Crusader: Battle for Tobruk
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Medical Conditions in the Western Desert and Tobruk
CHAPTER 1 1 MEDICAL CONDITIONS IN THE WESTERN DESERT AND TOBRU K ON S I D E R A T I O N of the medical and surgical conditions encountered C by Australian forces in the campaign of 1940-1941 in the Wester n Desert and during the siege of Tobruk embraces the various diseases me t and the nature of surgical work performed . In addition it must includ e some assessment of the general health of the men, which does not mean merely the absence of demonstrable disease . Matters relating to organisa- tion are more appropriately dealt with in a later chapter in which the lessons of the experiences in the Middle East are examined . As told in Chapter 7, the forward surgical work was done in a main dressing statio n during the battles of Bardia and Tobruk . It is admitted that a serious difficulty of this arrangement was that men had to be held for some tim e in the M.D.S., which put a brake on the movements of the field ambulance , especially as only the most severely wounded men were operated on i n the M.D.S. as a rule, the others being sent to a casualty clearing statio n at least 150 miles away . Dispersal of the tents multiplied the work of the staff considerably. SURGICAL CONDITIONS IN THE DESER T Though battle casualties were not numerous, the value of being able to deal with varied types of wounds was apparent . In the Bardia and Tobruk actions abdominal wounds were few. Major J. -
Brevity, Skorpion & Battleaxe
DESERT WAR PART THREE: BREVITY, SKORPION & BATTLEAXE OPERATION BREVITY MAY 15 – 16 1941 Operation Sonnenblume had seen Rommel rapidly drive the distracted and over-stretched British and Commonwealth forces in Cyrenaica back across the Egyptian border. Although the battlefront now lay in the border area, the port city of Tobruk - 100 miles inside Libya - had resisted the Axis advance, and its substantial Australian and British garrison of around 27,000 troops constituted a significant threat to Rommel's lengthy supply chain. He therefore committed his main strength to besieging the city, leaving the front line only thinly held. Conceived by the Commander-in-Chief of the British Middle East Command, General Archibald Wavell, Operation Brevity was a limited Allied offensive conducted in mid-May 1941. Brevity was intended to be a rapid blow against weak Axis front-line forces in the Sollum - Capuzzo - Bardia area of the border between Egypt and Libya. Operation Brevity's main objectives were to gain territory from which to launch a further planned offensive toward the besieged Tobruk, and the depletion of German and Italian forces in the region. With limited battle-ready units to draw on in the wake of Rommel's recent successes, on May 15 Brigadier William Gott, with the 22nd Guards Brigade and elements of the 7th Armoured Division attacked in three columns. The Royal Air Force allocated all available fighters and a small force of bombers to the operation. The strategically important Halfaya Pass was taken against stiff Italian opposition. Reaching the top of the Halfaya Pass, the 22nd Guards Brigade came under heavy fire from an Italian Bersaglieri (Marksmen) infantry company, supported by anti-tank guns, under the command of Colonel Ugo Montemurro. -
A Memoir of the Siege of Tobruk
I Confess A Memoir of the Siege of Tobruk Author: Major General John Joseph Release date: August 2011 Murray, DSO & Bar, MC, VD Format: PB 210 x 148mm ISBN: 978-0-9870574-8-8 Pages: 256 Publisher: Big Sky Publishing Price (incl. GST): $29.99 I Confess is an intimate portrayal of command in the crucible of war. But Major General John Joseph Murray’s portrait of wartime leadership is not the stuff of military textbooks and his war is no set-piece battle. Murray commanded the Australian 20th Brigade during the siege of Tobruk, that grinding, tortuous desert defence that saw the German forces label his men ‘rats’, a badge they have worn since with pride and honour. Murray’s account, as he explains in the humorous, deprecating whimsy that characterises his memoir, is not a story of raging battles and hard- fought actions, but of the essence of command. This is a portrait of the relationship Murray forges with his men through the long days of the siege against a relentless enemy and as supplies dwindle, tempers fray and exhaustion threatens. Major General John Joseph Murray DSO and Bar, MC, VD, fought in the AIF in both the First and Second World Wars. He won the Military Cross as a company commander during the disastrous Battle of Fromelles and the Distinguished Service Order at Peronne. At the beginning of the Second World War he raised the 20th Brigade at Ingleburn before embarking for Palestine. In 1941, the brigade joined the 9th Division in pursuit of the Italian Army in North Africa but came face to face with Rommel’s Afrika Korps. -
Infantry Division (1941-43)]
7 February 2017 [6 (70) INFANTRY DIVISION (1941-43)] th 6 Infantry Division (1) Headquarters, 6th Infantry Division & Employment Platoon 14th Infantry Brigade (2) Headquarters, 14th Infantry Brigade & Signal Section 1st Bn. The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment 2nd Bn. The York and Lancaster Regiment 2nd Bn. The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) 16th Infantry Brigade (3) Headquarters, 16th Infantry Brigade & Signal Section 2nd Bn. The Leicestershire Regiment 2nd Bn. The Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surrey) 1st Bn. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise’s) (4) 23rd Infantry Brigade (5) Headquarters, 23rd Infantry Brigade & Signal Section 4th (Westmorland) Bn. The Border Regiment 1st Bn. The Durham Light Infantry (6) Czechoslovak Infantry Battalion No 11 East (7) Divisional Troops 60th (North Midland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (8) (H.Q., 237th (Lincoln) & 238th (Grimsby) Field Batteries, Royal Artillery) 2nd Field Company, Royal Engineers 12th Field Company, Royal Engineers 54th Field Company, Royal Engineers 219th (1st London) Field Park Company, Royal Engineers 6th Divisional Signals, Royal Corps of Signals © www.BritishMilitaryH istory.co.uk Page 1 7 February 2017 [6 (70) INFANTRY DIVISION (1941-43)] Headquarters, 6th Infantry Divisional Royal Army Service Corps (9) 61st Company, Royal Army Service Corps 145th Company, Royal Army Service Corps 419th Company, Royal Army Service Corps Headquarters, 6th Infantry Divisional Royal Army Medical Corps (10) 173rd Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps 189th -
7 Armoured Division (1941-42)]
3 September 2020 [7 ARMOURED DIVISION (1941-42)] th 7 Armoured Division (1) Headquarters, 7th Armoured Division 4th Armoured Brigade (2) Headquarters, 4th Armoured Brigade & Signal Section 4th Royal Tank Regiment (3) 5th Royal Tank Regiment (3) 7th Royal Tank Regiment (4) 7th Armoured Brigade (5) Headquarters, 7th Armoured Brigade & Signal Section 2nd Royal Tank Regiment 7th Support Group (6) Headquarters, 7th Support Group & Signal Section 1st Bn. The King’s Royal Rifle Corps 2nd Bn. The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own) 3rd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery 4th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery Divisional Troops 11th Hussars (Prince Albert’s Own) (7) 4th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers (8) 143rd Field Park Squadron, Royal Engineers (8) 7th Armoured Divisional Signals, Royal Corps of Signals ©www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk Page 1 3 September 2020 [7 ARMOURED DIVISION (1941-42)] NOTES: 1. This was a regular army division stationed in Egypt. It had been formed as the Mobile Division in September 1938, as a result of the raised tension caused by the Munich Crisis. Initially called the ‘Matruh Mobile Force’, it was founded by Major General P. C. S. HOBART. This is the Order of Battle for the division on 15 May 1941. This was the date of the start of Operation Brevity, the operation to reach Tobruk The division was under command of Headquarters, British Troops in Egypt until 16 May 1941. On that date, it came under command of Headquarters, Western Desert Force (W.D.F.). It remained under command of W.D.F. -
World War Ii (1939–1945) 56 57
OXFORD BIG IDEAS HISTORY 10: AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM 2 WORLD WAR II (1939–1945) 56 57 depth study World War II In this depth study, students will investigate wartime experiences through a study of World War II. is includes coverage of the causes, events, outcome and broad impact of the con ict as a part of global history, as well as the nature and extent of Australia’s involvement in the con ict. is depth study MUST be completed by all students. 2.0 World War II (1939–1945) The explosion of the USS Shaw during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941 SAMPLE OXFORD BIG IDEAS HISTORY 10: AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM 2 WORLD WAR II (1939–1945) 58 59 Australian Curriculum focus HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING • An overview of the causes and course of World War II • An examination of significant events of World War II, including the Holocaust and use of the atomic bomb depth study • The experiences of Australians during World War II (such as Prisoners of War (POWs), the Battle of Britain, World War II Kokoda, the Fall of Singapore) (1939–1945) • The impact of World War II, with a particular emphasis on the Australian home front, including the changing roles of women and use of wartime government World War II was one of the de ning events of the 20th century. e war was controls (conscription, manpower controls, rationing played out all across Europe, the Paci c, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. and censorship) e war even brie y reached North America and mainland Australia. -
The Greatest Military Reversal of South African Arms: the Fall of Tobruk 1942, an Avoidable Blunder Or an Inevitable Disaster?
THE GREATEST MILITARY REVERSAL OF SOUTH AFRICAN ARMS: THE FALL OF TOBRUK 1942, AN AVOIDABLE BLUNDER OR AN INEVITABLE DISASTER? David Katz1 Abstract The surrender of Tobruk 70 years ago was a major catastrophe for the Allied war effort, considerably weakening their military position in North Africa, as well as causing political embarrassment to the leaders of South Africa and the United Kingdom. This article re-examines the circumstances surrounding and leading to the surrender of Tobruk in June 1942, in what amounted to the largest reversal of arms suffered by South Africa in its military history. By making use of primary documents and secondary sources as evidence, the article seeks a better understanding of the events that surrounded this tragedy. A brief background is given in the form of a chronological synopsis of the battles and manoeuvres leading up to the investment of Tobruk, followed by a detailed account of the offensive launched on 20 June 1942 by the Germans on the hapless defenders. The sudden and unexpected surrender of the garrison is examined and an explanation for the rapid collapse offered, as well as considering what may have transpired had the garrison been better prepared and led. Keywords: South Africa; HB Klopper; Union War Histories; Freeborn; Gazala; Eighth Army; 1st South African Division; Court of Enquiry; North Africa. Sleutelwoorde: Suid-Afrika; HB Klopper; Uniale oorlogsgeskiedenis; Vrygebore; Gazala; Agste Landmag; Eerste Suid-Afrikaanse Bataljon; Hof van Ondersoek; Noord-Afrika. 1. INTRODUCTION This year marks the 70th anniversary of the fall of Tobruk, the largest reversal of arms suffered by South Africa in its military history. -
Airpower and Ground Armies : Essays on the Evolution of Anglo-American Air Doctrine
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Airpower and ground armies : essays on the evolution of Anglo-American air doctrine. 1940- 1943/ editor, Daniel R Mortensen. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. Air power-Great Britain-History. 2. Air power-United States-History. 3. World War, 1939-1945- Aerial operations, British, 4. World War, 1939-1945-Aerial operations, American. 5. World War, 1939-1945-Campaigns-Africa, North. 6. Operation Torch. I. Mortensen, Daniel R. UG635.G7A89 1998 358.4’03-dc21 97-46744 CIP Digitize December 2002 from 1998 Printing NOTE: Pagination changed Disclaimer Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied within are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Air University, the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or any other US government agency. Cleared for public release: distribution unlimited. Table of Contents Page DISCLAIMER ..................................................................................................................... i FORWARD........................................................................................................................ iii ABOUT THE EDITOR .......................................................................................................v INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. vi GETTING TOGETHER ......................................................................................................1 -
Book a Facilitated Program for 2011 and We Will Provide a Much Deeper
EDUCATION SERVICES 2 011 Tobruk Ray Ewers and George Browning, 1954-56 AWM ART41035 Book a facilitated program for 2011 and we will provide a much deeper learning experience. RelAWM31948.004 Tobruk 1941 – A Gallant Information For Teachers and Tenacious Defence Book a facilitated program for your school group; a program will provide a much deeper learning experience. New programs, aligned to the Australian The whole empire is watching your steadfast and Curriculum for History, are now available. spirited defence … with gratitude and admiration. Prime Minister Winston Churchill The Australian War Memorial provides a wide range of REL07652 Teacher’s checklist educational programs aligned with the new Australian Curriculum for History. These programs are designed to Log on to www.awm.gov.au/education and read about the Memorial’s curriculum-based programs and choose The fate of the war in North Africa hung on the possession protect it ran in a rough semicircle across the desert suit your classroom and curriculum needs. which program best suits the needs of your students. of a small harbour town in the far corner of the Libyan desert from coast to coast, and consisted of dozens of concrete- When you visit the Memorial, and book a facilitated – Tobruk. It was vital for the Allies’ defence of Egypt and the sided strong-points protected by barbed-wire fences and program, students gain a much deeper learning Book your visit online and record your booking Suez Canal to hold the town with its harbour, as this forced anti-tank ditches. experience. Our trained educators draw on personal reference number. -
Operation Crusader
DESERT WAR PART FOUR: OPERATION CRUSADER DATE: NOVEMBER 18 – DECEMBER 30 1941 Operation Crusader was conducted by the British Eighth Army against Axis forces in North Africa between November 18 and December 30 1941. The operation was intended to relieve the 1941 Siege of Tobruk; the Eighth Army tried to destroy the Axis armored force before advancing its infantry. The plan failed when, after a number of inconclusive engagements, the British 7th Armoured Division was defeated by the Afrika Korps at Sidi Rezegh. Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel ordered German armored divisions to Axis fortress positions on the Egyptian border but failed to find the main body of the Allied infantry, which had bypassed the fortresses and headed for Tobruk. Rommel had to withdraw from the frontier to Tobruk and achieved some tactical success in costly fighting. The need to preserve his remaining forces from destruction prompted Rommel to withdraw his army to the defensive line at Gazala, west of Tobruk and then all the way back to El Agheila. It was the first victory over the German ground forces by British forces in the war. PRELUDE Following the costly failure of Operation Battleaxe, General Archibald Wavell was relieved as Commander-in-Chief Middle East Command and replaced by General Claude Auchinleck. The Western Desert Force was reorganized and renamed the Eighth Army under the command of Lieutenant General Alan Cunningham, who was later replaced by Lieutenant General Neil Ritchie. The Eighth Army comprised two Corps: XXX Corps under Lieutenant General Willoughby Norrie and XIII Corps under Lieutenant General Reade Godwin-Austen. -
The Few: African Skies
the few: african skies Ecthelion2 2014 -1- the few: african skies add-on for the game The Few Ecthelion2 Jonáš Ferenc, Kryštof Ferenc Design and layout: Kryštof Ferenc, Jakub Maruš Proofreading: Jan Rosa Photographies for this supplement are used from wonderful website https://chindits.wordpress.com/ with kind approval of its author. -2- “Tobruk - the fortress of Tobruk - which yanks any German advance on Egypt, we hold strongly. There we have repulsed many attacks, causing the enemy heavy losses and taking many prisoners. That is how the matter stands in Egypt and on the Libyan front.” Winston Churchill, 27th April 1941 This add-on for The Few game presents the opportunity for players to play another campaign after, or instead, the Battle of Britain. It presents new aircraft (because there were different planes in use) and missions, as well as entirely different setting and stories. All rules from the original game also apply for the new campaign. The campaign starts in besieged Tobruk. Pilots fly desperate missions against over- whelming odds. Players can create new pilots, who are assigned to this battlefield, or can use their old pilots from the Battle of Britain campaign, if they are still alive or were for example discharged for wounds and now are re-activated, or got away from prison camp. Those veterans could be, after the end of Axis offensive over Bri- tain, pulled from their old units and reassigned to 73 Squadron which is leaving for North African shores. A few of the German squadrons which fought over rainy Albion were also relocated to Tobruk. -
Sidi Rezegh and Tobruk Two South African Military Disasters Revisited 1941 - 1942
SIDI REZEGH AND TOBRUK TWO SOUTH AFRICAN MILITARY DISASTERS REVISITED 1941 - 1942 by DAVID BROCK KATZ Thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Military Science (Military History) in the Faculty of Military Science at Stellenbosch University. Supervisor: Prof I.J. van der Waag Co-Supervisor: Prof G.E. Visser December 2014 Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za “Declaration” By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. Date: 12 November 2014 Copyright © 2014 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za ABSTRACT Sidi Rezegh and Tobruk are the largest disasters suffered by South Africa in its military history. Yet, despite their enormity, Sidi Rezegh and Tobruk are little understood and hardly remembered. South Africa declared war on Germany on the 6 September 1939, after a bitter internal debate, amounting to a conflict between Afrikaner nationalists and those who supported the British Empire. South Africa’s political ambivalence and disunity ran parallel to her unpreparedness for war in every important department from the lack of vital coastal defences to the miniscule size of her army and air force and complete lack of a navy. The first six months of 1941 saw the South Africans play a significant part in completely defeating the Italian colonial forces in East Africa.