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creating new pg, not a copy and paste job, will take a couple of hours
Rommel's troops had captured fifteen strongpoints on an arc of 5.6 kilometres of the perimeter, including its highest fort. But the Australians had largely contained this Italo-German thrust. One German POW said: "I cannot understand you Australians. In Poland, France, and Belgium, once the tanks got through the soldiers took it for granted that they were beaten. But you are like demons. The tanks break through and your infantry still keep fighting." Rommel wrote of seeing "a batch of some fifty or sixty Australian prisoners [mainly C Company, 2/24th Battalion that had surrendered to the Italians]... marched off close behind us — immensely big and powerful men, who without question represented an elite formation of the British Empire, a fact that was also evident in battle."
Nevertheless, Australian losses had been heavy. The 2/24th Battalion alone had lost nearly 50% killed, wounded or captured.
Nevertheless, Australian losses had been heavy. The 2/24th Battalion alone had lost nearly 50% killed, wounded or captured.