Monday, April 27, 2020

Early on 2 November 1942

One positive side effect of the Supercharge Operation was that it helped the Australian 24th Brigade in their positions in the Saucer. About thirty tanks drove up to the right of the 2/15th Battalion. They were mostly out of range of the Australian anti-tank guns, but one tank got too close and was knocked out. They seemed to be threatening the "Supercharge corridor". The 8th Armoured Brigade moved towards the enemy tanks and they moved away. A little later, General Morshead visited the saucer. He decided not to ask any more right then from the "tired battalions".
2 November 1942 was uneventful for the Australians. They had some incoming artillery fire, and noticed more movement near the coast. When General Morshead got news about Supercharge successes, he ordered the brigades to operate with the goal of keeping the enemy on the coast from withdrawing. The Australians had patrols out but they took losses. One patrol attacked some German positions and inflicted casualties. The Australians could hear vehicles moving. This was during the night of 2 to 3 November. 3 November saw the Australians patroling "both in carriers and on foot". They found that the enemy had pulled back "towards Abd el Rahman". The Australians could see that the enemy had started to withdraw. The pressure on the Australians had subsided. They sent out carriers to "tow in enemy guns".

The Desert Air Force was flying missions to hit vehicles and positions. British fighters mistakenly strafed Australians. The Australians were not harmed, fortunately.
They found that the enemy had pulled most of the "heavy weapons and anti-tank guns" from the 125th Regiment. They expected that "the rest would be withdrawn the next night." Rommel had already decided to pull back to Fuka. Fuka seemed to be a good spot for a delaying battle. This is based on the account in Vol.III of the Australian Official History.

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