CAB80-32 — Page 331

Page 331

22. The remnants of the two German armoured divisions had slipped away before the withdrawal of the main body of four Italian divisions, and had succeeded in making their way to the Derna area under cover of darkness. Of the main body, two motorised divisions were directed on Mekili and two infantry divisions took the road north to Derna. Before this withdrawal, General Ritchie had despatched mobile columns of artillery and lorried infantry, with detachments of armoured cars, to forestall the enemy on the Derna-Mekili line and harass his retreating forces. The operations of these columns, combined with the relentless pursuit by 4th Indian Division and almost continuous attacks by the R.A.F., effectively prevented General Rommel from collecting his disorganised force and forming a new line. Some attempt was made to hold Mekili and Derna, but immediate steps were taken to outflank both positions and they were evacuated on the morning of the 19th December.

23. The conduct of these operations was in the hands of Lieutenant-General A. R. Godwin-Austen, commanding 13th Corps; the Headquarters of 30th Armoured Corps, which had played the major part earlier in the campaign, had taken over command of the forces investing Bardia and protecting 8th Army's L. of C. Area. The pursuit continued westward along the desert route from Mekili and along the roads from Derna to Benghazi. The enemy's columns were subjected to unremitting air attack and became greatly disorganised. By the morning of the 21st December patrols of the 4th Indian Division had reached Cyrene and Apollonia and were advancing on Barce.

24. Meanwhile, a small force supported by some American tanks and artillery was moving South-West to join a detachment of the force which, since the 24th November, had been in occupation of Jalo. These combined forces were directed on Magrun, 16 miles south of Ghemines, where a large number of enemy aircraft were concentrated to cover the withdrawal. At the same time a mixed column, which included some tanks, was moving along the desert road from Mekili, directed on Benina.

25. By the 22nd December there were indications that the enemy was attempting to hold a position east of Benghazi with his Italian formations, presumably with the object of covering the evacuation of stores and material from the Benghazi area. There were also indications that the bulk of what remained of the German Afrika Corps was in the Antelat-Jedabya area, and it seemed likely that General Rommel was trying to form a front, for the time being at least, about Jedabya.

26. This attempt was, however, short lived. A raiding party destroyed 37 enemy aircraft at Jedabya on the night of the 21st/22nd December, and on the 22nd other troops occupied Antelat and sent detachments on to Beda Fomm, some 17 miles further to the West. These penetrations probably caused the enemy to decide on further withdrawal and though he attacked strongly on the following day in the Antelat area, using 35 tanks and 150 M.T. vehicles, General Auchinleck thought that it was only a delaying action to cover withdrawal from Benghazi.

27. By the evening of the 23rd December the 4th Indian Division had occupied Barce and was moving on towards Benghazi. Columns of the 7th Armoured Division Support Group occupied Benina and Regima on the afternoon of the 23rd December and the Royal Dragoons occupied Benghazi on the morning of the 24th December. It would seem that our operations around Soluk, together with the occupation of Benghazi, have separated the German and Italian forces and that little fight is left in the latter. Further South, on the evening of the 23rd December, the bulk of the German force, estimated as 40-50 tanks, 800 vehicles, 16 guns and about 25 A.T. guns had withdrawn some 24 miles south-west from Antelat, where they had been in action that afternoon.

28. The German remnant will almost certainly try to get away, but its daily losses in transport vehicles have been heavy, and it may be possible to bring it to battle, in spite of our own tremendous maintenance problems.

Page 331

Page 331

Page 331