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On the night of 10/11 July, the Australian 9th Division attacked the 60th ''Sabratha'' Infantry Division defending Tel el Eisa. The German 621st Radio Intercept Company and 835 Italians from the ''Sabratha'' are captured.  The attacking 2nd/48th Battalion, under Lieutenant-Colonel Heathcote Hammer, had been greatly assisted by the supporting fire from 100 artillery guns. The next day, a battalion from the [[7th Bersaglieri Regiment]], under Lieutenant-Colonel Ugo Scirocco, counterattacks and recaptures part of Tel el Eisa along with thirteen Australians. <ref>According to the 2nd/48th Battalion War Diary: ''"[a]t approx 2000 hrs enemy tks-number unknown-and inf attacked D Coy front. They overrun posn and enemy inf forced D Coy to withdraw and occupied their psn."''</ref>The Bersaglieri suffers heavy casualties, but their attack allows the ''Trieste'' Infantry Division to send forward a company of tanks from Major Gabriele Verri's 11th Armoured Battalion that halts the Australians.<ref>"That afternoon Italian tanks counter-attacked both Australian battalions in an attempt to retake Hill 33 near the coast. Maj. Gabriele Verri, commanding 11th Armd. Bn. of the Trieste Motorised Division, sent a company of M13 and M14 tanks into the assault under Capt. Vittorio Bulgarelli." War in the Desert, Neil D. Orpen, p.367, Purnell, 1971</ref>

On the night of 10/11 July, the Australian 9th Division attacked the 60th ''Sabratha'' Infantry Division defending Tel el Eisa. The German 621st Radio Intercept Company and 835 Italians from the ''Sabratha'' are captured.  The attacking 2nd/48th Battalion, under Lieutenant-Colonel Heathcote Hammer, had been greatly assisted by the supporting fire from 100 artillery guns. The next day, a battalion from the [[7th Bersaglieri Regiment]], under Lieutenant-Colonel Ugo Scirocco, counterattacks and recaptures part of Tel el Eisa along with thirteen Australians. <ref>According to the 2nd/48th Battalion War Diary: ''"[a]t approx 2000 hrs enemy tks-number unknown-and inf attacked D Coy front. They overrun posn and enemy inf forced D Coy to withdraw and occupied their psn."''</ref>The Bersaglieri suffers heavy casualties, but their attack allows the ''Trieste'' Infantry Division to send forward a company of tanks from Major Gabriele Verri's 11th Armoured Battalion that halts the Australians.<ref>"That afternoon Italian tanks counter-attacked both Australian battalions in an attempt to retake Hill 33 near the coast. Maj. Gabriele Verri, commanding 11th Armd. Bn. of the Trieste Motorised Division, sent a company of M13 and M14 tanks into the assault under Capt. Vittorio Bulgarelli." War in the Desert, Neil D. Orpen, p.367, Purnell, 1971</ref>

On 14 July, Colonel Erminio Angelozzi's 1st Battalion (85th Infantry Regiment) from the ''Sabratha'', counterattacks the Australians dug in on Tel el Eisa and succeeds in recapturing the position. The defending battalion withdraws, but the 2nd/23rd Battalion attempts to push out the Italians on 16 July, overrunning a good part of the ''Sabratha'' <ref>"Next day, the 16th July, the British attacked again, but this time only locally. After intensive artillery preparation, the Australians attacked in the early hours of the morning with tank support and took several strong-points held by the Sabratha.“ History of the Second World War, Volume 3, p.1074, Purnell and Sons Limited, 1967</ref>before being forced to withdraw.

On 14 July, Colonel Erminio Angelozzi's 1st Battalion (85th Infantry Regiment) from the ''Sabratha'', counterattacks the Australians dug in on Tel el Eisa and succeeds in recapturing the position. The defending battalion withdraws, but the 2nd/23rd Battalion and the British 8th Royal Tank Regiment (8 RTR) attempts to push out the Italians on 16 July, overrunning a good part of the ''Sabratha'' <ref>"Next day, the 16th July, the British attacked again, but this time only locally. After intensive artillery preparation, the Australians attacked in the early hours of the morning with tank support and took several strong-points held by the Sabratha.“ History of the Second World War, Volume 3, p.1074, Purnell and Sons Limited, 1967</ref>before being forced to withdraw.

== Notes ==

== Notes ==

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[[Category:World War II Battles]]

[[Category:World War II Battles]]