13th Corps attacks, starting 15 December 1941

13th Corps attacked on 15 December 1941 with brigades not divisions. Gazala was actually a town near the coast and that is where the 5th New Zealand Brigade attacked the Italian Brescia Division. The Polish Carpathian Brigade, next to the south, attacked the Italian Trento and Pavia Divisions. The 5th Indian Brigade attacked the Trieste Division and the 7th Indian Brigade attacked the Ariete Division. Both were repulsed. The German 8th Panzer Regiment attacked with a small number of tanks, along with the 2nd Machine Gun Battalian and overran the 1st/The Buffs and put a thousand men in the bag. In the process, however, they lost between nine and twelve of their remaining 23 tanks. The 13th Corps commander hoped that when the 4th Armoured Brigade hit the Gazala position from the west, that they would have some success. The Official History says that they hardly attracted notice, perhaps because they were so low on fuel. This is based on the account in Vol.III of the Official History,.