November 25, 1941 0400 West of Bin Jawad Libya
A dozen machine guns were being placed along the crest of the small coastal rise. One hundred yards behind the machine gunners were mortar teams tamping down the earth and arraying their shells. Thirteen hundred camel mounted men checked their rifles and submachine guns one last time.
A whistle blew and the camels began to cross over the hill and begin a steady gait towards the road. A platoon ran over a single observation post after a few rifle shots cracked. A camel moaned as a bullet wrecked its front shoulder. The great beast went down, throwing her rider and breaking his spine in two locations. Three Italian soldiers were crushed underneath the feet of the desert pack animals and two were were bayonetted as the riders improvised sabres.
Within minutes, the leading elements of the charge had dismounted and hand to hand fighting in the Italian barracks had started. Before dawn broke, the road was in the hands of the Somaliland Camel Corps. A fuel convoy was captured just after dawn. Radio messages were sent and the 3rd Indian Motor Infantry Brigade was sent to reinforce this success.
By noon time, the inconclusive battle near Marsa Al Brega was transitioning from a grapple to an attempt by the Germans and Italians to break contact. They had perhaps two days worth of fuel left and their supply line to Tripoli had been cut again. Italian infantry divisions were told to hold the line against the two British corps that were pressing them. Even as the infantry held in pace, Italian and German motorized units began to break contact. The XIII Corps did not press hard in pursuit. Their two armoured divisions had been worn down by four days of contact.
By nightfall, the sounds of battle had slowed for the first time since the German spoiling attack had been launched. By midnight, one hundred and eighty German and Italian tanks had started to fall back. They would join the broken force at Ras Lanuf to bull through the British blocking force between them and Sirte. The Italian motorized division would lead the retreat and the 21st Panzer would be the rear guard despite being only a third of its authorized strength.
Italian infantry divisions were ordered to march to Marsa Al Brega. A few battalions and regiments would make it to the city before dawn. Others never received the order and held firm as another British attack came forward after breakfast the next day. By lunchtime, 35,000 Italian soldiers were in the city with enough food, ammunition and water to hold for a week without resupply. Another 25,000 soldiers were holding a thin line south and east of the city.
That thin line could not hold for long, and it did not. Three fresh divisions were fed into the battle. The combined arms 3rd Division created the first break through and they began to follow the retreating mobile column. The reconnaissance troops kept the German rear guard in sight but did not press the point too hard. Instead they directed RAF Hurribomber flights in and watched the Navy shell the coastal road once again.
A dozen machine guns were being placed along the crest of the small coastal rise. One hundred yards behind the machine gunners were mortar teams tamping down the earth and arraying their shells. Thirteen hundred camel mounted men checked their rifles and submachine guns one last time.
A whistle blew and the camels began to cross over the hill and begin a steady gait towards the road. A platoon ran over a single observation post after a few rifle shots cracked. A camel moaned as a bullet wrecked its front shoulder. The great beast went down, throwing her rider and breaking his spine in two locations. Three Italian soldiers were crushed underneath the feet of the desert pack animals and two were were bayonetted as the riders improvised sabres.
Within minutes, the leading elements of the charge had dismounted and hand to hand fighting in the Italian barracks had started. Before dawn broke, the road was in the hands of the Somaliland Camel Corps. A fuel convoy was captured just after dawn. Radio messages were sent and the 3rd Indian Motor Infantry Brigade was sent to reinforce this success.
By noon time, the inconclusive battle near Marsa Al Brega was transitioning from a grapple to an attempt by the Germans and Italians to break contact. They had perhaps two days worth of fuel left and their supply line to Tripoli had been cut again. Italian infantry divisions were told to hold the line against the two British corps that were pressing them. Even as the infantry held in pace, Italian and German motorized units began to break contact. The XIII Corps did not press hard in pursuit. Their two armoured divisions had been worn down by four days of contact.
By nightfall, the sounds of battle had slowed for the first time since the German spoiling attack had been launched. By midnight, one hundred and eighty German and Italian tanks had started to fall back. They would join the broken force at Ras Lanuf to bull through the British blocking force between them and Sirte. The Italian motorized division would lead the retreat and the 21st Panzer would be the rear guard despite being only a third of its authorized strength.
Italian infantry divisions were ordered to march to Marsa Al Brega. A few battalions and regiments would make it to the city before dawn. Others never received the order and held firm as another British attack came forward after breakfast the next day. By lunchtime, 35,000 Italian soldiers were in the city with enough food, ammunition and water to hold for a week without resupply. Another 25,000 soldiers were holding a thin line south and east of the city.
That thin line could not hold for long, and it did not. Three fresh divisions were fed into the battle. The combined arms 3rd Division created the first break through and they began to follow the retreating mobile column. The reconnaissance troops kept the German rear guard in sight but did not press the point too hard. Instead they directed RAF Hurribomber flights in and watched the Navy shell the coastal road once again.