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Post by hornet32 on Oct 27, 2013 22:39:44 GMT -5
Where was the Empire while the OZ was at Tubrok ? , the soldiers from OZ often asked that question , the 9th OZ and a Brigade from the OZ 7th id became permanent party at that lovely seaside resort , how did this come about ? , the ball was opened by the Italians who when confronted by the Empire could not surrender fast enough , enters Rommel and crew , Rommel laid the wood to the Empire and the Empire headed to Egypt leaving the mob from OZ at Tubrok and easy enough assignment for anyone , the siege of Tobruk , not really a siege since it was open on the sea side , Rommel said he could he could have kicked that rabble out of Tobruk anytime but he had other matters to deal with .
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Post by Sir John on Oct 27, 2013 22:56:39 GMT -5
My BS Detector just went off!
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Post by Sir John on Oct 27, 2013 22:59:38 GMT -5
...and even the Russians at Leningrad had a supply line across Lake Ladoga.
Not by the shipload, but by the truck load.
The 18th Brigade was worth the same as the 3x Brigades of the 9th. I know this is true because my FiL said so!
SJ
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Post by hornet32 on Oct 27, 2013 23:14:16 GMT -5
The lads spent a good bit of time basking in the sun along the sea shore at Tobruk watching the tide roll out than back in again , though at times the Germans could become an inconvenience .
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Post by Sir John on Oct 27, 2013 23:34:29 GMT -5
" at times the Germans could become an inconvenience ."
Only a minor one for the bronzed ANZACs. When Rommel gave too much trouble we gave him slap, and he slunk off to find some Yank easy beats at a place called Kassarene Pass.
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Post by Swampy on Oct 28, 2013 0:14:52 GMT -5
The Diggers used to say hunting tanks was easy and fun. The Germans in the desert relied too much on their armor, which allowed the Diggers to cut the Wehrmacht spearheads off and go after the tanks.
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Post by Sir John on Oct 28, 2013 13:29:58 GMT -5
" that lovely seaside resort"
Had a look at Tobruk a few times on Google Earth, and I notice that the present town is about 5 times the size it was in 1941 (long before the Yanks got out of bed). You can still see the church in the town square where Bob went to a Christian church service held by the Padre.
A bit further east is the town of Mersa Mattruh which the 6th took off the Italians in late 1940, (long before the Yanks got out of bed). Mersa Matruh was the summer palace of a sheila called Cleopatra! My FiL drove through Mersa Mattruh on his way to Tobruk, arriving 2 days before Rommel, he knocked on the door to say hello, but there was no one home.
SJ
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Post by hornet32 on Oct 28, 2013 16:53:11 GMT -5
Cleo had a date with a snake , FIL was lucky she wasn't there or even worst Rommel . The Yanks of course had better things to do than play balls up with the Empire .
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Post by Sir John on Oct 28, 2013 17:28:24 GMT -5
Swampy,
"which allowed the Diggers to cut the Wehrmacht spearheads off and go after the tanks."
During the 'Easter Battle', the first attempt by Rommel to breach the defences, the defenders let through the 50 or so German tanks without undue opposition. The Germans thought that was good until they came up against the British 25 pounders, over open sights, that blew them to bits.
The German infantry were back at the perimeter trying to stay alive.
SJ
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Post by hornet32 on Oct 28, 2013 17:47:13 GMT -5
True enough the men of OZ for one brief moment showed some awareness , during the so called Easter Battle the Germans had failed to provide the necessary protection for der Panzers but what did it matter they were obsolete Panzer II's and most of the attackers were Italians who Rommel found to be a burden .
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Post by Sir John on Oct 28, 2013 18:30:34 GMT -5
You're just jealous of the never ending successes of the Glorious 9th! Saved Monty at El Alamein! Tossed our peace loving japanese brothers out of New Guinea, and Borneo.
.....and the 7th! Rolled the japs back to Buna and Gona! (Sorry Bob!)
(Don't ask about the 8th.)
SJ
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Post by hornet32 on Oct 28, 2013 18:36:34 GMT -5
And the 6th took up building Railroads for the Japanese .
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Post by Sir John on Oct 28, 2013 18:49:26 GMT -5
No that was the 8th.
The 6th first went to the UK to defend the glorious Monarch, (King George 6th) against the peace loving German brothers, in June 1940. Up near Cambridge somewhere.
It was a newly formed Division and in fact only had 2 Brigades at that time. Bob's 18th Brigade was not yet attached, still training at a place called Dialali near Bombay in India, As soon as Hitler heard that the 6th was there he abandoned all hope of invading England, and scrubbed 'Sea lion'.
Then the 6th went to North Africa to toss out our peace loving Italian brothers. THEN Churchill stepped in and sent the 6th to Greece and Crete. Sad story that!
SJ
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