Siege of Tobruk
Battle of the Salient
The attack in the southern sector also involved Italian troops and Lieutenant John Mair's 16th Platoon, D Company, defending strongpoints R.2 and R.3 and R.4[1]were overrun by the Italians.[2]According to an Australian defender, "That night the slightest move would bring a flare over our position and the area would be lit like day. We passed a night of merry hell as the pounding went on." Italian infantry were then able to close in, and grenades were thrown into the bunkers. Nevertheless, strongpoints R.5 (Sergeant Gordon Poidevin[3]), R.6 (Captain Arthur Bird) and R.7 (Corporal K. S. Jones)[4]were taken only after stubborn resistance, and fought on until they had run out of ammunition or had grenades tossed into the firing pits. After they had been taken prisoner, General Rommel spoke to them "for you the war is over and I wish you good luck", recalled Corporal Jones
The British 51st Field Regiment had been constantly firing, causing an entire German battalion to scatter and, according to Rommel, creating panic in the Italian infantry. Seven British Cruiser and five Matilda tanks also appeared in the Italian area of penetration, engaging in an inconclusive battle with Italian tanks.
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!"[5] After several tanks lost their tracks, the remaining Panzers retreated and the Australians could claim a victory.
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 Australian casualties were 59 killed, 335 wounded and 383 captured.[6]
Notes
- ↑ "Posts R2, R3 and R4 were occupied by Lieutenant John Mair's 16 Platoon." The Second Twenty-Fourth Australian Infantry Battalion of the 9th Australian Division: A History, R. P. Serle, 2/24th i.e. Second Twenty-fourth Australian Infantry Battalion Association, p. 78, Jacaranda Press, 1963
- ↑ "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)
- ↑ "Sergeant Gordon Poidevin's 16 Platoon was split between Posts R5 and R7, both forward on the perimeter wire." The Second Twenty-Fourth Australian Infantry Battalion of the 9th Australian Division: A History, R. P. Serle, 2/24th i.e. Second Twenty-fourth Australian Infantry Battalion Association, p. 78, Jacaranda Press, 1963
- ↑ "During the night desultory shell fire and occasional small-arms fire was heard. Morning of 2 May was very quiet but enemy tanks were observed lying in and around posts. Good deal of enemy infantry "movement and a party of Australians (these were Corporal Jones and his men from R7) wree seen to be marched off as prisoners."." The Second Twenty-Fourth Australian Infantry Battalion of the 9th Australian Division: A History, R. P. Serle, 2/24th i.e. Second Twenty-fourth Australian Infantry Battalion Association, p. 84, Jacaranda Press, 1963
- ↑ http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/firefly1002000/tobruk.html FORTRESS TOBRUK Another Thorn in Rommel's Side
- ↑ "From 29 April to 4 May the Tobruk garrison's casualties were 59 killed, 335 wounded and 383 missing (797total)" A Chronology of Australian Armed Forces at War: 1939 - 45, Bruce T. Swain, p. 44, Allen & Unwin, 2001
