Operations
Martyrdom on theĀ Volga
In war, it is often glibly said that āfortune favours the boldā; whether the bold actually deserve or receive such benefit is seldom questioned. By late December 1942, any last luck had run out for the German Sixth Army in Stalingrad, as it had done so for the Soviet defenders of Sevastopol six months earlier. Common to these two sieges…
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Operation Compass III
Wavell had been looking for an opportunity to attack the Italians since before the invasion of Egypt, and had ordered a study into the possible problems presented by an advance into eastern Libya as early as 11 September 1940. After Grazianiās force had been immobile around Sidi Barrani for a…
Tunisia: American FirstĀ Blooding
After the Allied Task Forcesā amphibious landings, an overland assault from Algeria was necessary to seize the Tunisian ports of Bizerte and Tunis, since the Axis air presence in Tunisia and Sicily had negated a simultaneous seaborne landing to achieve those objectives. Five German fighter groups and dive-bombers had transferred…
Operation Chariot ā The PlanĀ I
Late 1941 and early 1942 saw Britainās darkest hours, pushed back in the Western Desert and with its eastern empire crumbling to Japanese aggression, the country stood alone with only the Atlantic convoys keeping the country afloat. These convoys were threatened by one of Germanyās greatest weapons, the Tirpitz, a…
Operation Chariot ā The PlanĀ II
Last of the troop-carrying boats of the port column, Lieutenant Ian Hendersonās ML 306 would put ashore the third of the demolition teams targeting the New Entrance crossings. Consisting of eight other ranks commanded by Lieutenant Ronnie Swayne, and protected by Lieutenant Vanderwerveās small squad, this team would aim to…
Churchillās Aegean 1943 PartĀ I
On 3 October 1943, German forces landed at Kos. Three companies of II./Gren.Rgt.16 were delayed by stiff resistance at an āammunition dumpā, actually a logistics camp. That the campaign in the Aegean was a defeat is obvious and, indeed, can hardly be denied. As the last stragglers made their slow…
Churchillās Aegean 1943 PartĀ II
16 November 1943. Generalleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm MĆ¼ller (left) with the surrendered Fortress commander Brigadier Robert Tilney (right). The result is succinctly recorded in the ofļ¬cial history: āThe local commanders did not hesitate; the Chiefs of Staff supported them; and the Prime Minister agreed with both.ā Indeed he did. Maitland Wilson received…