ENGAGEMENT AT TOBRUK

Southland Times, Issue 24547, 23 September 1941, Page 5

ENGAGEMENT AT TOBRUK

Abortive Attack By Enemy (8.0.W.) RUGBY, September 21. A communique issued in Cairo states: “Several parties moving outside the Allied perimeter defences of Tobruk have been effectively engaged by machine-gun and mortar fire. Apart from this Saturday was a relatively quiet day. In the frontier area there is nothing important to report.” Activity is slight because of heavy dust storms which started on Friday. During brief lulls British artillery effectively engaged a strong party of enemy infantry observed some distance outside the perimeter defences. The enemy did not attempt any bombing raids. In the frontier area British patrols are again active. COMPARATIVE LOSSES The abortive character of last week’s enemy operations against Tobruk is well illustrated by details of the comparative losses available in London. The attacks were repelled by armoured cars, infantry and artillery with air co-operation. No British tanks were engaged. The Royal Air Force lost one bomber and six fighters—five of the fighter pilots being saved—while enemy plane casualties were 22 destroyed or captured, nine probably destroyed and nine others damaged. The enemy lost 10 tanks and 15 motor-vehicles within the British area, while photographs indicate that four enemy tanks and three motor-vehicles were destroyed by British bombing. British losses were one armoured car out of action and several motorvehicles damaged. The operational account of the action provides an instructive narrative:

“At dawn on September 14 armoured car units which were in observation in front of oui' desert columns south of the escarpment reported two enemy columns advancing rapidly to the southeast parallel with the escarpment, at approximately three and 12 miles respectively south of it. Each appeared to contain 40 to 45 tanks accompanied by lorries and infantry. Our desert columns fell back to previously prepared positions. These were dive-bombed by Junkers 87’s escorted by fighters, two of the former being shot down by our troops. Both enemy columns, which advanced between 15 and 20 miles in an hour, were engaged and halted in front of these positions. The enemy then refuelled, during which both of his

columns were heavily and successfully bombed. By 4 p.m. the southern enemy column had started to move south and later continued to advance east though engaged by our troops and aircraft. In order to avoid being outflanked our southernmost troops withdrew at about 6 p.m., those further north conforming. No contact was made during the night of September 14 and by dawn on September 15 the enemy had already started to withdraw, covered by strong fighter patrols. TANK COUNTER-ATTACK “By 1 p.m. the armoured units had regained their original line of observation, but were counter-attacked by 20 tanks at 3 p.m. and again withdrew. By nightfall our desert columns had returned to their original positions in support of the armoured cars and it is thought the patrols made contact with German infantry patrols and tanks at Kiregat during the night of September 15. On the morning of September 16 the dispositions before operations were re-established. The enemy dispositions had also apparently returned to normal. The tactical reconnaissance, and fighter and bomber support was excellent and of the greatest value throughout. All squadrons of these formations, including Wellingtons and Fleet Air Arm Swordfish and Albacores took part in the operations. During the day of September 14 in addition' to eight technical reconnaissances fighters provided sorties, escorting bombers, and were on protective patrols over our forward troops and landing grounds. Fighters also successfully ground-straffed enemy aircraft concentrations on the Gambut aerodrome. Bomber sorties included dusk attacks by Swordfish and Albacores and night attacks on the Gambut aerodrome. On September 15 further reconnaissances were made to locate enemy movements, protected by a fighter- sweep. Preliminary estimates of tire casualties are 20 killed, 50 wounded, 12 prisoners from the sth Tank Regiment, plus 16 Italian aix-men.”