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Dash for Freedom
During the night of 28 June, an attempt was made to break out of the Mersa Matruh position. The 90th Light Division had by this time been reinforced by Bersaglieri troops of Xth and XXIst Infantry Corps, and groups of the 10th Indian Division at the head of Wadi Nagamish came under heavy tank and machine gun fire from the Littorio Armored Division. But certain parties of British and Indian troops took advantage of large gaps that existed in the Axis lines, and managed to escape. Les Davies takes up the story:
“The next day we reformed and got ready, it was Sunday. Shells were coming over by the dozen and Jerry was closing in on us, so as soon as it was dark we made our mad dash to freedom and at a dear cost. Hell was let loose, he knew we were coming out. We broke the way through. Trucks were burning, men were killed and wounded and screaming for help, we could not stop as tracer bullets were flying through us and tanks were knocking hell out our trucks.”
As Mitcham notes:
“Fortunately for Kleeman, the British did not try to breakout until the following evening, and, by that time the 90th had been reinforced by elements of the Italian X and XXI Infantry Corps. Only 60% of the British corps escaped in the confused breakout. The next day, Kleeman and the Italians captured Mersa Matruh, along with a rearguard of 6,000 and 40 destroyed tanks.”
Illustration depicting Bersaglieri capturing British soldiers in a cave
Outstanding Valor
Italian combat sappers cleared gaps in the minefields slowly because of heavy artillery fire, and at dawn supporting infantry moved up. Colonel Ugo Scirocco’s 7th Bersaglieri Regiment finally broke into the British defenses, and at 0930 hours, the 6000 remnants of the Xth British Corps, were captured along with large quantities of supplies. About the same time, the 21st Panzer Division intercepted another British column retreating to the east, capturing another 1,600. At 1045 hours on 29 June the Panzerarmee Afrika reported that
“The fortress of Marsa Matruh strengthened by installations organized in depth in the outlying area and by numerous minefields was taken by storm in the morning hours of 29.6 by 90 Lt. Div. in the face of stubborn enemy resistance.”
In reality the 10th and 11th Battalions of the 7th Bersaglieri Regiment had broken into the port of Mersa Matruh. Thanks to the outstanding valor of the Bersaglieri, Kleeman’s 90th Light Division had overwhelmed the positions that normally would have required more numerous troops.
Article By: David Aldea (anurom@hotmail.com)
David is also the co-author of 5th Infantry Brigade in the Falklands (Leo Cooper, 2003) and has written numerous articles, including “Blood and Mud at Goose Green” (Military History Magazine, April 2002)
References:
Battle of Mersa Matruh: Historical Overview by Mike Stolmeyer, BBC-WW2 People’s War-Letter Home: From Mersa Matruh by Les Davies, Gentlemen of the Raj: The Indian Army Officer Corps, 1817-1949 by Pradeep Barua, Rommel’s Desert Commanders: The Men Who Served the Desert Fox by Samuel W. Mitcham, Steve Weir: New Zealand’s Master Gunner by Tim Rowe, Rommel and the Panzer Forces of the Blitzkrieg 1940-1942 by Christer Jorgensen, Healers in World War II: Oral Histories of Medical Corps Personnel by Patricia W. Sewell and Battle Report of Panzerarmeeafrika for 29 June 1942.
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History has always been written by the winners seldom the losers are allowed to even correct some facts. The partecipation of fascist Italy in WW2 it seems always eclypsed by the better known (and for some reasons more respected) german “Kameraten”. The reasons are that most of the historians for the english speaking world seems to have a bias on anything “mediterranean” or, the Other “white race”. A rather superficial approach to actual research that would include translations from italian to english or even the true statements of soldiers that had the experience to fight aganist italian soldiers would bring a new and more to reality view of the war.
My Grandfather was one of those captured at Mersa Matruh being held at camp pg70 (Italy) and stalag vi d (althou there is mention of stalag iv w but i cant find any record of this and it may be a mistake) his name was Patrick Whalen his pow number 249660 ? he was in the 2nd battalion H L I (i think) i know its a long shot but i am interested in anything that could be discerned from these facts.
It is very cool and interesting to learn about battles fought by the italian military in world war 2 to much credit is given to the germans and not enough credit is given to the italians