trade, and armed themselves with little success in endeavoring to defeat their enemies.they managed to kill only twelve of them in one day. In desperation, farmers took their concerns to the Australian government and George Pearce, the defense minister, agreed to end the emu infestation under a series of conditions; weapons to be used only by military personnelthe transport of the troops would be financed by the government of Western Australia and the farmers would be responsible for providing food and accommodation for the soldiers; and the solution of the fortification.
men versus birds
Assigned to the Minister of Defense Two Louis machine guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition to complete the “invader”. The operation under the command of Commander GPW Meredith had to be postponed for a month due to heavy rain on 2 November. On that day the soldiers made their first attack safe, because those birds did not resist.
When they came to the battle, they saw about fifty soldiers. When the birds were out of the machine-guns, the local settlers tried to drive them into a trap; But their adversaries, cleverly and perceiving the design of the Australians, were divided into small groups and fled. the harder the guns aim at them. On the second attempt several birds were killed, and on the same day other groups were found. According to a daily military report, “perhaps twelve” were killed.
Australian soldiers look at a Lewis machine gun
“If we had a military division with the capability of these bald birds, they would take on any army in the world. Despite sending hundreds of birds, the Australian Army could not reduce the emu population; their numbers were increasing. Nothing with the birds. No ambushes, no machine guns, no vehicles loaded with guns. I didn’t work for anything.
Received
it is clear he had commanded an emu commando of the clandestine warsoon his difficult army was divided into an infinite number of small armies, which were ineffective in military practice. Therefore, the downed field force withdrew from the battle area after about a month,” wrote the ornithologist Dominicus Servitus.
The speed and skill of the army surpassed the military strength of Australia. In total, 2,500 rounds of ammunition were used and only 200 birds were hit. And so General Meredith, having accepted the defeat, retired from the battle. Although they are trying to exterminate this, they are still abundant in Australia, but the older fences are now used to keep out the fields. A much simpler solution.
