Jebel Achdar
The Green Hills
of Cyrenaica
The first
phase of operation “Crusader” which began on 18th Nov. 1941 ended on 17th
December. In the first five days of heavy fighting, 8th Army’s tank strength had
been reduced from 450 to about 50. This was due to the superiority of the
German panzers and the deadly 88mm guns. This caused the Army Comdr to lose his
nerve and also his command, he being replaced by Gen. Ritchie. Despite this
initial setback 70 Division in Tobruk was relieved after its 7 months’ siege
and Rommel found himself being forced to flee behind the Gazala Line. Here 7
Armd Div. turned its southern flank forcing the Afrika Korps and the Italians
to retreat across the desert and the Jebel Achdar region of Cyrenaica with an
estimated 30 tanks, 35,000 infantrymen and 3,000 lorries.
So the
“Jebel Stakes” began. 7th Armd Div. took the desert route from Mechili to El
Abiar whilst 4th Indian Div. was given the task of clearing the Jebel to the
north using 7th Ind Bde.
On 20th
December we moved north-west across the desert, my home for the last five
months, cutting a swathe through a grassy savannah where weeds and wild flowers
grew profusely making a welcome sight to our sand-weary eyes.
Reaching the
tarmac road, the Via Balbia, on the coast, we journeyed westwards, Gazala and
Tmimi, what were they but names on a map, on to Derna, a green and pleasant
land. Water there was in abundance. What luxury! North of Derna we discovered a
huge dump of German 20 litre petrol and water cans, immediately nicknamed
Jerricans! Taking a water can apiece we soon had 4½ gallons of the precious
liquid, even if a full can was heavy to carry. After the one pint per day water
ration in the desert, this was sheer heaven!
So despite
the daily rains, the churned-up red mud and the attention of the Luftwaffe we
entered the Jebel with high spirits - a great adventure- surging forward into
new lands on enemy soil. Never had I seen such a green and fertile landscape
since leaving England in October 1940.
15 miles
west of Derna we halted in a thickly-wooded area in a land-scape of shrubs and
tall cypress trees. On Christmas Eve it rained constantly making the
undergrowth muddy and us miserable. This was the new enemy - rain! Heavy winter
rains that instantly bogged down vehicles that strayed off the road. The rain
dripped incessantly off the bushes and trees all day. Breakfast, tiffen and tea
were all eaten standing up in the rain. That evening a rum ration was issued.
My CSM and myself sat huddled in the tent under the yellow light of the
hurricane lamp drinking hot water laced with rum and sugar. The fiery spirit
made some attempt to warm our cold bodies which were still enveloped with all
the available army clothing we possessed.
So Christmas
Eve 1941 was celebrated whilst outside in the darkness the rain pattered
constantly from off the trees on to the tent.
The armoured
corps of 4th Indian Division entered Benghazi at 6pm only to find the King’s
Dragoons had arrived some three hours previously by the desert route.
Christmas
Day 1941. The rain had stopped but the undergrowth was fast becoming a quagmire
and a chill damp air hung over the wood. Cipher work had eased off, a good
indication that operations were coming to an end. I splashed through the mud
and puddles to my Christmas dinner of a small square of pork, fried onions and
dry army biscuits! Mail produced one Christmas card, remarkable timing ! Had
two Boxing Day presents from the QM, a pair of socks and a new forage cap.
The Division
was now stretched out over 150 miles of desert and Jebel and all army supplies
had to be brought by road either from Tobruk or the railhead between Tobruk and
the Egyptian frontier, a QM’s nightmare! Our rations became ever scantier. No
one ever thought of using RAF bombers to drop supplies!
Resistance
had all but ended as Rommel had retreated to his old lair of El Agheila
shortening his L of C and lengthening ours. Benghazi as a port was of no
immediate use owing to the RAF bombing.
On 28th
December we moved another ten miles westwards to Giovanni Berta, the first of
the Italian colonists’ villages built into a hill- side of the Jebel. We
commandeered an empty farm-house on the main street giving a roof over our
heads for the first time in five months. To the rear we discovered a natural
air raid shelter, a cave in the hill-side. This we had to use immediately as a
JU88 flew over giving sporadic bursts of machine-gun fire. Our AA guns opened
up and black smoke poured from the plane as it headed for home. We stayed in
Giovanni Berta for two days. A JU88 bombed and straffed the village three times
a day. On our last day between 7pm and 8pm we dashed to the safety of the cave
three times as the JU88 paid us three more visits shooting up everything in sight.
The CSM was having a bath. Grabbing a towel he streaked naked out of the
farmhouse like greased lightning in his bare feet, soapy water running off his
back. No material damage done except to his dignity!
The end of
1941 saw us on the road heading for Barce 95 miles distant. Crossing rolling
uplands we reached the Lamluda crossroads. Here, our old friend, the tarmac
road which had started life at the Pyramids of Giza actually split into two.
Both roads converged on Barce and ran parallel to each other at a distance of
about 15 miles apart. We followed the northern main highway which steadily
climbed through the most attractive countryside dotted here and there with
white painted farmsteads. Reaching the highest point of the Jebel massif,
2,000ft above sea-level a turning led down to the Med. and Cyrene of Biblical
times. I regretted the speed we passed through the most picturesque scenery.
Leaving Lucia Razza behind, the road clung to a ledge cut out of the cliff
face. Deep canyons opened up from which tall spire-like cypress trees thrust
their slender columns to the sky.
The uplands
came to an abrupt end as we reached the western edge of the Jebel. Looking down
we saw a wide agricultural plain that stretched in all directions as far as the
eye could see. In the centre ran the sole road~ wet and glistening like a
silver thread straight as a Roman road to the far horizon.
The highway
down the defile of the escarpment had been blown in strategic places by the
retreating Italians. The craters had been roughly filled in, nevertheless it
was a hair-raising experience in descending the road cut out of the face of the
bluff. In places the road was barely wide enough for a three-ton lorry and the
two off- side wheels ran perilously near the edge. Should any truck go over
there was a sheer drop and instant death. I gave a sigh of relief when at last
we reached the level plain.
Arriving at
the Electricity Generating station in Barce we joined up with Main HQ Signals.
After five months we were amalgamated once more. Main Divisional HQs were set
up in the town and we were back in business.
The conquest
of the Jebel was over. Rommel had skilfully withdrawn his Afrika Korps to fight
another day. 4th Indian Division for its part had captured 6,000 POWs, shot
down 27 aircraft and destroyed 51 German panzers in action. In addition more
planes had been captured and tanks damaged in the pursuit
. Our
casualties were 178 officers and 2,455 ORs killed, wounded or missing. A
victory which seems to be ignored by latter-day historians. A victory that
would turn into a defeat in the New Year of 1942!