Wednesday, May 16, 2007

The 1st South African Brigade finally moved

The solution for getting Brigadier Pienaar's 1st South African Brigade to move into danger was for the 30 Corps commander, General Norrie, to personally lead them. The South Africans cautiously moved to the northeast, to Sciafsciuf. They were protected by the 4th Armoured Brigade, which now included the remaining tanks from the depleted 22nd Armoured Brigade, which had been perviously squandered. The British commanders wanted to take Point 175 with the South Africans, but they had not been close enough to do so, as of 1 December 1941. They had managed to reduce the Ariete Division by 19 light and medium tanks, while moving towards Point 175. The 13th Corps commander, General Godwin-Austen, was getting increasingly nervous, and told the 8th Army commander that he thought that the remains of 13th Corps should move into the Tobruk fortress area, to prevent further losses. This is based on the account in Vol.III of the Official History.

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