SkipCaptcha
797
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 1:
Line 1: − + + + + + + + + +
work in progress
==Battle of the Salient==
==Battle of the Salient==
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."
The Axis attack faltered when the leading tanks ran into a minefield placed by General Morshead to stop any breaches of the ''Blue Line''. A German officer recalled: ''"Two companies get off their motor lorries and extend in battle order. All sorts of light signals go up — green, white, red. The flares hiss down near our own MGs. It is already too late to take aim. Well, the attack is a failure. The little Fiat-Ansaldos go up in front with flame-throwers in order to clean up the triangle. Long streaks of flame, thick smoke, filthy stink. We provide cover until 2345 hours, then retire through the gap. It is a mad drive through the dust. At 0300 hours have snack beside tank. 24 hours shut up in the tank, with frightful cramp as a result — and thirsty!"''<ref>http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/firefly1002000/tobruk.html FORTRESS TOBRUK
Another Thorn in Rommel's Side</ref>
After several tanks lost their tracks, the remaining Panzers retreated.
Nevertheless, 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.
== Notes ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
[[Category:World War II Battles]]