TIGERS OF TOBRUK

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 85, 10 April 1943, Page 6

TIGERS OF TOBRUK

THEY WON "HUNT" 1 NAZIS RESPECT LEICESTERS "The Tigers of Tobruk" is the title bestowed on the Leicestershire Regiment. And how thoroughly they earned it! says F. G. Prince-White in the Daily Mail. In Syria, Crete, France, and Norway, as well as in Libya, their tigerish tactics have terrified the enemy. When they made sudden sorties from Tobruk the Germans would shout warningly to one another. "Die Tiger!" They had grown to recognise the Leicestershire men even afar off. In putting fear into the enemy, the battalion at Tobruk during the great siege were but keeping up a tradition symbolised by their badge of the "Royal Tiger," granted to the regiment for particularly fine service in India from 1804 to 1823. And they were being true, also, to' their nickname, "Bengal Tigers." On the Prowl It was not many days before they had joined the Tobruk garrison that they began to creep out at night, stealthy as the "big cats" in the jungle. They killed and mauled both Germans and Italians almost before the enemy realised that their lines had been entered. The German command decided to hunt the Tigers and put an end to their nocturnal prowling. So, early one morning, a strong attack was launched on the sector held by the Leicestershire battalion. But, although greatly outnumbered the Tigers met them fiercely with tommy-gun and rifle fire and completely routed them. There was no further hunting! Let loose from Tobruk when the garrison linked up with the Eighth Army, the Tigers had what one of their leaders described as "riotous fun." They fairly leapt among the enemy and sent them flying—those of them, at least, who were left alive. Praise—From Xazis One of the Tigers' greatest feats in this war was at Sidi Barrani at the end of 1940. Facing murderous fire from batteries with open sights, they charged an overwhelmingly superior force of Italians—and brought back no fewer than 2000 of them and much booty. After actions also at Buq-Buq, Solium, and Bardia, they dealt with a total of 40,000 prisoners. The Germans had to give the Tigers their due. and officially com- ' mented on their fine "fighting qualities." ;