Major General Sir Howard Karl Kippenberger, (28 January 1897 – 5 May 1957), known as "Kip", was an officer of the New Zealand Military Forces who served in the First and Second World Wars.
Born in the Canterbury region of New Zealand, Kippenberger joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) in late 1915. He saw action in France on the Western Front, participating in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. A serious wound in November 1916 saw him repatriated to New Zealand and discharged from the NZEF. He qualified as a solicitor in 1920 and worked in a legal practice in Rangiora. In 1924, he joined the Territorial Force and by 1936 had advanced in rank to lieutenant colonel.
Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Kippenberger was appointed to command the 20th Battalion. He led the battalion for two years, through the Battles of Greece and Crete as well as part of the North African Campaign before being promoted to brigadier and taking command of the 5th Infantry Brigade. The pinnacle of his military career was as commander of the 2nd New Zealand Division during the Italian Campaign. He was wounded on 3 March 1944 during the Battle of Monte Cassino when he stepped on a land mine. As a result of his wounds, he lost both of his feet. After recovery in England, during which he was fitted with artificial limbs, he helped prepare for and assisted in the repatriation of newly released New Zealand prisoners of war. In 1946, he was appointed Editor-in-Chief of New Zealand's largest-ever publishing project, the Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–45. He was still working on the project when he died on 5 May 1957 in Wellington.
Early life Howard Kippenberger was born on 28 January 1897 in Ladbrooks, in the Canterbury region of New Zealand, to Karl and Annie Kippenberger. His unusual surname came from his paternal great-grandparents, who emigrated to New Zealand from Germany in 1863. The oldest of five children, he received his early education at local schools in Ladbrooks and nearby Prebbleton (Kippenberger's father was the headmaster at Prebbleton School). When he was 14, his father became a farmer and moved the family to Oxford. Kippenberger continued his schooling at Christchurch Boys' High School as a boarder.Harper, 2000a, pp. 269–271 Intellectually advanced for his age, he was not academically challenged at school and misbehaved in class. This, together with a low attendance rate, led to the school authorities asking him to leave high school. Returning home to Oxford, he worked on the family farm.Harper, 1997, pp. 24–25
Always interested in military history, Kippenberger joined the local unit of the New Zealand Cadet Corps and found that he enjoyed soldiering. His father did not approve of his interest but regardless, Kippenberger enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) in late 1915 at the age of 18. Because only men between the ages of 19 and 45 were required to register for service, he falsified his age to ensure that he would be eligible for duty overseas.Harper, 1997, pp. 25–27
First World War From January to April 1916, Kippenberger underwent basic training at Trentham Military Camp as part of the 12th Reinforcement of the NZEF. On 1 May, he embarked for Europe to join the New Zealand Division. However, during transit his transport ship was unexpectedly diverted to Egypt. For two months, his contingent was based at the training camp of the Australian Imperial Force at Tel-el-Kebir but had very little to do with only a few hours of training each day. The 12th Reinforcement left in July for Sling Camp in England, where it underwent more intense training.Harper, 1997, pp. 29–31
Western Front
Kippenberger finally arrived on the Western Front in September 1916, as a private in the 1st Battalion, Canterbury Regiment. His arrival at the front coincided with the Somme Offensive. He took part in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette which began on 15 September and remained in the front lines for over three weeks before the regiment was withdrawn. His unit suffered heavy casualties during this time; Kippenberger was one of just five soldiers left in his platoon after the battle ended.Harper, 1997, pp. 33–34
After rest and recovery, the regiment moved to the Fromelles sector of the front in mid-October. Here Kippenberger volunteered for sniper duty despite not being known for his accuracy as a marksman. He served in this capacity until he was badly wounded in the arm by shrapnel on 10 November 1916.Harper, 1997, p. 37 Although he eventually recovered from his wound, at the time it was serious enough that he was repatriated to New Zealand and discharged from the NZEF in April 1917.
Civilian life Kippenberger appreciated the need to establish a career for himself and to this end, decided on a profession in law. In early 1918 he enrolled at Canterbury College to study law and later in the year found a job as a law clerk in a legal practice in Christchurch. Here he met Ruth Isobel Flynn, a secretary, whom he married in 1922. The couple had three children, two sons and a daughter. Working by day, and studying in the evenings, he qualified as a solicitor in 1920. He moved to Rangiora, becoming the manager and then a partner of the Rangiora branch of a Christchurch legal firm.Harper, 1997, pp. 43–46
Kippenberger became immersed in the Rangiora community, serving on the local council and becoming involved in various committees. He also retained an interest in the military and in March 1924, was commissioned in the Territorial Force as a second lieutenant in the 1st Battalion of the Canterbury Regiment. He firmly believed that a large scale conflict would once again occur in Europe, and he wanted to be prepared for this eventuality. Therefore, he built up an extensive military library and studied the theory of warfare and analysed past campaigns to ascertain strategy and tactics for a given situation. He noted the influence of landscape on the outcomes of battles and the qualities of a successful military commander.Harper, 1997, pp. 47–49 He even set up a large sand table in his office at his law practice for war gaming.Harper, 1997, p. 54 What he would learn from his studies, he put into practice in his training with the Territorials. By July 1936, he held the rank of lieutenant-colonel and was the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion.
Second World War On the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, Kippenberger was given command of the 20th Battalion. Formed at Burnham Military Camp in early October, the battalion was to be part of the 2nd New Zealand Division.Pringle & Glue, 1957, p. 1 After a period of training, it departed for the Middle East on 5 January 1940.Pringle & Glue, 1957, p. 11 The battalion arrived at its base in Maadi, Egypt, on 14 February,Pringle & Glue, 1957, p. 17 and was involved in training and garrison duty at Baggush for most of the next 12 months.McGibbon, 2000, pp. 263–265
Greece and Crete Anticipating an invasion of Greece by the Germans in 1941, the British Government decided to send troops to support the Greeks. The 2nd New Zealand Division, under the command of Major General Bernard Freyberg, was amongst the various Allied units dispatched to Greece in early March.McClymont, 1959, p. 103 As part of the 4th Infantry Brigade, the 20th Battalion prepared and manned the western edge of the Aliakmon Line, a position Kippenberger was not particularly happy with. He felt the defensive line allocated to his battalion was too wide to meaningfully defend, and he took care to reconnoiter avenues of retreat from his positions.Harper, 1997, pp. 70–72 On 6 April, the expected German invasion began and they advanced so rapidly a threat to Florina Gap became apparent. The 4th Infantry Brigade, in danger of being outflanked, was withdrawn to the Servia Pass where it manned defensive positions much superior to its previous positions.Pringle & Glue, 1957, p. 49
The German attack commenced on 14 April and the brigade defended its position for three days before being withdrawn. Kippenberger's battalion was chosen to be the rearguard and he personally intervened in the demolition of bridges and culverts through Servia Pass to ensure that as many stragglers as possible were collected.McLean, 2008, pp. 158–159 He and some of his demolition party later came under artillery and tank fire as they attempted to catch up with the main body of the brigade,Harper, 1997, pp. 75–77 and were forced to abandon their vehicles and rejoin the battalion on foot. After conducting further delaying actions on the road leading into Athens, Kippenberger and his command were evacuated to Crete on 28 April.Harper, 1997, p. 78
On Crete, Kippenberger was promoted to temporary colonel and given command of the 10th Brigade, an ad hoc formation, which included a 750-man composite battalion consisting mainly of artillery and Army Service Corps men (sans most of their heavy equipment and trucks), New Zealand Divisional Cavalry, some machine gunners and two Greek regiments (although Kippenberger assessed the Greek units to be of limited use). His 20th Battalion was also part of the brigade but strict controls were in place around its deployment and use.Harper, 1997, pp. 86–88
When the Germans launched the invasion of Crete on 20 May, Kippenberger, like most of the defenders of the island, was surprised at the sight of hundreds of Fallschirmjäger (paratroopers) descending under parachutes. He quickly recovered and was making his way to his headquarters, when a burst of gunfire from a paratrooper was directed his way. After twisting his ankle in avoiding the gunfire, he stalked and killed the paratrooper with a shot to the head. His brigade was positioned east of Maleme airfield, on the Galatas plains. It was well placed to counterattack scattered paratroopers who were beginning to consolidate into a good starting position from which an attack on the airfield could be launched. His request to do so was denied by the acting divisional commander, Brigadier Edward Puttick. An attack launched later without Kippenberger's knowledge failed although he believed the outcome could have been different if his troops had been involved.Harper, 1997, pp. 92–93
For most of the remaining days of the battle, a series of attacks and counterattacks were launched. The 10th Brigade had been made subordinate to the 4th Infantry Brigade, although Kippenberger remained in command of the forward troops of the brigade around the town of Galatas. For the next few days, he was instrumental in maintaining defensive discipline of the forward troops, most of whom were not trained infantry. When Galatas fell to the Germans on 25 May, he quickly planned, led and executed a successful counterattack to recapture the town.Harper, 1997, pp. 94–95 Despite this notable success, it was short-lived as the brigade had to withdraw to a shorter defensive line and the town was abandoned. Kippenberger joined up with the 20th Battalion as it gradually retreated to Sphakia, on the south coast of the island, from where it was to be evacuated to Egypt.Pringle & Glue, 1957, p. 137 On arrival at Sphakia he had to select a number of his men to remain as a rearguard while the rest of the battalion was evacuated on 30 May. Much to his pleasure, the rearguard that he thought he had had to abandon on Crete was able to follow the next day.McLean, 2008, pp. 184–185
As a result of his actions in Greece and Crete, Kippenberger had forged a reputation for himself as one of the leading officers of the 2nd Division. His brigade commander, Puttick, recommended him for leadership of an infantry brigade although for the time being he would remain commander of the 20th Battalion.McLean, 2008, pp. 186–187 Later in the year, he would be awarded a Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his leadership during the Battle of Crete.McLean, 2008, p. 188
North Africa