[27] Not knowing how long he had to hold out, Bergonzoli was forced to ration his stocks of food and water so that O'Connor could not simply starve him out. [43], On 23 December the water carrier Myriel arrived at Sallum with 3,000 tons of water, while the monitor HMS Terror brought another 200 tons. Others earned the ire of Mackay by dressing in Italian uniforms, firing enemy weapons. 33 Squadron RAF, No. [46], The port was subject to long range shelling by medium guns in Bardia, known to the Australians as "Bardia Bill",[52] and to Italian air attacks. Between casualties and men detached as prisoner escorts, D Company strength fell to 46 men, and Halliday elected to halt for the night. A pause in the ground attack, was followed by the second phase of assault at 11.30am when the fleet laid a barrage and the airforce bombed Italian airfields. [38], As it moved into position around Bardia in December 1940, the 6th Division was still experiencing shortages. The remaining garrisons in the Gerfan and Ponticelli sectors were completely isolated. Major J. N. Abbot's company advanced to the Italian posts, and attacked a group of sangers. The company captured eight field guns, many machine-guns and nearly 200 prisoners on the way, but casualties and the need to detach soldiers as prisoner escorts left him with only 45 men at the end of the day. It was the first battle of the war in which an Australian Army formation took part, the first to be commanded by an Australian general and the first to be planned by an Australian staff.

The tanks were late in arriving, and England postponed his attack to 1030. One of the tanks made straight for the gate of the fort. By 0920 all companies were on their objectives and they had linked with 2/1st Infantry Battalion. [52], Gunners of HMS Ladybird bombarding Bardia before the assault, 2 January 1941, A series of air raids were mounted against Bardia in December, in the hope of persuading the garrison to withdraw. The artillery opened fire at 0530. [44] British Intelligence estimated the strength of the Italian garrison at 20,000 to 23,000 with 100 guns and discounted reports of six medium and seventy light tanks as exaggerated—a serious intelligence failure. It was the first battle of the war in which an Australian Army formation took part, the first to be commanded by an Australian general and the first to be planned by an Australian staff. There were also two antitank regiments, the 3rd and 106th Regiments, Royal Horse Artillery, equipped with 2-pounders and Bofors 37 mm guns. [26] Not knowing how long he had to hold out, Bergonzoli was forced to ration his stocks of food and water so that O'Connor could not simply starve him out. The only post still holding out was now Post 11. The battalion came under artillery fire, mostly from a battery north of Bardia that was then engaged and silenced by the 104th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. The Australian troops made good progress, six tank crossings were readied and mines between them and the wire had been detected. A furious battle raged until the post fell shortly before dawn.

[39] Only A Squadron of the 2/6th Cavalry Regiment was on hand, as the rest of the regiment was deployed in the defence of the frontier posts at Al-Jaghbub and Siwa Oasis. "[74] Savige adopted a plan of Walker's for a night attack, which began at 1230. Ammunition stocks were similarly old and perhaps as many as two-thirds of the fuses were out of date, resulting in excessive numbers of dud rounds. [57] They advanced on a series of posts held by the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Italian 115th Infantry Regiment.

The desert was, however, relatively free from disease. [74], Meanwhile, Captain G. H. Halliday's D Company moved southwards against Post 19. Major General Iven Mackay's 6th Division assaulted the strongly held Italian fortress of Bardia, Libya, assisted by air support and naval gunfire, and under the cover of an artillery barrage. [42] These positions disclosed themselves by firing at Australian patrols, which now went out nightly, mapping the antitank ditch and the barbed wire obstacles. [75], Although the Australian progress had been slower than that achieved during the break-in phase, the 17th Infantry Brigade had achieved remarkable results. This page was last modified on 5 January 2016, at 05:47. Awaiting its turn to move, the force sought shelter in Wadi Scemmas and its tributaries. [11] On 11 December, Wavell decided to withdraw the 4th Indian Division and send it to the Sudan to participate in the East African Campaign. With the help of the Matildas, Macfarlane was able to quickly capture Posts 20 and 23. At night time. Within minutes, all but one of the company's officers and all its senior non-commissioned officers had been killed or wounded.

[39], As it moved into position around Bardia in December 1940, the 6th Australian Division was still experiencing shortages. The wadi was found to contain large numbers of Italian soldiers from technical units who, untrained for combat, surrendered in large numbers. [51] Troops of the British 16th Infantry Brigade began working the port on 18 December. Upon the outbreak of the Second World War the Australian government decided to raise an all volunteer force for service overseas, due to the provisions of the Defence Act (1903) which restricted the deployment of the part-time Militia to only those areas considered to be Australian territory. It was agreed that Allen would advance on Bardia and cut the fortress in two, supported by Frowen's guns, every available tank, MacArthur-Onslow's Bren gun carriers and the 2/8th Infantry Battalion, which Mackay had recently allocated from reserve.
( Log Out /  These shortages were gradually remedied by deliveries from British sources. MED0281. Bardia was the largest single operation in which the 2/6th Battalion took part during the war, with 22 killed in action and 51 wounded.

[41] These positions disclosed themselves by firing at Australian patrols, which now went out nightly, mapping the antitank ditch and the barbed wire obstacles. [98] The 6th Division was fortunate to have drawn a "set piece" type of battle, the type that most suited its Great War-based doctrine and training.

Efforts were made to stock 8 Field Supply Depot with seven days' supply of fuel and stores, and 500 rounds per gun of ammunition. The battle for Bardia cost 130 Australian lives with 326 men wounded. [40], At a meeting with Mackay on Christmas Eve, 1940, O'Connor visited Mackay at 6th Division headquarters and directed him to prepare an attack on Bardia. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Giovanni Palermo was imprisoned at Zonderwater, South Africa: Noi!

The contents of this website are protected by copyright law. Gullett, who had been wounded several times, regained consciousness in a trench. The 2/2nd Field Regiment was still equipped with twelve 18-pounders and twelve 4.5-inch howitzers. [3], Bardia did not become an important port as supply by sea continued to run through Sollum but became an important source of water, after the repair of the large pumping station that the Italians had installed to serve the township and Fort Capuzzo.

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