Changes

==Miteiriya==

==Miteiriya==

General Auchinleck is determined to retain the initiative and orders another two brigade-sized attacks on the night of july 26/27, with Major Lew McCarter's 2nd/28th Battalion tasked with pushing through the supposedly demoralized Italian defenders on Sanyet el Miteiriya/Ruin Ridge,<ref>"The aim was to breach a section of line held by Italian troops, the more brittle element in Rommel's army." [https://www.awm.gov.au/talks-speeches/1942-ruin-ridge/ Remembering 1942: Ruin Ridge]</ref> also known as Ruin Ridge. However, the Australian attack against Miteiriya Ridge meets unexpected tough resistance from machinegunners and antitank gunners from the ''Trento''<ref>"We could see the Australians and British advancing rather spread out, about 750 yards in front of us, all in groups corresponding with their units. We ceased fire with the machine-guns — there was still plenty of time for them — but continued with our 47/32s ... When they got within 300 yards, we opened up with everything. The noise was terrific; you could only tell a gun was firing by the smoke and powder coming out of its muzzle. It was almost eleven o’clock. My tommy-gun broke down after about 3,000 rounds — ejector broken! The machine-gun also played up a bit after 5,000 rounds. But by that time the attack was beginning to peter out. The British artillery had packed it in. By midday it was all over. After the withdrawal, followed by our counterattack, the ambulances returned to start ferrying back the dead and wounded, but we got suspicious after an hour or so because they seemed to be hanging about too much. We fired a few shots over their heads to let them know it was time to break it up. They took the hint and went — and didn’t come back." Alamein 1933-1962: An Italian Story, Paolo Caccia Dominioni de Sillavengo, p. 87, Allen & Unwin, 1966</ref> and the attack is halted soon after dawn, with Australian intelligence officer (Lieutenant Walker) reporting Major McCarter's battalion surrounded by armoured cars,<ref>"The Bn was completely surrounded by ARMORED CARS which worked forward under cover of fire from enemy tanks further back, while 20mm, MMG and mortar fire kept the heads of our own troops well down. In this manner the enemy was able to cut off and dispose of sections and platoons one by one, until at 1030 hrs Bn HQ area was occupied by several ARMORED CARS and surviving personnel taken prisoner. An effort had been made to hinder the enemy armored vehicles by bringing Arty fire to bear on them before they dispersed. Unfortunately the only communication with Bde was by one wireless set WT repaired by Sigs, after about eight hours work. Messages reporting the situation were sent immediately once this set was capable of functioning, i.e., about 0930 hrs onwards. Last message was “All up, overrun!”." [https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1026672/?image=5  July 1942 Diary by Lieutenant S. A. Walker]</ref> that arrived from the ''Trieste''.<ref>"The names of certain units were on everyone’s lips up and down the line following particularly brilliant actions, among them the reconnaissance Group of the Trieste. It had been set up some time previously: it was hardly a homogeneous unit on the German pattern, but did reflect admirably the Italian genius of improvisation. They had no more than nine vehicles–Morrises, Fords, Dingos and Jeeps, all captured from the enemy–armed with small caliber guns and machine-guns of all descriptions, British, Italian and German, together with two British 88 guns and their carriages, and two small supply lorries." Alamein 1933-1962: An Italian Story, Paolo Caccia Dominioni de Sillavengo, p. 79, Allen & Unwin, 1966</ref> Supporting British armour runs into a minefield that is not cleared in time by South African engineers, and the Australians are forced to surrender to the Italians.<ref>"Assuming that the Italians were demoralized and easy pickings was a mistake, which the 9th Australian Division, the heroes of the defense of Tobruk in 1941, learned to its regret. A night attack against the Trento and Trieste Divisions, after some initial success, was bloodily repulsed, one entire battalion of Australian infantry being overrun." Field Marshal: The Life and Death of Erwin Rommel, Daniel Allen Butler, p. 352, Casemate, 2015</ref><ref>"Il contrattacco sviluppato da un battaglione di secondo scaglione della divisione «Trieste» e da un battaglione della «Trento», era riuscito ad impedire il dilagare della penetrazione, con la cattura di 500 prigionieri e stroncando ogni ulteriore possibilità di avanzata nemica verso ovest." Seconda Controffensiva Italo-Tedesca in Africa Settentrionale da El Agheila a El Alamein, p. 181,Tipografia regionale, 1951</ref>The Australian battalion loses 65 men killed and 490 captured in the attack against the Italian strongpoint.<ref>[https://www.oceancitytoday.com/column_posts/world_war_ii/allied-forces-panzerarmee-afrika-meet-in-el-alamein/article_3f8fe4a2-fe21-11ec-badf-db800f870e65.html Allied Forces, Panzerarmee Afrika meet in El Alamein]</ref> The war diary of the 2nd/28th Battalion would be declared lost, and many shocked survivors in the unit would later claim they surrendered to panzers from Battle Group ''Briehl''. According to Sergeant Bill Rudd's version of the Australian attack:{{cquote|The German guns on the right flank were having a field day, and the German voices were close enough to be understandable ... The false dawn revealed us spread over the top of the ridge for about a quarter of a square mile. There was an anti-tank gun set up on our right flank and we could hear the rumble of approaching tanks, and the sounds of machine guns. But as the sky brightened and the tanks closed in, their German crosses became only too visible. There was not a sign of any British tanks, which had apparently failed to start on time and never reached the site of the battle.<ref>[http://www.anzacpow.com/part_4__nominal_roll_all_evades/chapter_4__ninth_division/24th_brigade ANZAC POW]</ref>}}

General Auchinleck is determined to retain the initiative and orders another two brigade-sized attacks on the night of July 26/27, with Major Lew McCarter's 2nd/28th Battalion tasked with pushing through the supposedly demoralized Italian defenders on Sanyet el Miteiriya/Ruin Ridge,<ref>"The aim was to breach a section of line held by Italian troops, the more brittle element in Rommel's army." [https://www.awm.gov.au/talks-speeches/1942-ruin-ridge/ Remembering 1942: Ruin Ridge]</ref> also known as Ruin Ridge. However, the Australian attack against Miteiriya Ridge meets unexpected tough resistance from machine-gunners and anti-tank gunners from the ''Trento'' Division<ref>"We could see the Australians and British advancing rather spread out, about 750 yards in front of us, all in groups corresponding with their units. We ceased fire with the machine-guns — there was still plenty of time for them — but continued with our 47/32s ... When they got within 300 yards, we opened up with everything. The noise was terrific; you could only tell a gun was firing by the smoke and powder coming out of its muzzle. It was almost eleven o’clock. My tommy-gun broke down after about 3,000 rounds — ejector broken! The machine-gun also played up a bit after 5,000 rounds. But by that time the attack was beginning to peter out. The British artillery had packed it in. By midday it was all over. After the withdrawal, followed by our counterattack, the ambulances returned to start ferrying back the dead and wounded, but we got suspicious after an hour or so because they seemed to be hanging about too much. We fired a few shots over their heads to let them know it was time to break it up. They took the hint and went — and didn’t come back." Alamein 1933-1962: An Italian Story, Paolo Caccia Dominioni de Sillavengo, p. 87, Allen & Unwin, 1966</ref> and the attack is halted soon after dawn, with Australian intelligence officer (Lieutenant Walker) reporting Major McCarter's battalion surrounded by armoured cars,<ref>"The Bn was completely surrounded by ARMORED CARS which worked forward under cover of fire from enemy tanks further back, while 20mm, MMG and mortar fire kept the heads of our own troops well down. In this manner the enemy was able to cut off and dispose of sections and platoons one by one, until at 1030 hrs Bn HQ area was occupied by several ARMORED CARS and surviving personnel taken prisoner. An effort had been made to hinder the enemy armored vehicles by bringing Arty fire to bear on them before they dispersed. Unfortunately the only communication with Bde was by one wireless set WT repaired by Sigs, after about eight hours work. Messages reporting the situation were sent immediately once this set was capable of functioning, i.e., about 0930 hrs onwards. Last message was “All up, overrun!”." [https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1026672/?image=5  July 1942 Diary by Lieutenant S. A. Walker]</ref> that arrived from the ''Trieste''.<ref>"The names of certain units were on everyone’s lips up and down the line following particularly brilliant actions, among them the reconnaissance Group of the Trieste. It had been set up some time previously: it was hardly a homogeneous unit on the German pattern, but did reflect admirably the Italian genius of improvisation. They had no more than nine vehicles–Morrises, Fords, Dingos and Jeeps, all captured from the enemy–armed with small caliber guns and machine-guns of all descriptions, British, Italian and German, together with two British 88 guns and their carriages, and two small supply lorries." Alamein 1933-1962: An Italian Story, Paolo Caccia Dominioni de Sillavengo, p. 79, Allen & Unwin, 1966</ref> Supporting British armour runs into a minefield that is not cleared in time by South African engineers, and the Australians are forced to surrender to the Italians.<ref>"Assuming that the Italians were demoralized and easy pickings was a mistake, which the 9th Australian Division, the heroes of the defense of Tobruk in 1941, learned to its regret. A night attack against the Trento and Trieste Divisions, after some initial success, was bloodily repulsed, one entire battalion of Australian infantry being overrun." Field Marshal: The Life and Death of Erwin Rommel, Daniel Allen Butler, p. 352, Casemate, 2015</ref><ref>"Il contrattacco sviluppato da un battaglione di secondo scaglione della divisione «Trieste» e da un battaglione della «Trento», era riuscito ad impedire il dilagare della penetrazione, con la cattura di 500 prigionieri e stroncando ogni ulteriore possibilità di avanzata nemica verso ovest." Seconda Controffensiva Italo-Tedesca in Africa Settentrionale da El Agheila a El Alamein, p. 181,Tipografia regionale, 1951</ref>The Australian battalion loses 65 men killed and 490 captured in the attack against the Italian strongpoint.<ref>[https://www.oceancitytoday.com/column_posts/world_war_ii/allied-forces-panzerarmee-afrika-meet-in-el-alamein/article_3f8fe4a2-fe21-11ec-badf-db800f870e65.html Allied Forces, Panzerarmee Afrika meet in El Alamein]</ref> The war diary of the 2nd/28th Battalion would be declared lost, and many shocked survivors in the unit would later claim they surrendered to panzers from Battle Group ''Briehl''. According to Sergeant Bill Rudd's version of the Australian attack:{{cquote|The German guns on the right flank were having a field day, and the German voices were close enough to be understandable ... The false dawn revealed us spread over the top of the ridge for about a quarter of a square mile. There was an anti-tank gun set up on our right flank and we could hear the rumble of approaching tanks, and the sounds of machine guns. But as the sky brightened and the tanks closed in, their German crosses became only too visible. There was not a sign of any British tanks, which had apparently failed to start on time and never reached the site of the battle.<ref>[http://www.anzacpow.com/part_4__nominal_roll_all_evades/chapter_4__ninth_division/24th_brigade ANZAC POW]</ref>}}

The British attack had also been unsuccessful, and about 600 were captured in a German counterattack with tanks and infantry that arrive in trucks.

The British attack had also been unsuccessful, and about 600 were captured in a German counterattack with tanks and infantry that arrive in trucks.