Afrika Korps - small beginnings

[cardboard_killer]

[80 years ago today] "• With Tobruk encircled and Allied units advancing on Benghazi, Hitler directs OKW to send a “blocking force” to Libya to support the Italians. Initial forces of what will become the Deutsches Afrikakorps consist of a light infantry regiment and a panzer regiment plus medical and water distillation support troops."

[cardboard_killer]

[80 Years ago today] "• Destroyers Dainty and Hasty are departing Tobruk when they are surprised by low-flying Heinkel-111s (or high flying Ju-88s, sources vary). Dainty is hit by a 500 kg bomb which detonates in the Captain's cabin. This starts a major fire which causes the ship to be abandoned. As the fire spreads, Dainty’s torpedo warheads began to detonate, causing splinters and fragments to sink a motorboat which HMS Hasty had sent to evacuate the crew. "

 

[cardboard_killer]

[80 Years ago today] "• The first air attacks by Luftwaffe aircraft based in Libya are made on Commonwealth forces. The Germans are usually escorted by Italian fighters."

 

 

Leslie Howe was with a Light Anti-Aircraft battery which had advanced to the most westerly of British positions in the Libyan Desert, the airfield at Agedabia. British fortunes in the desert were changing rapidly as the Luftwaffe made its presence felt:

On 2nd March we were shaken up by nine German bombers, dropping bombs over the drome, and two hours later by more of them with an escort of fighters. It was a case of ‘Heads down and on the stomach’, as they both machine gunned and bombed us. We were nearly ‘gonners’, as the bullets and shrapnel screamed by us very, very close.

We picked up shrapnel pieces as big as our fists and some bigger, lousy, jagged stuff. There were about 20 planes in the attack and we had only 2 guns to engage; nevertheless we put in a claim for one plane, which made off smoking badly. As usual, when there is no cover in the desert, this was a nerve racking episode. It was recorded that 3rd March was a quieter day, with only two Jerries over us, but there was the explosion of six time-bombs which had been dropped on the drome the day before.

Edited March 2, 2021 by cardboard_killer