The most important of these "Boxes" was Bir Hacheim, which would be the pivot point of any armoured flank attack for either side. Instead the desert between them was patrolled and hopefully controlled by roving armoured units.
DESERT RATS VS AFRIKA KORPS CRACK DOWNLOAD FULL
A full brigade, behind belts of barber wire and mines manned each they were too widely separated to provide mutual support.
DESERT RATS VS AFRIKA KORPS CRACK DOWNLOAD SERIES
This was a series of defended "Boxes", rather than the tradition line of 1914-18 vintage, running from Gazala on the eastern side of Jebel south into the desert. In April 1942, the Division returned to the desert, without the 11th Hussars, and as usual sent out "Jock" columns into no-mans land, while the British prepared for an Axis advance.īATTLE OF GAZALA AND THE CAULDRON (May-June 1942)īetween late January and May, following their withdraw from the German front at Agedabia, the British had been busy creating what was to be called the "Gazala Line". Also during this period the 11th Hussars were sent east to Mosul and Iraq and, therefore, were not with the division when the Germans advanced again. Unfortunately, he was killed in car crash a few weeks later, which has a great loss to the Division and the 8th Army.
He had recently been promoted to General and took over the command of the Division when General Gott took over 13 Corps. The Support Group (soon to be renamed 7th Motor Brigade) held a Memorial Service in Cairo Cathedral, which was preceded by the presentation ofīrigadier Jock Campbell's Victoria Cross, for his leadership at Sidi Rezegh. By 4th February the British were back to the Gazala line, with many units still in retreat, although the Axis had already stopped their advance.ĭuring this time most of the 7th Armoured Division were in the Nile Delta resting and refitting. Here the Germans and Italians captured a huge stock of petrol and ammunition that the British were preparing for their own offensive - Operation Acrobat - scheduled for mid February. The Germans then burst through the 201st Guards Brigade to take Msus and on 28th January Benghazi fell. The Germans stuck these scattered units in force and on 23rd January the German armour engaged the 2nd Armoured Brigade, with its three regiments coming into action separately, only to be individually defeated, loosing over half their tanks, in the process. The 1st Armoured Division had repeated the old error of dispersing its units over the desert, rather than focusing its strength in one area.
The renewed German offensive took the British by surprise and it stuck the newly arrived British 1st Armoured Division.
View map of North Africa (This is a large file and may take some time to download)ĪXIS COUNTER OFFENSIVE (January-February 1942)įollowing the "Crusader" battles, both sides settled into defensive positions, where they "licked their wounds", but having received some reinforcements on 5th January, the Germans counter-attacked on 21st January 1942. Halfa, Battle of El Alamein (Second Alamein) and the drive to Tripoli
These include Gazala and the Cauldron, First Alamein, Alam During 1942 the 7th Armoured Division was involved in the following battles and campaigns.
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