With the Free French on 12 and 13 June 1941 in Syria

Major-General Paul Legentilhomme commanded the Free French forces on the eastern portion of the Syrian Campaign. He was an old East African veteran, having been in French Somaliland and Eritrea. The Free French had continued to attack the Vichy defenses at Kiswe. There was a report that the Vichy French tanks were moving around their flank, General Legentilhomme had his troops hold their present positions on Jebel Maani and Jebel Badrane. Later in the day, the General was wounded. General Wilson weighed in on the situation with General Wavell and opined that there was not a counter-attack in progress. He did order the 5th Indian Brigade to be under the Free French command and left the protection of the rear to the Transjordan Frontier Force, which was a very small unit. Fortunately, the tanks sighted were Free French, so there was less reason to panic. When the 5th Indian Brigade commander saw the Vichy French defenses at Kiswe, he thought that the positions were so strong that they would need strong artillery support with a set-piece attack to take the place. He discussed the situation with the wounded General Legentilhomme and they agreed to wait until 15 June to attack Kiswe. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.

Some perspective on the beginning of the campaign from 9 to 14 June 1941

From the beginning of the campaign in Syria and Lebanon from 9 June 1941, the air force had some success. At the start, the RAF was weaker than the Vichy French air force. The RAF had many responsibilities: close air support to the army, air protection to the navy offshore, offensive operations against the French on their airfields, attacking French ports, and attacks on fuel supplies. There were some early successes. No.3 Squadron RAAF caught six French aircraft on the ground at Rayak and damaged them. Blenheim day bombers attacked oil tanks at Beirut. No.3 Squadron, RAAF was equipped with American Tomahawk fighters. They were often providing air cover to the navy off of Lebanon. They shot down three of eight Ju-88's on 14 June.

Given the strong French defence in Syria and Lebanon, the CIGS, General Dill, suggested to General Wavell that they divert forces from Iraq to Syria, and that they use bombers from Egypt. That was very much in line with what General Wavell already had decided. General Wavell told General Dill on 12 June that the attack was progressing slowly, but that was not unexpected, given the rough terrain and inadequate force employed. The 16th British Brigade was ordered to Syria to increase the force employed to approximately equal the strength of the French defenders. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.

On taking Jezzine late on 14 June 1941

Lt-Col Porter had decided to push into Jezzine, since they were making good progress. As we had noted, he ordered the unengaged companies to move forward and into Jezzine. To reach Jezzine, the men had to move down a steep cliff that was terraced. Any French resistance had ceased, so they were able to enter Jezzine unopposed. They actually entered Jezzine at 8:30pm. The division artillery commander, Brigadier Berryman, moved into Jezzine with the first platoon. They residents of Jezzine welcomed the Australians and give them bread and water. They had wine and food to offer at the police station. The Australians moved past Jezzine to the high ground east of the town. They were astride the roads to the north and west. Probing Australian forces encountered French rearguards blocking the road. During the night, they sent a hot meal to the men. The 2/25th Battalion stayed at Jerme, as there was so little room in the route to Jezzine and in the vicinity. By 13 June, the Cheshire Yeomanry had reached Mazraat Koufra, but had not been able to move forward to Zhalta. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian official History.

Taking Jezzine on 14 June 1941

About three miles short of Jezzine, Lt-Col Porter, the commander of the 2/31st Battalion was shot through one thigh. Porter said that he could continue and attack with two companies. He was consulting with Brigadier Berryman, the artillery commander. They used a troop of guns and mortars in support of the attack. The hills were terraced in three foot steps, about ten feet wide. They had growing vines, the reason for being terraced. The attack commenced at 6pm. Porter had asked the machine gun platoon commander to let individual Vickers guns to fire independently, as they saw targets. When French machine guns started firing, they were immediately silenced. One infantryman slipped past one machine gun emplacement and killed the crew with rifle and bayonet. The men ran across the flat 100-yard area at the foot of the hill and then climbed to the top of the hill that dominated Jezzine. The men could see some French cavalrymen mounting their horses and then then riding off. They Australians fired on them. Two companies from the 2/31st had attacked. Lt-Col Porter then ordered the other two companies to move forward through the first two and to enter the town of Jezzine. As the men entered the town, they saw horses roaming the streets. They were the horses of French cavalrymen that had been killed, apparently. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.

North from Merdjayoun from 12 to 14 June 1941

The bridge over the Litani to the southwest of Merdjayoun was finished on 12 June 1941 in the afternoon. Carriers were able to travel the road to the west to meet the 21st Australian Brigade on the coast. There was one road north from Merdjayoun to Jezzine. This was a winding road around mountains. A patrol from the Cheshire Yeomanry had probed north for about 500 yards and had found that the road was passable. Brigadier Cox's plan was to send the 2/31st Battalion, with cavalry, artillery and engineers up the road. The objective was Jezzine, but they would first move to the heights south of Rihane. From there, they would move forward to the Kafr Houn ridge. A road went Jezzine to Sidon so that they could connect with the 21st Brigade. One squadron from the Cheshire Yeomanry would move north to Zhalta. They would then be able to travel the road from Jezzine to Sidon. The entire 25th Australian Brigade would then follow the same route. Starting out at 9pm on 13 June, a column of the 2/31st Battalion with a cavalry troop in the lead headed out for Jezzine. The infantry were carried in British three-ton trucks. The road was narrow and they traveled without lights. There were tight turns that required excessive effort to get the trucks and guns through. Some vehicles turned at the Sidon road and had to be called back. Just before Jerme, an extremely sharp turn required the engineers to work for two hours so that the large trucks could pass. Finally at daybreak on 14 June, they reached Kafr Houn where local women cheered the arriving soldiers. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.

General Lavarack's plan on 12 June 1941

General Lavarack really wanted to be making faster progress to the north. The area north of Merdjayoun seemed to be terrain that would aid a defender, so the General decided to join the 25th Brigade with the 21st at Sidon to push north along the coast. While the bridge over the Litani to the southwest of Merdjayoun had been blown, there was a large boulder in the middle of the river. That proved suitable for anchoring a bridge, so two sections were joined at the boulder to make a new bridge over the river. They would use the bridge in the run over to Sidon from Merdjayoun. The General would leave the 2/33rd Battalion to hold the Merdjayoun. They would also have the cavalry and an artillery battery. The cavalry would move to the northeast along two routes, "Route A" and "Route B". Route A was to the right and Route B was to the left. They were divided by "Col's Ridge". The cavalry was quickly halted by accurate artillery and gunfire. They realized that the French were in strong defensive positions and would be difficult to overcome. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.

Taking Merdjayoun on 11 June 1941

On 11 June 1941, the Australian gunners had a sense that the French were staging a withdrawal. The commander of the 2/6th Field Regiment volunteered to go forward and negotiate with the French. Right before 1pm, he had not reached the fort, so he pulled back, knowing that the plan was for a barrage at 1pm. The artillery commanders agreed to cancel the planned barrage and tried to notify the advancing troops. The infantry was already advancing and reached the fort, which they found had been abandoned. The civilians living in Merdjayoun emerged from hiding and told the Australians that the French had withdrawn. The people living there were mostly Orthodox Christians. As the Australians entered the town, the residents raised the flag of Lebanon. The road north to Merdjayoun was mined, so the engineers were busy removing the mines. The more senior officers started to arrive. They included Brigadier Berryman, the artillery commander, General Allen and Brigadier Cox. By later on 11 June, the 2/25th Battalion was north of Ibeles. The other battalions were also far advanced. The 2/33rd was now north of Khiam. The third battalion, the 2/31st, was at Merdjayoun. In the afternoon of 11 June, the engineers had advanced to the bridge over the Litani river to the southwest of Merdjayoun. The bridge had been blown and a large crater had been blown in the road leading to the bridge. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official history.

Back to Merdjayoun from 10 to 11 June 1941

Merdjayoun is actually in southern Lebanon, although the Australian Official History calls it Syria. On 10 June 1941, an attack was made with artillery support. The 2/25th Battalion was to advance up the slopes to the Ibeles Saki plateau, but that was not possible. Instead, they swung to the north and occupied the village and took 12 pack mules. There were also weapons and ammunition. At this position, they interdicted the roads to the north of Merdjayoun. The attack received high-level attention, as General Lavarack, the current 7th Division commander and his planned successor, General Allen, were present at Brigadier Cox's brigade headquarters. They planned for the 2/31st Battalion to attack the ridge at Khirbe with the leading two companies. Once they did that, they would move forward to Merdjayoun. The barrage was commenced at 2:30am. The foremost men could see the abandoned French positions and could see men withdrawing ahead of them. The leading men moved past Qleaa and had moved forward to a cross-roads by 5am. The following companies had to fight French troops that had been bypassed by the leading companies. Khirbe was taken in a "sharp fight", where they took 56 French prisoners. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.

The French had made a major withdrawal: 15 June 1941 on the coast

After finding Sidon had been abandoned by the French on 15 June 1941, a component of the 9th Australian Cavalry scouted to the north. They had replaced the 6th Australian Cavalry on the coast. They realized that the French had withdrawn. Not very long after that, troops of the 2/16th Battalion moved into the town. The battalion actually marched through the town and advanced to the Wadi Abou Zare. The cavalry probing to the north found that north to Ras Nebi Younes were clear of French forces. To the east, along the east-west roads, they were clear to Salhiye, Jamliye, and Sebline. Even as the situation on the coast improved, the center and east had moved to a crisis situation. Still, we have trouble understanding why the coast could not have been exploited aggressively and the eastern fronts allowed to stall. The situation boded ill for a further advance up the coast, due to the desire to advance in the center and east. The narrative now switches back in time to 10 June 1941 at Merdjayoun and Khirbe. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.

On the left wing at Sidon on 14 and 15 June 1941

In the area near Sidon, there was a building that the Australians called a monastery, but that was actually a military barracks. The 2/27th Battalion was moving on Sidon from 13 June 1941. Much of the action was due to the individual platoons, not even company-sized units. Sergeant Macpherson led one platoon of seventeen men. They were able to move forward and entered the village of Miyeoumiye from the east side. The French defenders were surprised to find the Australians among them and 24 surrendered. The Australians found forty pack mules, which the supposed meant that the French were planning on a withdrawal. The other two platoons of the company had failed in their attack. They had tried to advance into the face of machine gun fire from the supposed monastery. They had withdrawn during the night. The 2/16th Battalion was still south of Sidon on 14 June. Brigadier Stevens was personally involved and he called in artillery to stop a French attack that included tanks. There had been hard fighting on 13 and 14 June, seemingly to no effect, but by 15 June, they found that the French had withdrawn. They suspected that Sidon had also been abandoned. At 4pm on 15 June, Brigadier Stevens entered Sidon and took control. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.

One Australian company is decimated at Sidon on 13 JUne 1941

Major Wain's company almost reached its objective at the Wadi Abou Zare, but they were out of touch with Horley's company and were vulnerable, so they pulled back. This was at Sidon on 13 June 1941. They pulled back south of Sidon into a safer position where they were in touch with their supporting company. Horley's company, on the right, when advancing, had been attacked by French tanks. The tanks were more aggressively handled and the Australians did not have any effective means of combating them. Horley was killed and his supporting company was dispersed into the hills. Eventually, with Captain Mackenzie in charge, the company was reduced to a sergeant and 17 men. They were eventually able to break free and reach the road. The tanks stayed away from the road because it was too open. The cavalry was sent to deal with the tanks and brought up a 25-pounder field gun and two anti-tank guns. They were at too long range for the anti-tank guns to be able to damage the tanks and one gun was knocked out. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.

The plan for taking Sidon on 13 June 1941

The plan was for the 2/16th Battalion to take the port city of Sidon. The battalion had been held in reserve for the last four days and now would see action. The plan was for the battalion to pass through the position held by the 2/27th Battalion and to move forward past the town of Sidon to a line two miles north of Sidon. Two companies of the battalion had moved up to Darb es Sim, but the battalion commander had lost touch with them, so they did not participate. A cavalry squadron would provide flank protection to the battalion during their advance. The attack commenced at 10am with artillery support from the 2/4th Field Regiment. The left company (they advanced with two companies forward) ran into machine gun posts south of Sidon. They outflanked them and the French withdrew. They eventually reached a point east of the center of Sidon, after seeing two French tanks that were timidly handled. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.

Moving north on the coastal plain on 12 June 1941

The Australian 21st Brigade was moving north along the coast towards Sidon, which they reached by late 12 June 1941. Brigadier Stevens had sent two field guns forward in support, in case any more tanks appeared. They ended up in a duel with French guns "over open sights". Brigadier Stevens was involved and was slightly wounded by a shell fragment. Late in the day on 12 June, the Australians were strafed by French aircraft and took casualties. The Australians wanted to negotiate with the French to spare Sidon from a battle. Instead, the French artillery commenced firing. The Australians returned the fire. The town was overlooking a harbor dating from Phoenician times. The town had some 12,000 people in close quarters. North and south of the town were fruit trees. The orchard were contained with nine-foot walls. The Australians were impressed by the beauty of the place, as it was the nicest that they had seen so far. Brigadier Stevens decided to let the 2/16th Battalion take Sidon from the French. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.

The 2/27th Battalion assumes the advance-guard role on 12 June 1941 in Syria

The 2/14th Battalion Adjutant suggested to the 2/27th Battalion commander that they could move to the east and out-flank the French position. One company moved through difficult terrain in the hills to the east. Another company moved through Adeisse and then forward to Hassaniye and Maameriye. They took some forty prisoners and some mortars and machine guns. Right on the coast, while this was happening, artillery fire forced the French tanks to pull back. The carriers of the 2/27th Battalion moved along the beach and outflanked the bridge defenders. They took about sixty prisoners and were able to hold the bridge until a platoon arrived after crossing the hills. They eventually took more prisoners, so that they held 200 French soldiers. A flank attack had worked much better than a frontal assault, which makes sense. By nightfall on the 12th, the cavalry and carriers of the 2/27th Battalion had advanced another three miles to the north. They had moved through Rhaziye and only stopped when they were fired on by artillery. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.

The 2/14th Battalion moving north along the coast road on 11 June 1941

The Australian 2/14th Battalion followed the cavalry north along the coast road in Syria on mid-morning of 11 June 1941. The French had left a modest rear-guard which had been dealt with by the cavalry. There was little opposition to the 2/14th Battalion, except to the right of the road. They had "killed nine and captured forty-five" French troops. They contiued north "through Es Sakiye, Sarafend and Khan Saada". In the process, they had taken almost 100 prisoners. With the cavalry scouting ahead, they noticed that there were five tanks and machine gun nests "in the Wadi Zaharini". This seems to have been the next position that the French had decided to defend. The plan was for the 2/14th to continue to move north and to cut the road to Merdjayoun. By 6:15pm, six French tanks advanced towards the leading men from the 2/14th Battalion. They had been stopped already by heavy machine gun and mortar fire. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.

With the cavalry on 11 June 1941 in Syria

Early on 11 June 1941, the 2/14th Battalion and the cavalry squadron received orders to resume the forward move. The cavalry were able to move to the juncture of the coast road with the road to Es Sakiye. At that location, there were French tanks with supporting anti-tank guns. The cavalry commander, Lt. Mills ordered his three light tanks to shelter behind a ridge. He moved forward with some carriers. He and some men dismounted and moved to a position that dominated the French. The Australians had an anti-tank rifle and they started firing at the tanks and the anti-tank guns. The tanks withdrew in the face of the fire. They then fired at the anti-tank gun and crew. The gun was over the road cutting. Lt. Mills then went forward but then encountered some French troops who had dug in for protection. Mills' sub-machine gun had jammed. There was another group, though, and Cramp attacked them and then both groups of French troops surrendered. They had captured 45 men from the French Foreign Legion, machine guns, mortars, and the two anti-tank guns. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.

On the coast, early on 11 June 1941 in Syria

As we mentioned, a house caught fire and was burning due to gasoline burning. That lit up the scene and made advancing without being seen very difficult. This was early on 11 June 1941 on the coast with the 2/27th Battalion from the Australian 21st Brigade. One company, with the battalion commander following, went around the right end of the French position, taking care to stay out of the light from the fire. They had expected to find another company there, but did not. They were around the French, so they were able to push deeper to the objective and beyond. The other companies from the 2/27th Battalion turned out to be held up by French fire from positions on either side of the coast road. The company on the right that had swung around the French position was ordered to take a position above the road to block a French escape. With the morning and dawn, the French surrendered and the battalion commander, Lt-Col. Moten, was able to walk south to his other companies. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.

Attack at night in the coastal sector in Syria on 10 June 1941

The 21st Australian Brigade was moving up the coast in Syria and Lebanon to the north. The 2/27th Battalion was ordered to attack at midnight on the night of 10 and 11 June 1941. The battalion had moved north along the road to a point "just south of Adloun and Innsariye". There was an artillery barrage for a half an hour. One company was to the right of the road and the other was on the road and to the left. The men encountered heavy gunfire from both sides of the road and took casualties. Someone tossed a grenade into a building that ignited gasoline. The fire lit up the scene and the right company turned towards the fire. A patrol on the left noticed eight light tanks warming up their engines. This news caused Brigadier Stevens to order some artillery to move forward. They guns arrived with Brigadier Stevens and the artillery regiment commander. They fired 12 rounds at a stone house where they found four dead French soldiers. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.

The Vichy French response in Syria in early June 1941

The Vichy French army commander in Syria in June 1941 was General Verdlhac. Free French forces had made a rapid advance on Damascus, and the general was concerned that they had gotten so close. General Verdilhac decided to fight at Nahr el Awaj. He positioned the 6th Chasseurs d'Afrique and a Foreign Legion unit there to defend the position. The 6th Chasseurs d'Afrique were equipped with tanks, and the II/6th Foreign Legion were among the best troops. By 11 June, he had added the 7th Chasseurs d'Afrique and I/6th Foreign Legion. The defense at the Litani river included part of a regiment, with Algerian companies and some Foreign Legion troops. In the north, the best troops and most French tanks were "between Mount Hermon and the desert". There were also some Tunisian troops near the Jebel Druze. This defense had proved to be fairly effective. The center British advance was stopped. The advance along the coast had done better, but it was obvious that the attackers would have to fight their way north. On the right, the Free French had been stopped, so they were being augmented by the 5th Indian Brigade, which had been providing a rear-guard. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.

One the desert flank in Syria on 9, 10, and 11 June 1941

In the east of the attack on 9 June 1941 were the 5th Indian Brigade, British horse cavalry, and the Free French under General Legentilhomme. The 5th Indian Brigade, under Brigadier Lloyd, had moved forward to Sheikh Meskine. They were followed by the cavalry. There was an area covered by boulders of volcanic origin. By 10 June, the cavalry arrived at Najha. This was on the Nahr el Awaj. They took some French prisoners there. A French force of infantry from Senegal with tanks and armoured cars stood in their path. They dropped back some six miles to a place that was defensible. The French attacked on 11 June, but were stopped by the anti-tank gun.

The Free French also had Senegalese troops. They advanced through Sheikh Meskine on 9 June. The leading troops were marines and Senegalese. They had a battery of artillery from the 1st Field Regiment from the 5th Indian Brigade. They also had a troop of light anti-aircraft guns. By the end of 9 June, the Free French were in Deinoun and Deir Ali and were in sight of the Vichy outposts. The Free French waited for reinforcement during 10 June. They attacked Kiswe on 11 June. The defenders were Moroccans equal in strength to the attackers. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Australian Official History.