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==Siege of Tobruk==

==Siege of Tobruk==

During the Siege of Tobruk, the besieging troops were in the main part Italian units belonging to the ''Ariete'' Armoured Division and ''Trieste'' Motorized Division from the XXnd Motorised Corps, in support of the the ''Pavia'', ''Bologna'', and ''Brescia'' Infantry Divisions from the XXIst Infantry Corps. The sector manned by the ''Bologna'' Division consisted of several strongpoints manned by infantry and artillery battalions, all protected by extensive minefields.

During the Siege of Tobruk, the besieging troops were in the main part Italian units belonging to the ''Ariete'' Armoured Division and ''Trieste'' Motorized Division from the XXnd Motorised Corps, in support of the ''Pavia'', ''Bologna'', and ''Brescia'' Infantry Divisions from the XXIst Infantry Corps. The sector manned by the ''Bologna'' Division consisted of several strongpoints manned by infantry and artillery battalions, all protected by extensive minefields.

The Italians, during the [[Battle of the Salient]], had overrun most of the Australian positions lost outside Tobruk on May 1st 1941. Combat engineers under Lieutenant Francesco Tuci and Second Lieutenant Ernesto Betti, supported by Italian flamethrower tanks, had helped the 8th Bersaglieri Regiment capture several of the Australian strongpoints.<ref>[http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/firefly1002000/tobruk.html&date=2009-10-25+22:14:28 THE EARLY ATTEMPTS and SEIGE]</ref>

The Italians, during the [[Battle of the Salient]], had overrun most of the Australian positions lost outside Tobruk on May 1st 1941. Combat engineers under Lieutenant Francesco Tuci and Second Lieutenant Ernesto Betti, supported by Italian flamethrower tanks, had helped the 8th Bersaglieri Regiment capture several of the Australian strongpoints.<ref>[http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/firefly1002000/tobruk.html&date=2009-10-25+22:14:28 THE EARLY ATTEMPTS and SEIGE]</ref>

Lieutenant Tuci was posthumously awarded the ''Medaglia D'Argento'' (the Silver Medal, Italy's second highest military award for bravery, in helping his platoon of engineers fight off an Australian counterattack.<ref>"La sera del 29 il 1° plotone della 3a, agli ordini del Sototenente Ernesto Betti, andò in azione con un gruppo comandato dal Tenente dei Bersaglieri Melis. Questo reparto era costituito di un plotone Arditi dell'8° Bersaglieri e di 2 carri M13. Guastatori aprirono un varco nel campo minato protetto da filo spinato, antistante la Ridotto R3, I'assaltarono e la conquistarono utilizzando lanciafiamme e cariche cubiche ... Un commento al Bollettino di Guerra, trasmesso alle 13:00 del 10 maggio, informava che reparti del Genio Guastatori avevano espugnato 5 fortini della cerchia di Tobruk." Genio Guastatori, Silvestri Angioni Lombardi , p. 47, Edizioni R.E.I., 2015</ref>

Lieutenant Tuci was posthumously awarded the ''Medaglia D'Argento'' (the Silver Medal, Italy's second highest military award for bravery, in helping his platoon of engineers fight off an Australian counterattack).<ref>"La sera del 29 il 1° plotone della 3a, agli ordini del Sototenente Ernesto Betti, andò in azione con un gruppo comandato dal Tenente dei Bersaglieri Melis. Questo reparto era costituito di un plotone Arditi dell'8° Bersaglieri e di 2 carri M13. Guastatori aprirono un varco nel campo minato protetto da filo spinato, antistante la Ridotto R3, I'assaltarono e la conquistarono utilizzando lanciafiamme e cariche cubiche ... Un commento al Bollettino di Guerra, trasmesso alle 13:00 del 10 maggio, informava che reparti del Genio Guastatori avevano espugnato 5 fortini della cerchia di Tobruk." Genio Guastatori, Silvestri Angioni Lombardi , p. 47, Edizioni R.E.I., 2015</ref>

On May 3rd, the Australian 18th Brigade launched a counterattack but were only able to recapture one lost strongpoint in Italian hands. The Italian flamethrower attacks had dented Australian morale, with 30 Australian defenders reportedly evacuated in the first week of May suffering from self-inflicted-wounds.<ref>"More disturbing was the large number of self-inflicted wound (SIW) cases. During a single week in May the division reported thirty SIW cases..." Armies of Empire: The 9th Australian and 50th British Divisions in Battle 1939–1945, Allan Converse, p. 86, Cambridge University Press, 2011</ref>

On May 3rd, the Australian 18th Brigade launched a counterattack but were only able to recapture one lost strongpoint in Italian hands. The Italian flamethrower attacks had dented Australian morale, with 30 Australian defenders reportedly evacuated in the first week of May suffering from self-inflicted-wounds.<ref>"More disturbing was the large number of self-inflicted wound (SIW) cases. During a single week in May the division reported thirty SIW cases..." Armies of Empire: The 9th Australian and 50th British Divisions in Battle 1939–1945, Allan Converse, p. 86, Cambridge University Press, 2011</ref>

A further assault, this time by the Polish Carpathian Brigade (SBSK) supported by tanks and artillery, was required against the stubborn Italian defenders in the form of the rearguard of the ''Brescia'' Division dug in on White-Knoll, before the Axis siege of Tobruk was finally declared over on December 10th.

A further assault, this time by the Polish Carpathian Brigade (SBSK) supported by tanks and artillery, was required against the stubborn Italian defenders in the form of the rearguard of the ''Brescia'' Division dug in on White-Knoll, before the Axis siege of Tobruk was finally declared over on December 10th.

During Operation Crusader, 24 year-old Corporal Reginaldo Rossi of the 39th Bologna Infantry Regiment, won posthumously the ''Medaglia d’Argento al Valore Militare'', Italy’s second-highest military decoration. His Silver Medal for Valour citation reads:{{cquote|As an anti-tank gunner, he was an example to all for his discipline and the care and maintenance he took of the units weapons. In the bloody and arduous combat that took place against numerous armoured vehicles, he showed complete and total disregard to the danger present and with absolute calmness, he stuck to his gun that he refused to abandon, even when he found himself surrounded by the enemy.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110815092044/www.comandosupremo.com/bologna-division.html Hit by German and Italian anti-tank guns]</ref>}}

During Operation Crusader, 24 year-old Corporal Reginaldo Rossi of the 39th Bologna Infantry Regiment, won posthumously the ''Medaglia d’Argento al Valore Militare'', Italy's second-highest military decoration. His Silver Medal for Valour citation reads:{{cquote|As an anti-tank gunner, he was an example to all for his discipline and the care and maintenance he took of the units weapons. In the bloody and arduous combat that took place against numerous armoured vehicles, he showed complete and total disregard to the danger present and with absolute calmness, he stuck to his gun that he refused to abandon, even when he found himself surrounded by the enemy.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110815092044/www.comandosupremo.com/bologna-division.html Hit by German and Italian anti-tank guns]</ref>}}

An Australian historian, when writing about the Italian role during Operation Crusader, concluded that:{{cquote|The Axis units fought well, including the Italian Divisioni 'Ariete' and 'Bologna' - a 'semi-motorized' formation.<ref>El Alamein: The Battle That Turned the Tide of the Second World War, Bryn Hammond, p. 27, Osprey Publishing, 2012</ref>}}

An Australian historian, when writing about the Italian role during Operation Crusader, concluded that:{{cquote|The Axis units fought well, including the Italian Divisioni 'Ariete' and 'Bologna' - a 'semi-motorized' formation.<ref>El Alamein: The Battle That Turned the Tide of the Second World War, Bryn Hammond, p. 27, Osprey Publishing, 2012</ref>}}