"Egyptian Barricade", "British Stalingrad" – the conflict for Tobruk was called during its course and it was not only the rhetoric of war propaganda. The defence of the Tobruck fortress, which was unblocked by British soldiers of the 8th Army on the night of 26 and 27 November 1941, weighed the destiny of the Allied in North Africa.
Carpathians decorated by General Władysław Sikorski for defending Tobruku.
What was called the Tobrucka fortress was in fact a pile of rubble and respective fortification lines in the desert, but effectively obstructing Germany and Italy's access to an highly crucial port for them. If the forces commanded by the celebrated “Lisa of the Desert” – General Erwin Romml – had broken the defense, then the capture of the Libyan port (or precisely its reflection, due to the fact that the Italians had previously wielded it) would have made it possible to supply supplies to Afrika Korps and Italian troops over the border of Egypt. For the British in Egypt it would be almost a disaster, and in this sense, Tobruk was indeed a barricade that would drive the way towards their estates.
The Germans and Italians entered the regular siege of Tobruk in April 1941 and despite many attempts to break the defense, the main force of which was the tough Australian soldiers, failed to defeat the Tobruk crew. German propaganda sought to weaken the morale of defenders, calling them mockingly “self-persistent captives” or ‘Tobruku rats’. The second word was very popular for Tobruk soldiers and they began to call themselves that, in order to emphasize their fighting deeds. So Germany besides failed in this field.
Karpacy Recorders
This comparison with rats was in fact very accurate, given the conditions under which defenders function. The ubiquitous dirt, rationed water and food (the port was constantly bombarded by the Luftwaffe), heat in the day and cold at night, and real rats, scorpions and various nasty insects – this is just a prelude to the fact that there were 800, 500 and 200 m from the enemy in the leading defensive positions. Finally, the tough Australians couldn't take it anymore, and their command demanded the British to loosen up the 9th Infantry Division in Tobruk, which occurred after mid-August 1941 (but the battalion and 2 Australian companies remained in the fortress, which were incapable to evacuate). The Australian division then replaced, among others, Polish The Carpathian firearm Squadron.
The Carpathians proved to be worthy successors to soldiers from the antipodes, patrolling tirelessly the fortress forefield and skirmishing with German and Italian bunker crews. It is not surprising, therefore, that Tobruk besides became a symbol of the Polish-Australian brotherhood of weapons, which survived the successive years of war. Poles not only impressed the Australians in Tobruk. As the commander of the Carpathian Brigade mentioned General Stanisław Kopański“The fresh leader of the fortress [British General Ronald Scobie – P.K.] asked how long the Karpackian Brigade soldiers could stay on the breach [...]. I replied to him that the evidence of remaining on the breach, achieved by the Australians, was 4 weeks; that Poles could last a week longer if the operational circumstances required. But I have pointed out that this is the maximum time I can commit to. At the time, I could not even presume that, as a consequence of the postponement of the offensive, and then its slow movement, Carpathian soldiers would set a evidence of ten-week stay at the breach."
"Crusader" goes to rescue
General Scobi's question was related to the planned offensive of the British 8th Army, which was to unlock Tobruk among others. Indeed, Polish soldiers made an extraordinary act – for more than 2 months they were stuck and fought the alleged breach – the position mentioned above closest to enemy lines. However, they besides took an active part in actions to support Operation Crusader (Crzyżowiec) due to the fact that the 8th Army offensive of late November 1941 was so eloquently named.
Tobruk – ruins of the city at the turn of 1941 and 1942.
The 8th Army offensive departed from Egypt on the night of 17 to 18 November 1941. In Tobruk, there was then a uncommon weather anomaly in this part of the planet – a rainy tropical rain flooded all shelters, ditches and shooting stations – both Allied and axisd. The resin forced the fighting 2 days of ceasefire so that they could clean themselves up. Meanwhile, the British offensive, like the rain in the desert, amazed Rommel on the Libyan border, but the German commander was not called the “Lisa of the Desert” for nothing. After his first failures, he regrouped his forces and struck with an armored fist into the British 7th Armoured Division and the South African 1st Infantry Division. The offensive was halted and from November 21 to November 28 there was a fierce fight at Sidi Rezegh.
Armoured Army General Erwin Rommel (in the mediate with binoculars in his hand) at an reflection post during fighting in the Tobruk area.
The Tobruku crew engaged actively in this conflict to relieve the straining towards the XXX Corps 8 Army fortress. In the night of 21 to 22 November, an attack came out of Tobruk, which broke into the German-Italian blockade position at 11 km. It was attended by carpathic shooters (who broke up the enemy company) and artillerymen from the Carpathian Regiment of Light Artillery. However, despite these successes, it was not possible to connect with the approaching 8th Army. For good, the aforementioned armored conflict in the Sidi Rezegh area began. Only on the night of 26-27 November, the 4th Brigade troops managed to cross the road around Tobruk close El Duda (about 30 km southeast of Tobruk) and connect with the British 32nd Tank Brigade belonging to the Tobruk crew.
In this way, the “corridor of life” was formed between Tobruk and the 8th Army, but Rommel did not intend to depart from the siege. dense fighting began again – on the 1 hand, to widen the corridor, on the another hand, to interrupt it. Neither was successful then, but the existence of the corridor provided support for the crew – not only material but besides psychological. Soldiers from the Carpathian Light Artillery Regiment had peculiar merits in maintaining the corridor. For direct defence of the corridor and support of the British and fresh Zealand infantry, on 30 November a squadron of anti-tank soldiers was seconded from the regiment. The squadron from 1 to 7 December fought here battles with Romml's armored tanks, destroying 2 tanks, 4 anti-tank guns and respective cars, and taking 50 prisoners into captivity. Prior to the end of the fighting in the corridor, on the night of 9 on 10 December, Carpathian artillerymen captured a German-Italian field infirmary with 120 Germans and 70 Italian service and 320 Germans and 37 Italian wounded, while releasing dozens of British prisoners. After these successes, occupied by 2 killed and 15 wounded (including Colonel Cieszkowski), loaded with the captured equipment, they returned to the fortress around which the enemy had already taken siege.
Bibliography
W. F. Luczyński, “My 4 campaigns. Memoirs of the September, French, Libyan and Italian Campaign”, Warsaw – Kraków 2014
"Self-Self-Sagittarius Brigade of Carpathians", collective work, Warsaw – Kraków 2014
"Tobruk. Desert Struggles 1940–1942", collective work, Warsaw 2022
Fr. Terlecki, “Fighting desert trails”, Kraków 1983
