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#104th Rifle Division
fanmoose12 · 2 years
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Headcanon that Levi is horrible at using Marleys weapon, guns. As humanity's strongest he is well versed with swords but not with guns. Vets and squad 104th, shh they live. Go to one of Marley's fairs. And they have a shooting range where you can win a prize. And Levi sees Hange eyeing one of the prizes but was unable to reach the points to get the prize. Levi uses some connections and practices really hard to get said prize much to the amusement of Hange. Levi finds out Hange followed him during one of his practice sessions.
"No, no," Sasha huffs, flicks hair away from her face. "You're doing it all wrong. Lower that elbow, and put that hand here, and press the rifle just a little closer to your shoulder - no, not that close, oh sweet mother!"
Sasha didn't expect that teaching someone would be that difficult, especially if that someone is famed Captain Levi, the pride and joy of their division. She didn't expect that she'd be teaching him anything at all, the man seems to be naturally talented at everything- except for gunning, apparently. And above all, she could never expect that he'd be such a problematic student.
"I'm doing everything," he grits, beyond frustrated as well, "according to those Marleyan manuals."
"Well, if you have manuals, why did you come to me?"
Captain scowls, and something resembling a curse slips out of his lips, before he sighs and, with an effort that situation doesn't actually call for, says, "Because following those manuals' instructions didn't help me win that stupid shooting range."
"And you wanted to win it because..." Sasha knows the exact reason why, but it'd be nice to hear it from Captain Levi. Partially, because she's been tutoring him since early morning and she wants revenge for his uncooperativeness. And, partially, because his embarrassment is extremely amusing, and she's really, really bored.
"It's Commander's orders," he stiffly replies. Sasha tilts her head to better look at him, calling him out without using actual words, and Captain mumbles something under his breath again, before he corrects himself, "If I win some plushie, it'd... it'd please Commander Hange."
"It would," Sasha agrees, her smile growing as she watches her superior. Those moments are small and rare, most often happen when Commander Hange is directly involved, but- it's nice to see his stoic facade slip. His stormy grey eyes soften, his usual scowl disappears without a trace and his thin eyes curve up in an almost smile - that expression suits Captain Levi, and Sasha wishes to see much more of it. That's why she's here, after all.
"You know," she says, "I can win a prize for Hange-san. Whichever one they want."
"No." Captain answers resolutely, and too quickly. Almost - panickingly. "Don't touch the main prize."
"That atrocious bunny with blood red eyes?"
Captain nods in confirmation. "That's the one Hange liked the most. However-" and that's when his voice goes low, that same soft look appearing in his eyes. "If you wish so, you can win something else for Hange. You and the rest of your friends, if you bring a gift to them, that- well, Hange'll appreciate it."
"And give us all a hug, no doubt," Sasha winks, "Hange-san gives the very best ones!"
"That they do," Captain casts his eyes down, and for a second - Sasha is certain that he's smiling. But when he lifts his head, all traces of it is already gone. "Should we continue?" he asks, holding up a rifle.
"Sure, but this time, actually listen to me, please."
Captain grunts, clearly dissatisfied, but gives a reluctant nod. It's more than enough for Sasha, and so she beams and urges Levi into a shooting position once again.
---
Sasha watches, fists clenched tightly, as Levi prepares for his last shot. He presses the rifle to his shoulder - just as she taught him to, puts his hands around it - just as she taught him to, and just as she taught him to - he levels his eye with an aim, takes a deep steady breath and- he shoots.
He hits the bullseye easily, seemingly effortlessly, if Sasha didn't spend hours on a shooting range with him, she'd think that shooting comes to Captain Levi just as naturally as breathing, cleaning and slaughtering titans.
He plucks the bunny with blood red eyes from the owner of shooting range with that same almost smile - only this time it's more prominent and sharper, nearly resembling a smirk, and then presses it firmly to his chest, like the most precious treasure. Sasha observes it all with pride, at first, and then, when Captain thrusts the bunny into Commander Hange's hands, the pride combines with overwhelming joy.
There is already a whole bunch of plushies at their side, all of different sizes, shapes and colours, but when Levi presents the (atrocious, in Sasha's opinion) bunny, Hange-san squeals with unbridled delight and hugs the toy to their chest. A smile blooms on their face - wider, happier and far more real than they've seen in the past four years. It fills the rest of them with joy and cheer as well. This Hange-san, reunited with the radiant glow of delight, certainly is a sight to behold. It is a sight that Sasha is almost reluctant to leave behind.
But the warmth of Hange-san's smile, their happy laughter is not a result of Sasha and her friends' efforts. Someone else should be commanded for it, someone who has worked so hard, stepped over his pride and reached out for help. It was Captain Levi's plan all along, and, Sasha decides, he should be the one to bear fruits of its success.
So she takes Connie and Jean by their arms, nods at Mikasa, Eren and Armin, and then they all make a haste retreat, leaving their superiors to enjoy a quiet autumn evening on their own. And if out of the corner of her eyes, Sasha spots a kiss exchanged between two adults, she tells no one about it.
As Captain Levi's teacher, she decides to guard that little secret.
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alexeithegoat · 2 years
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introducing the 311th Aerial Assault Division, featuring Skulk Squad!
Jedi General Plikh’adi’razna
Jedi Commander Tal Hardin
Commander Alasdair [CC-4440]
Captain Bhatair [CT-4441]
Lieutenant Catcher [CT-3690]
Lieutenant Flint [CT-3360]
Sergeant Kenneth [CT-2410]
Sergeant Mercury [CT-3770]
Sergeant Kalinda [CT-3130]
Specialist Digger [CT-4250]
okay so a quick rundown of the squad, who they are and what they do:
They are a division most skilled in aviation, jetpacking, rockets and sniping. Additionally they will provide scouting and rescue ops
They are tactical and ready for whatever comes their way, always sticking to the mission and doing it flawlessly
Their insignia is a Vulptex (crystal fox)
Their colours are deep blue and gold
Skulk Squad, especially, is a tightly knit group and they love each other very much
They have a team droid called RU5-7E, aka Rusty, whose job is maintaining ships and firearms. He is a very meticulous droid and ensures nothing is wrong. He frequents operations and is in charge of navigation when the troops are tired
Skulk Squad have a good reputation for blowing up at least one thing on a mission, nothing compared to the racketous 501st that is
The 311th are close with the 104th in the way that they both do rescue missions and that their generals respect one another. They are both very professional units and sometimes pair up like how the 212th does with the 501st
Now, onto the squad itself:
General Plikh’adi’razna is a female Chiss Jedi known by her core name of Khadira. She is calm, collected and caring, especially to her brothers and sisters of the 311th. She often sleeps in the barracks with her troops and wears the armour alongside her robes. Her lightsaber is blue and was crafted with fine metals from Csilla, her home planet. While Khadira is an excellent liar, she does not fare well on undercover operations. She won’t hesitate to use a blaster (sniper rifles, baby) and is an ace pilot, having been taught by the best of the best. Khadira seems cold at first glance (physically and emotionally) but she doesn’t hide her caring nature behind a façade; she reminds those close to her to look after themselves, reminding them to hydrate or eat a meal — and every once in a while when not knee-deep in combat, Khadira will cook them meals. Her intellect is one of her strongest qualities and can often be found strategising with her commanders. Khadira is no stranger to joking and will disguise her silly jokes behind walls of complexity.
Commander Tal Hardin is a male Twi’lek Jedi padawan, in his youth during the height of the Clone Wars. He has been apprenticed to Khadira since he was twelve (he was fifteen at the start of the war and eighteen at the end). He also wears armour and robes per his own request and happens to be an excellent pilot. He has a knack for painting and collecting rocks, often combining the two past-times and gifting the vode colourful pebbles he finds on missions. Tal is a better pilot than his master but often leaves the flying to the adults. He has a habit of getting into fights even though he is quite composed (if someone says something about his brothers and sisters, he is absolutely ready to throw fists and bust noses). Tal loves to joke around, especially when en route to an op, and can often be seen messing around with Merc and Flint. When he isn’t on a mission, he likes to hang out with the younglings and help them paint whatever they desire. As well as that, Tal has somewhat of a need to document his journeys and carries a holo recorder with him, capturing every moment. His lightsaber is indigo.
Commander Alasdair (CC-4440) is the commander of the 311th. He is a tactical and serious man, taking his job quite seriously. His specialty lies within recon and recovery but will go frontline and centre. He has a strong sense of leadership and is quick to take point in any situation, being sharp-witted and ready for anything. When he isn’t on an op, Alasdair is slumped in with filing reports and needing a relaxing bath. When he gets too stressed, his vode make it their goal to cheer him up, showing the love that they have for one another. Alasdair is responsible for all of the plants in the 311 barracks and finds tending to them the most therapeutic activity. He asks Tal to give them all names and he delivers, finding a friend in the young padawan (at this point, Tal is like his son or nephew). At first, he was a little wary of Khadira but over the course of a few months, Alasdair grew to like her a lot, to the point of admiration. They treat each other like old friends and often get together and go plant shopping when off-duty. His name is pronounced as Ah-less-dare.
Captain Bhatair (CT-4441) is the captain of the 311th. He is known best as the primary sniper for Skulk Squad and it shows. He is all about experience and following the rules, much like Commander Alasdair. Bhatair is a quiet and soft-spoken man, often keeping to himself and minding his own. However, he is not by any means an introvert and finds himself out with the vode at 79’s on a free day. His close-range vision isn’t the best and on a bad day he can have something right in front of him and miss it completely. But this only means he is an excellent scout and sniper. Bhatair and Alasdair are batch twins but Bhatair will never hear the end of his code being the odd one out. He likes cooking with Catcher and goes out to find ingredients of his own. He trusts Khadira and Tal with his life and vice versa. Bhatair is also surprisingly good at space board games. His name is pronounced Vah-tair (alternatively Wa-tair), like the air in hair.
Lieutenant Catcher (CT-3690) is one of the lieutenants of the 311th. He is known as Skulk Squad’s medic rifleman and is always prepared for an emergency. His tendency to be prepared comes in handy for every situation, be it an actual medical issue or something mundane. Catcher is also the renowned chef of the group and tries to ensure that his family eat more than the useless ration bars. He is kind, gentle and never raises his voice out of anger, for he’s extremely patient with people and animals. He’s the type to embrace mistakes and is often seen as the group’s mother figure, as Catcher is the one they all go to when they have a problem, big or small. Catcher enjoys space baseball and that’s where his name originated from. Because of his liking to the sport, Catcher is an fantastic grenadier and has the best arm out of the GAR. Nickname is Catch.
Lieutenant Flint (CT-3360) is the second lieutenant of the 311th. He is a joker, the lovable class-clown of Skulk Squad. His joy in life is making others laugh, or at least pulling a harmless prank on them. He and Mercury should not be allowed near each other or in the same room better yet. He favours doing the mission his way, but if given strict orders, he will follow them to the key. Preferring the classic akimbo blaster pistols, Flint loves to charge head first into battle. He often ends up the most injured after every mission and he pretends to give Catcher a headache (although Catch is quite happy to fix Flint up every day or so). Flint is one of the more charismatic members of the 311th and often strikes up conversations with civilians because who will stop him? He acts first and thinks much, MUCH later, but always has the best interest at heart. His name originated from the time he tripped during live training and ended up with a bit of flint in his head.
Sergeant Kenneth (CT-2410) is the first sergeant of the 311th. He is the go-to explosives and weapons expert, in charge of making sure his fellow troops are well-armed and their gear is maintained. He likes to get the mission done and then carry on with his day, straightforward. Kenneth hates wasting time and doesn’t tolerate it when his vode mess about on missions. He can be a little standoffish to newcomers, but he is always, always caring to civvies, valuing their lives most importantly. When he isn’t tending to weapons, Kenneth likes to build things, or rather dabble in carpentry. He is also Rusty’s best friend, always hanging around the team droid whenever he can (they are besties, your honour). He is no stranger to snide comments if something annoys him. Nickname is Ken, like space Barbie’s Ken.
Sergeant Mercury (CT-3770) is the second sergeant of the 311th. He is the musician of the group and aims to make his squadmates happy, much like Flint. He is easily the most artistic member of the squadron and adorns his standard-issue rifle in glow-in-the-dark stickers. Merc loves all things neon and bright, his hair always ending up something of the like, usually pink. His vode tease him for breaking into the coolant because of this. He’s a gentle and caring man, and especially with children. Mercury is somewhat of a secondary medic to Catcher, since he was originally a medic but dropped out when he realised how gruesome the job was. He retains his knowledge and is always ready to help when he can. Merc often gifts his siblings with random trinkets he picks up on missions. He is like a corvid, he can’t resist shiny things. Merc is equipped with pockets and pouches on his armour filled with all sorts of tidbits, like glow-sticks, snacks or his space harmonica. He also has a multi-use computer screen on his vambrace (can jack into droid ports, play his tunes on his speaker, do medical scans on the fly, map reading etc etc). He also pays visits to Corrie HQ and plays songs to keep the Guard entertained. Loves Tal like a son.
Sergeant Kalinda (CT-3130) is the third sergeant of the 311th. She is the explosives expert of the squad, definitely more invested than Ken. Not only that, she is the second sniper of the group, just behind Bhatair. Kalinda is a fast thinker and strategist, often hatching plans with her general. She is fearless and is the icon of bravery for the 311th. She is the big sister of the group and teases her brothers often. Kalinda has been nicknamed the Firebird for her tendency to use fire explosives on missions. While a bit of a pyromaniac, Kalinda is one of the most sensible members of Skulk Squad and loves her team more than anything in the galaxy. Her nickname is Kal, never Linda. The last person who called her Linda got a smack in the face, curtesy of Alasdair. She likes to sing along with Mercury’s harmonica and often sit around bonfires/campfires just to make music and enjoy life. She is the only member of the group except Khadira who is fluent in Mando’a. Speaking of, Khadira and Kalinda are very close and are practically like sisters.
Specialist Digger (CT-4250) is a specialist agent of the 311th. He was transferred late to the squad (the last year in the war after his previous battalion was wiped clean) and took some time fitting in. He is a chill and likeable man, often just going with the wave that comes his way. He is best known for his superb jetpacking skills. He likes to dig a lot, with shovels, with spades, with his bare hands, whatever the reason, Digger will be digging on a mission. His nickname is Digs, rightfully coined by Flint.
Some author’s notes:
Some of their names are Scottish Gaelic to represent me as a person (namely Alasdair and Bhatair, Alexander and Walter as their English equivalents respectively)
The first person created for this squadron was Mercury as I had little to no SW ocs
Kalinda is my crumb of trans rep for my ocs and I love her very much!
Merc was first introduced in the wonderful fanfic metamorphosis by my main brother @fooolisher (please go check it out, it really explores Clone Trooper Sister and her origin! it’s beautifully written too)
Digger’s first battalion was indeed Sha Koon’s battalion after the battle of Giju. After seeing his commander die and his general end up severely wounded, Digger filed a transfer with Plo Koon and Plo made sure that Digger went to a good squad, thus ending up with Skulk Squad
Skulk Squad is named after a skulk of foxes, a reference to the Vulptex
Khadira possesses the Plikh name of the Nine Ruling Families of the Chiss Ascendency and I have no idea why or how she ended up across the galaxy as a Jedi
There is a running joke within the squad that everyone has the number zero at the end of their code except Bhatair, who has a one
Skulk Squad make fun of the 501st, lovingly of course
They have a gunship called The Daunting and their republic cruiser is aptly named The Dauntless
Thanks for making it this far, folks! đź’ś
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book-of-baba-fett · 2 years
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⛅️
talia and storm’s dynamic seems so amazing and slightly chaotic, i love it Greatly :v
Thank you!!! Yeah they kinda are the "grumpy one and the ball of sunshine who wind up besties" dynamic on the outside, but then people realize that Storm is a bit of a softie under his layers and Talia is a ball of emotions.
but first, I wanted to write the first time Talia comes to greet her troops when she's promoted to General!
OC Ask Game
The troops were assembled, their armor shiny and glinting under the lights of the hangar. The newly crowned 412th bore black and gold armor, black like the rifles they carried and gold as a reminder for the way the first crack of the sun rose over the waves on Kamino. Most of the troops only painted the black on their chestplates and shoulder pads, with the gold as accents determining the company. Storm stood out among the men, his entire armor the black apart from a stripe that ran vertically down the left pec of his chestplate, pauldrons on both his shoulders in the same hue of gold. His helmet bore both colors as well, and was decorated with grey storm clouds, with thunderbolts of lightning streaking around. It was a bit over the top for Storm really, a bit too obvious to have his moniker on his helmet. But his batchmate, and now Sargeant, Church had pushed him to do it, insisting that it made Storm look 'cool.' Storm didn't need to look 'cool' he just had to lead his battalion.
The door to the hangar slid open and the men stood at attention, ready for their new General to give her first briefing. General Riva strode down the divided men, her white tunic gleaming in comparison to the painted plastoid of the troop. Her head held high, a near serene look on her face as she practically glided to the front of the troops. Her short frame could easily make one easily underestimate her, but from their time together wit the 104th Storm knew how lethal the young woman could be.
At the head of the grouping, she turned and face the men. She was there to address them, now that they were a new division of the army. She spoke clearly and firmly, but not to stern. She had a natural way of commanding attention, she spoke with such confidence that one wouldn't doubt any of the words coming from her lips. Storm looked over at his brothers as Talia spoke; much of them were shinies just leaving Kamino for the first time. He couldn't hold back the bitter thought wondering how much of them wouldn't see the end of this war.
When Talia was done she dismissed the men back to their duties. Storm approached her, ready for any initial briefing she may have for him as her commanding officer. Talia released a deep exhaled and rolled her neck around, Storm could hear the slight crack as she stretched out. She glanced at Storm, a smile curving on her lips but her eyes were rounded in something akin to worry,
"Did that sound ok?" Talia asked lowly, when she was sure no one was around to hear. Storm furrowed his brow at her, not that she could see his expression under the helmet. She bit her lower lips at Storm's nonresponse, turning away from his gaze to glance around at the clones at their stations. "I didn't ramble on, did I?"
"No, not at all, Sir," Storm was honest in his reply, albeit a bit confused, and slightly amused; his General asking him how they did in a briefing? It seemed the simple reassurance was what Talia needed, because she sighed in relief and her face lit up in a smile at him.
"I'm off to the mess, I heard they had Onderronian bean soup today, a favorite of mine; care to join me? I'd love to get to know you more," It wasn't an order, but Storm couldn't help but feel obliged to accept the invitation by the expectant look on Talia's face; she sure smiled a lot. He didn't know what she expected to get to know, there wasn't much interesting to say about himself, but Storm took his helmet off and nodded at her, following Talia's steps as they walked off.
On Kamino, the idea of a General inviting one of the clones to lunch would have been laughed at; they had some rough trainers who liked to remind them of their lower status, how they were just there to serve the Republic. But there was something warm in Talia's presence, something genuine about the way she spoke to him and how she smiled at some of the other troopers, stopping to greet a few and get their chosen name. She seemed a bit unsure of herself, something Storm hadn't noticed in their short time together with the 104th, but he trusted her, and knew she would settle in just fine.
--
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hjmarseille · 5 years
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Snipers of the 104th Rifle Division on 15 March 1943. The sniper on the left is dressed in a pre-war style of winter overalls.The other sniper is dressed in two-part overalls dating from 1941 and Finnish-style hat.
Photo and caption featured in Red Sniper on the Eastern Front: The Memoirs of Joseph Pilyushin by Joseph Pilyushin
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greatworldwar2 · 3 years
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• Battle of Bardia
The Battle of Bardia was fought between January 3rd and 5th 1941, as part of Operation Compass, the first British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War.
Italy declared war on the United Kingdom on June 10th, 1940. Bordering on the Italian colony of Libya was the Kingdom of Egypt. Although a neutral country, Egypt was occupied by the British under the terms of the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936, which allowed British military forces to occupy Egypt if the Suez Canal was threatened. A series of cross-border raids and skirmishes began on the frontier between Libya and Egypt. On September 13th, 1940, an Italian force advanced across the frontier into Egypt, reaching Sidi Barrani on September 16th, where the advance was halted until logistical difficulties could be overcome. Italy's position in the centre of the Mediterranean made it unacceptably hazardous to send ships from Britain to Egypt via that route, so British reinforcements and supplies for the area had to travel around the Cape of Good Hope. For this reason, it was more convenient to reinforce General Sir Archibald Wavell's Middle East Command with troops from Australia, New Zealand and India. Nonetheless, even when Britain was threatened with invasion after the Battle of France. On December 9th, 1940 the Western Desert Force under the command of Major General Richard O'Connor attacked the Italian position at Sidi Barrani. The position was captured, 38,000 Italian soldiers were taken prisoner, and the remainder of the Italian force was driven back. The Western Desert Force pursued the Italians into Libya, and the 7th Armoured Division established itself to the west of Bardia, cutting off land communications between the strong Italian garrison there and Tobruk. On December 11th, Wavell decided to withdraw the 4th Indian Division and send it to the Sudan to participate in the East African Campaign. The 6th Australian Division (Major General Iven Mackay) was brought forward from Egypt to replace it and Mackay assumed command of the area on December 21st,1940.
After the disaster at Sidi Barrani and the withdrawal from Egypt, XXIII Corps (Generale di Corpo d'Armata (Lieutenant General) Annibale Bergonzoli) faced the British from within the strong defences of Bardia. Mussolini wrote to Bergonzoli, "I have given you a difficult task but one suited to your courage and experience as an old and intrepid soldier—the task of defending the fortress of Bardia to the last. I am certain that 'Electric Beard' and his brave soldiers will stand at whatever cost, faithful to the last." Bergonzoli replied: "I am aware of the honour and I have today repeated to my troops your message — simple and unequivocal. In Bardia we are and here we stay." Bergonzoli had approximately 45,000 defenders under his command. The Italian divisions defending the perimeter of Bardia included remnants of four divisions. Bergonzoli also had the remnants of the disbanded 64th "Catanzaro" Infantry Division, some 6,000 Frontier Guard (GaF) troops, three companies of Bersaglieri, part of the dismounted Vittorio Emanuele cavalry regiment and a machine gun company. These divisions guarded an 18-mile (29 km) perimeter which had an almost continuous antitank ditch, extensive barbed wire fence and a double row of strong points. The strong points were situated approximately 800-yard (730 m) apart. Each had its own antitank ditch, concealed by thin boards. They were each armed with one or two Cannone da 47/32 M35 (47 mm antitank guns) and two to four machine guns. The weapons were fired from concrete sided pits connected by trenches to a deep underground concrete bunker which offered protection from artillery fire.
Each post was occupied by a platoon or company. The inner row of posts were similar, except that they lacked the antitank ditches. The posts were numbered sequentially from south to north, with the outer posts bearing odd numbers and the inner ones even numbers. The actual numbers were known to the Australians from the markings on maps captured at Sidi Barrani and were also displayed on the posts themselves. The major tactical defect of this defensive system was that if the enemy broke through, the posts could be picked off individually from the front or rear. The defence was supported by a strong artillery component, yet the large number of gun models, many of them quite old, created difficulties with the supply of spare parts. The older guns often had worn barrels, which caused problems with accuracy. 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. Shortages of raw materials, coupled with the increased technological sophistication of modern weapons, led to production problems that frustrated efforts to supply the Italian Army with the best available equipment. As a "mobile reserve" there were thirteen M13/40 medium tanks and a hundred and fifteen L3/35 tankettes. The L3s were generally worthless, the M13/40s were effective medium tanks with four machine guns and a turret-mounted 47 mm antitank gun for its main armament that were "in many ways the equal of British armoured fighting vehicles". Bergonzoli knew that if Bardia and Tobruk held out, a British advance further into Libya eventually must falter under the logistical difficulties of maintaining a desert force using an extended overland supply line. 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. Hunger and thirst adversely affected the morale of the Italian defenders that had already been shaken by the defeat at Sidi Barrani.
On the Allied side, the 6th Australian Division had been formed in September 1939 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force. Prime Minister Robert Menzies ordered that all commands in the division were to go to reservists rather than to regular officers, who had been publicly critical of the defence policies of right wing politicians. The result was that when war came, the Army's equipment was of World War I vintage and its factories were only capable of producing small arms. Fortunately, these World War I-era small arms, the Lee–Enfield rifle and the Vickers machine gun, were solid and reliable weapons that would remain in service throughout the war; they were augmented by the more recent Bren light machine gun. Most other equipment was obsolescent and would have to be replaced but new factories were required to produce the latest items, such as 3-inch mortars, 25-pounder field guns and motor vehicles; War Cabinet approval for their construction was slow in coming. The training of the 6th Australian Division in Palestine, while "vigorous and realistic", was therefore hampered by shortages of equipment. These shortages were gradually remedied by deliveries from British sources. Similarly, No. 3 Squadron RAAF had to be sent to the Middle East without aircraft or equipment and supplied by the Royal Air Force, at the expense of its own squadrons. Despite the rivalry between regular and reserve officers, the 6th Australian Division staff was an effective organisation. Brigadier John Harding, the chief of staff of XIII Corps, as the Western Desert Force was renamed on January 1st, 1941. Harding later considered the 6th Australian Division staff "as good as any that I came across in that war, and highly efficient." As it moved into position around Bardia in December 1940, the 6th Australian Division was still experiencing shortages. It had only two of its three artillery regiments and only the 2/1st Field Regiment was equipped with the new 25-pounders, which it had received only that month. 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. The 2/1st Antitank Regiment had likewise been diverted, so each infantry brigade had formed an antitank company but only eleven 2-pounders were available instead of the 27 required. The infantry battalions were particularly short of mortars and ammunition for the Boys anti-tank rifle was in short supply.
To make up for this, O'Connor augmented Brigadier Edmund Herring's 6th Australian Division Artillery with part of the XIII Corps artillery: the 104th (Essex Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery, equipped with sixteen 25 pounders. Italian gun positions were located using sound ranging by the 6th Survey Regiment, Royal Artillery. At a meeting with Mackay on Christmas Eve, 1940, O'Connor visited Mackay at divisional headquarters and directed him to prepare an attack on Bardia. O'Connor recommended that this be built around the 23 Matilda tanks of the 7th Royal Tank Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel R. M. Jerrram) that remained in working order. The attack was to be made with only two brigades, leaving the third for a subsequent advance on Tobruk. Mackay did not share O'Connor's optimism about the prospect of an easy victory and proceeded on the assumption that Bardia would be resolutely held, requiring a well-planned attack. The plan developed by Mackay and his chief of staff, Colonel Frank Berryman, involved an attack on the western side of the Bardia defences by 16th Australian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier Arthur "Tubby" Allen) at the junction of the Gerfah and Ponticelli sectors. Attacking at the junction of two sectors would confuse the defence. The defences here were weaker than in the Mereiga sector, the ground was favourable for employment of the Matilda tanks and good observation for the artillery was possible. Most of the artillery, grouped as the "Frew Group" under British Lieutenant Colonel J. H. Frowen, would support the 16th Australian Infantry Brigade; the 17th would be supported by the 2/2nd Field Regiment. Much depended on the Western Desert Force moving fuel, water and supplies forward. The 6th Australian Division Assistant Adjutant General and Quartermaster General (AA&QMG), Colonel George Alan Vasey said "This is a Q war".
A series of air raids were mounted against Bardia in December, in the hope of persuading the garrison to withdraw. Once it became clear that the Italians intended to stand and fight, bombing priorities shifted to the Italian airbases around Tobruk, Derna and Benina. Air raids on Bardia resumed in the lead-up to the ground assault, with 100 bombing sorties flown against Bardia between December 31st, 1940 and January 2nd, 1941, climaxing with a particularly heavy raid by Vickers Wellington bombers of No. 70 Squadron RAF and Bristol Bombay bombers of No. 216 Squadron RAF on the night of January 3rd, 1941. A naval bombardment was carried out on the morning of the 3rd by the Queen Elizabeth-class battleships HMS Warspite, Valiant and Barham and their destroyer escorts. The aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious provided aircraft for spotting and fighter cover. They withdrew after firing 244 15-inch (380 mm), 270 6-inch (150 mm) and 240 4.5-inch (110 mm) shells. The assault troops rose early on January 3rd, 1941. The leading companies began moving to the start line at 0416. The artillery opened fire at 0530. On crossing the start line the 2/1st Infantry Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Eather, came under Italian mortar and artillery fire. The lead platoons advanced accompanied by sappers of the 2/1st Field Company carrying Bangalore torpedoes—12-foot (3.7 m) pipes packed with ammonal—as Italian artillery fire began to land, mainly behind them. An Italian shell exploded among a leading platoon and detonated a Bangalore torpedo, resulting in four killed and nine wounded. The torpedoes were slid under the barbed wire at 60-yard (55 m) intervals. A whistle was blown as a signal to detonate the torpedoes but could not be heard over the din of the barrage. Eather became anxious and ordered the engineering party nearest him to detonate their torpedo. This the other teams heard, and they followed suit. The infantry scrambled to their feet and rushed forward, they advanced on a series of posts held by the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Italian 115th Infantry Regiment. Posts 49 and 47 were rapidly overrun, as was Post 46 in the second line beyond. Within half an hour Post 48 had also fallen and another company had taken Posts 45 and 44. The two remaining companies now advanced beyond these positions towards a low stone wall as artillery fire began to fall along the broken wire.
The Italians fought from behind the wall until the Australians were inside it, attacking with hand grenades and bayonets. The two companies succeeded in taking 400 prisoners. The 2/2nd Infantry Battalion (Lieutenant Colonel F. O. Chilton) found that it was best to keep skirmishing forward throughout this advance, because going to ground for any length of time meant sitting in the middle of the enemy artillery concentrations that inflicted further casualties. The Australian troops made good progress, six tank crossings were readied and mines between them and the wire had been detected. Five minutes later, the 23 Matildas of the 7th Royal Tank Regiment advanced, accompanied by the 2/2nd Infantry Battalion. Passing through the gaps, they swung right along the double line of posts. The Italian defenders were cleared with grenades. By 0920 all companies were on their objectives and they had linked with 2/1st Infantry Battalion. However, several Bren gun carriers encountered problems as they moved forward during the initial attack. One was hit and destroyed in the advance and another along the Wadi Ghereidia. The 2/3rd Infantry Battalion was now assailed by half a dozen Italian M13/40 tanks who freed a group of 500 Italian prisoners. The tanks continued to rumble to the south while the British crews of the Matildas "enjoying a brew, dismissed reports of them as an Antipodean exaggeration". Finally, they were engaged by an antitank platoon of three 2 pounders mounted on portees. By midday, 6,000 Italian prisoners had already reached the provosts at the collection point near Post 45, escorted by increasingly fewer guards whom the rifle companies could afford to detach. The Italian perimeter had been breached and the attempt to halt the Australian assault at the outer defences had failed. Major H. Wrigley's 2/5th Infantry Battalion of Brigadier Stanley Savige's 17th Infantry Brigade, reinforced by two companies of Lieutenant Colonel T. G. Walker's 2/7th Infantry Battalion, now took over the advance. The battalion's task was to clear "The Triangle", a map feature created by the intersection of three tracks north of Post 16. Wrigley's force had a long and exhausting approach, and much of its movement forward to its jump off point had been under Italian shellfire intended for the 16th Infantry Brigade. Awaiting its turn to move, the force sought shelter in Wadi Scemmas and its tributaries. Wrigley called a final coordinating conference for 1030, but at 1020 he was wounded by a bullet and his second in command, Major G. E. Sell took over.
The artillery barrage came down at 1125, and five minutes later the advance began. The sun had now risen, and Captain C. H. Smith's D Company came under effective fire from machine guns and field artillery 700 yards (640 m) to the north east. Within minutes, all but one of the company's officers and all its senior non-commissioned officers had been killed or wounded. Meanwhile, Captain D. I. A. Green's B Company of the 2/7th Infantry Battalion had captured Posts 26, 27 and 24. After Post 24 had been taken, two Matildas arrived and helped to take Post 22. As the prisoners were rounded up, one shot Green dead, then threw down his rifle and climbed out of the pit smiling broadly. He was immediately thrown back and a Bren gun emptied into him. Upon hearing of the losses to the 2/5th Infantry Battalion, Brigade Major G. H. Brock sent Captain J. R. Savige's A Company of the 2/7th Infantry Battalion to take "The Triangle". Savige gathered his platoons and, with fire support from machine guns, attacked the objective, 3,000 yards (2,700 m) away. 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. That evening, Brigadier Savige came forward to the 2/5th Infantry Battalion's position to determine the situation, which he accurately evaluated as "extremely confused; the attack was stagnant." Meanwhile, Captain G. H. Halliday's D Company moved southwards against Post 19. He drew the defenders' attention with a demonstration by one platoon in front of the post while the rest of the company moved around the post and attacked silently from the rear. This maneuver took the defenders by surprise and D Company captured the post—and 73 prisoners—at 0230. Although the Australian progress had been slower than that achieved during the break-in phase, the 17th Infantry Brigade had achieved remarkable results. Another ten posts, representing 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) of perimeter had been captured, the Switch Line had been breached, and thousands of Italian defenders had been captured. For the Italians, halting the Australian advance would be an immensely difficult task.
On the afternoon of January 3rd, Berryman met with Allen, Jerram and Frowen at Allen's headquarters at Post 40 to discuss plans for the next day. 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. That evening, Berryman came to the conclusion that unless the Italian defence collapsed soon, the 16th and 17th Infantry Brigades would become incapable of further effort and Brigadier Horace Robertson's 19th Infantry Brigade would be required. The 2/1st Infantry Battalion began its advance on schedule at 0900, but the lead platoon came under heavy machine gun fire from Post 54, and Italian artillery knocked out the supporting mortars. The 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery engaged the Italian guns and the platoon withdrew. The Italian guns were silenced when an Australian shell detonated a nearby ammunition dump. The Australians then captured the post. About a third of its defenders had been killed in the fighting. The remaining 66 surrendered. This prompted a general collapse of the Italian position in the north. Posts 56 and 61 surrendered without a fight and white flags were raised over Posts 58, 60, 63 and 65, and the gun positions near Post 58. By nightfall, Eather's men had advanced as far as Post 69 and only the fourteen northernmost posts still held out in the Gerfan sector. The advance resumed, only to come under machine gun and artillery fire from Wadi el Gerfan. The brigade major, Major I. R. Campbell, ordered MacArthur-Onslow, whose carriers were screening England's advance, to seize Hebs el Harram, the high ground overlooking the road to the township of Bardia. By the end of the second day, tens of thousands of defenders had been killed or captured. The remaining garrisons in the Gerfan and Ponticelli sectors were completely isolated. The logistical and administrative units were being overrun. Recognising that the situation was hopeless, General Bergonzoli and his staff had departed on foot for Tobruk during the afternoon, in a party of about 120 men.
On the morning of January 5th, the 19th Infantry Brigade launched its attack on the Meriega sector, starting from the Bardia road and following a creeping barrage southward with the support of six Matilda tanks, all that remained in working order. The others had been hit by shells, immobilised by mines, or had simply broken down. The company commanders of the lead battalion, the 2/11th Infantry Battalion, did not receive their final orders until 45 minutes before start time, at which point the start line was 3 miles (4.8 km) away. As they advanced, they came under fire from the left, the right, and in front of them, but casualties were light. Most positions surrendered when the infantry and tanks came close, but this did not reduce the fire from posts further away. Meanwhile, the Italian garrisons in the north were surrendering to the 16th Infantry Brigade and the Support Group of the 7th Armoured Division outside the fortress; the 2/8th Infantry Battalion had taken the area above Wadi Meriega; and the 2/7th Infantry Battalion had captured Posts 10, 12 and 15. The only post still holding out was now Post 11. The 2/6th Infantry Battalion renewed its attack, with the infantry attacking from the front and its carriers attacking from the rear. They were joined by Matildas from the vicinity of Post 6. At this point the Italian post commander, who had been wounded in the battle, lowered his flag and raised a white one. Some 350 Italian soldiers surrendered at Post 11. Godfrey sought out the Italian post commander—who wore a British Military Cross earned in the First World War—and shook his hand. "On a battlefield where Italian troops won little honour", Gavin Long later wrote, "the last to give in belonged to a garrison whose resolute fight would have done credit to any army."
The victory at Bardia enabled the Allied forces to continue their advance into Libya and capture almost all of Cyrenaica. As the first battle of the war to be commanded by an Australian general, planned by an Australian staff and fought by Australian troops, Bardia was of great interest to the Australian public; congratulatory messages poured in and AIF recruitment surged. In the United States, newspapers praised the 6th Division. An estimated 36,000 Italian soldiers were captured at Bardia, 1,703 (including 44 officers) were killed and 3,740 (including 138 officers) were wounded A few thousand (including General Bergonzoli and three of his division commanders) escaped to Tobruk on foot or in boats. The Allies captured 26 coastal defence guns, 7 medium guns, 216 field guns, 146 anti-tank guns, 12 medium tanks, 115 L3s, and 708 vehicles. Australian losses totalled 130 dead and 326 wounded. 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. Axis forces reoccupied the town in April 1941, during Operation Sonnenblume, Rommel's first offensive in Cyrenaica. Bardia changed hands again in June 1942, being occupied by Axis forces for a third time and was re-taken for the last time in November unopposed, following the Allied victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein.
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thisdayinwwi · 4 years
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Dec 25 1914 in WWI
December 25 1914 IWM (Q 11718) “The fraternising of troops in Belgium on Christmas Day 1914. Group of German soldiers with two Englishmen, one in great coat and one in rear wearing balaclava cap. Ploegsteert.”
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IWM (Q 11745) “British and German soldiers fraternising at Ploegsteert, Belgium, on Christmas Day 1914, front of 11th Brigade, 4th Division. ... Possibly Riflemen Andrew (middle) and Grigg (second from the right, background) of the London Rifle Brigade with troops of the 104th and 106th Saxon Regiments.”
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IWM (Q 50719) “British and German troops meeting in No-Man's Land during the unofficial truce. (British troops from the Northumberland Hussars, 7th Division, Bridoux-Rouge Banc Sector). by Robson, Harold Burge (Hon)(Photographer)
Production date: 1914-12-25
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IWM (Q 50720) “British and German troops meeting in No-Man's Land during the unofficial truce. (British troops from the Northumberland Hussars, 7th Division, Bridoux-Rouge Banc Sector). Burying those killed in the attack of 18 December." by Robson, Harold Burge (Hon) (Photographer)
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