SkipCaptcha
797
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Adding 2nd page to do with North African Campaign in WW2
The Battle of Mersa Matruh was fought from 26 June to 29 June 1942. It was Generalfeldmarschall [[Erwin Rommel]]'s last significant victory obtained in Libya, following the capture of Tobruk. The battle developed as the German [[90th Light Division]] pursued the Eighth Army as it retreated into Egypt. Rommel intended to engage and completely destroy Lieutenant-General William Holmes’ 10th Corps defending Mersa Matruh, but many of the British units were able to escape in confused night fighting. On 29 June, Mersa Matruh was stormed and 6,500 British Commonwealth soldiers were captured, along with another 3,000 Indian, Gurkha and New Zealand troops that fell into Axis hands in the advance to Mersa Matruh and Fuka.
==Battle strength==
After Major-General Hendrik Klopper’s surrender at Tobruk, both sides found themselves exhausted and weakened from the tough fighting. Nevertheless on 23 June 1942, Rommel seized the initiative. Rommel planned to strike first the British strongpoint locted south of Mersa Matruh, where Lieutenant-General William Gott’s XIIIth Corps, comprising the 1st British Armored Division and the 2nd New Zealand Division were positioned. He then planned to pass through the 15th Panzer Division and Italian ''Trieste'' and ''Ariete'' Armoured Divisions to cut off and encircle Mersa Matruh.
Rommel’s formations had commandeered captured British vehicles for their advance as many Axis vehicles had been worn out or lost in the fighting. He had on paper, the 15th Panzer, 21st Panzer and 90th Light Divisions, supported by the Italian ''Brescia'', ''Trento'', ''Trieste'', ''Ariete'' and ''Littorio'' Divisions. In reality, the Germans had only 44 tanks left in service for the forthcoming battle while Italians had only 14 operational tanks. To make matters worse, the three German divisions were much reduced in numbers and had only a combat strength of around 2,500 men left. But the Italian divisions would remedy the situation, with 6,000 available combat troops. The British Commonwealth forces on the other hand, had eight strong infantry brigades in position, with the British 1st British Armored Division at full strength with 160 tanks.
==Axis advance==
On 26 June, the Brescia and Trento Divisions reached the outskirts of Mersa Matruh. The next morning, the 90th Light Division attacked the 9th Battalion ''Durham Light Infantry '' dug in about 27 kilometers (seventeen miles) south of Mersa Matruh and captured, after some tough fighting,the British strongpoint along with 300 troops.
The 2nd New Zealand Divison was in process of taking up positions at Minqar Qaim, 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Mersa Matruh, when a report was received that a large enemy armored force was approaching. The Italians undoubtedly played an important part in the advance with the Brescia and Trento Divisions shelling Mersa Matruh and the Bersaglieri Corps capturing the Gurkha forces that had escaped the Tobruk fighting. A British soldier, Les Davies recalled the Italian bombardment, ''"You will have read about the boxes formed in the desert, the loss of Tobruk and the fast moving battles we have had. Well the last one of all, Mersa Matruh, was the worst, I will never forget it. We were in a box and Jerry shelled from all sides and continued day and night and we had to break out at the finish or be taken prisoner.”''<ref>[http://www.comandosupremo.com/mersa.html Shelled From All Sides The Battle of Mersa Matruh]</ref>
In the meantime, General der Panzertruppe [[Ulrich Kleeman]], took the 90th Light Division around the southern flank of the 10th British Corps, and cut the coastal road about thirty kilometers east from Mersa Matruh. That night, Gott decided in view of the condition of the New Zealand Division, which had been weakened, more by artillery fire than by direct enemy action, to withdraw to El Alamein
The whole of Holmes’ 10th Corps, encircled at Mersa Matruh, could have withdrawn on this day, but it was still hoped that the 1st Armoured and New Zealand infantry would defend the fortress, and it was not until 0430 hours on 28 June that news was received that the 13th Corps was in fact retiring, and their southern flank was now exposed. With 13th Corps retreating, Rommel sent his 21st Panzer Division to pursue the British and overran a good part of the 29th Indian Brigade at Fuka.
==Breakout==
During the night of 28 June, an attempt was made to break out of the Axis encircelment. Kleeman had by this time been heavily reinforced by the Bersaglieri Corps (7th and 9th Bersaglieri Regiments), and escaping troops from the 10th Indian Division came under heavy fire from the Littorio Armored Division and supporting 12 Bersaglieri Regiment near Wadi Nagamish. Nevertheless, large numbers of Allied troops were able to escape under the cover of darkness. Les Davies recalls the costly British breakout, ''"The next day we reformed and got ready, it was Sunday. Shells were coming over by the dozen and Jerry was closing in on us, so as soon as it was dark we made our mad dash to freedom and at a dear cost. Hell was let loose, he knew we were coming out. We broke the way through. Trucks were burning, men were killed and wounded and screaming for help, we could not stop as tracer bullets were flying through us and tanks were knocking hell out our trucks."''<ref>[http://www.comandosupremo.com/mersa.html/2 Dash for Freedom The Battle of Mersa Matruh]</ref>
==British surrender==
Italian combat engineers and armoured cars soon arrive to open routes in the British minefields, and at dawn supporting Bersaglieri troops moved up under shellfire. At 0930 hours, the 7th Bersaglieri Regiment (under Colonel Ugo Scirocco) finally breaks through the British defenses, and 6,500 British Commonwealth troops (including the ''Durham Light Infantry ''captured) fall into Axis hands. About the same time, the 21st Panzer Division overruns Fuka, capturing another 1,600 British Commonwealth troops.
==Allied losses==
Some 10,000 Allied prisoners were captured during the advance to Mersa Matruh and Fuka, with 6,500 taken at Matruh and 1,600 taken at Fuka, with another 2,000 stragglers (New Zealanders and Gurkhas) rounded up soon after in the mopping up operations near Minqar Qaim and elsewhere. Large supply dumps were captured along with 40 repairable tanks.
==References==
<references/>
== External links ==
* [http://www.comandosupremo.com/mersa.html The Battle of Mersa Matruh]
==Battle strength==
After Major-General Hendrik Klopper’s surrender at Tobruk, both sides found themselves exhausted and weakened from the tough fighting. Nevertheless on 23 June 1942, Rommel seized the initiative. Rommel planned to strike first the British strongpoint locted south of Mersa Matruh, where Lieutenant-General William Gott’s XIIIth Corps, comprising the 1st British Armored Division and the 2nd New Zealand Division were positioned. He then planned to pass through the 15th Panzer Division and Italian ''Trieste'' and ''Ariete'' Armoured Divisions to cut off and encircle Mersa Matruh.
Rommel’s formations had commandeered captured British vehicles for their advance as many Axis vehicles had been worn out or lost in the fighting. He had on paper, the 15th Panzer, 21st Panzer and 90th Light Divisions, supported by the Italian ''Brescia'', ''Trento'', ''Trieste'', ''Ariete'' and ''Littorio'' Divisions. In reality, the Germans had only 44 tanks left in service for the forthcoming battle while Italians had only 14 operational tanks. To make matters worse, the three German divisions were much reduced in numbers and had only a combat strength of around 2,500 men left. But the Italian divisions would remedy the situation, with 6,000 available combat troops. The British Commonwealth forces on the other hand, had eight strong infantry brigades in position, with the British 1st British Armored Division at full strength with 160 tanks.
==Axis advance==
On 26 June, the Brescia and Trento Divisions reached the outskirts of Mersa Matruh. The next morning, the 90th Light Division attacked the 9th Battalion ''Durham Light Infantry '' dug in about 27 kilometers (seventeen miles) south of Mersa Matruh and captured, after some tough fighting,the British strongpoint along with 300 troops.
The 2nd New Zealand Divison was in process of taking up positions at Minqar Qaim, 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Mersa Matruh, when a report was received that a large enemy armored force was approaching. The Italians undoubtedly played an important part in the advance with the Brescia and Trento Divisions shelling Mersa Matruh and the Bersaglieri Corps capturing the Gurkha forces that had escaped the Tobruk fighting. A British soldier, Les Davies recalled the Italian bombardment, ''"You will have read about the boxes formed in the desert, the loss of Tobruk and the fast moving battles we have had. Well the last one of all, Mersa Matruh, was the worst, I will never forget it. We were in a box and Jerry shelled from all sides and continued day and night and we had to break out at the finish or be taken prisoner.”''<ref>[http://www.comandosupremo.com/mersa.html Shelled From All Sides The Battle of Mersa Matruh]</ref>
In the meantime, General der Panzertruppe [[Ulrich Kleeman]], took the 90th Light Division around the southern flank of the 10th British Corps, and cut the coastal road about thirty kilometers east from Mersa Matruh. That night, Gott decided in view of the condition of the New Zealand Division, which had been weakened, more by artillery fire than by direct enemy action, to withdraw to El Alamein
The whole of Holmes’ 10th Corps, encircled at Mersa Matruh, could have withdrawn on this day, but it was still hoped that the 1st Armoured and New Zealand infantry would defend the fortress, and it was not until 0430 hours on 28 June that news was received that the 13th Corps was in fact retiring, and their southern flank was now exposed. With 13th Corps retreating, Rommel sent his 21st Panzer Division to pursue the British and overran a good part of the 29th Indian Brigade at Fuka.
==Breakout==
During the night of 28 June, an attempt was made to break out of the Axis encircelment. Kleeman had by this time been heavily reinforced by the Bersaglieri Corps (7th and 9th Bersaglieri Regiments), and escaping troops from the 10th Indian Division came under heavy fire from the Littorio Armored Division and supporting 12 Bersaglieri Regiment near Wadi Nagamish. Nevertheless, large numbers of Allied troops were able to escape under the cover of darkness. Les Davies recalls the costly British breakout, ''"The next day we reformed and got ready, it was Sunday. Shells were coming over by the dozen and Jerry was closing in on us, so as soon as it was dark we made our mad dash to freedom and at a dear cost. Hell was let loose, he knew we were coming out. We broke the way through. Trucks were burning, men were killed and wounded and screaming for help, we could not stop as tracer bullets were flying through us and tanks were knocking hell out our trucks."''<ref>[http://www.comandosupremo.com/mersa.html/2 Dash for Freedom The Battle of Mersa Matruh]</ref>
==British surrender==
Italian combat engineers and armoured cars soon arrive to open routes in the British minefields, and at dawn supporting Bersaglieri troops moved up under shellfire. At 0930 hours, the 7th Bersaglieri Regiment (under Colonel Ugo Scirocco) finally breaks through the British defenses, and 6,500 British Commonwealth troops (including the ''Durham Light Infantry ''captured) fall into Axis hands. About the same time, the 21st Panzer Division overruns Fuka, capturing another 1,600 British Commonwealth troops.
==Allied losses==
Some 10,000 Allied prisoners were captured during the advance to Mersa Matruh and Fuka, with 6,500 taken at Matruh and 1,600 taken at Fuka, with another 2,000 stragglers (New Zealanders and Gurkhas) rounded up soon after in the mopping up operations near Minqar Qaim and elsewhere. Large supply dumps were captured along with 40 repairable tanks.
==References==
<references/>
== External links ==
* [http://www.comandosupremo.com/mersa.html The Battle of Mersa Matruh]