Friday, March 30, 2007

Early on the 23rd day of the battle

The men of the 3rd RTR dreaded the coming day, as they expected to be ordered to stage a frontal attack on prepared positions. When they heard that the battalion commander had been ordered to report to the brigade HQ, they hoped that this development meant that they would receive a reprieve on the frontal assault. They were shocked when they were informed that they were to sit where they were for the next three or four days and to not venture beyond 10 miles from their position. When Robert ventured out in his Stuart, he saw that the Germans had withdrawn in the night. The Germans had left a certain amount of debris and loot behind them when they evacuated. Robert investigated a tent and could see that it had been a "casualty clearing station". Robert found a bed frame in the corner and took it. The metal frame interfered with radio reception, but Robert decided to keep the frame, anyway. The German air operations intensified and Ju-87 divebombers hit them every day. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

No comments:

Amazon Ad