Saunnu

Saunnu

Editing in progress ;-)

Aka Saunau, Saunnu

 

Links

Saunnu : via Google - saunnu - Google Search

Via Google books - saunnu - Google Search

& antelat - Google Search

http://ww2talk.com/index.php?search/18508325/&q=Saunnu&o=relevance

January 1942 Antelat/Saunnu Battle - Axis History Forum

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Saunnu | NZETC

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Operation Sonnenblume and Kampfgruppe Mildebrath : Hobby



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The first and last battle of 2 Armoured Brigade – 23 January 1942

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In the Ranks of Death

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The Desert Generals

Has...



Early Battles of the Eighth Army

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https://podbay.fm/p/the-history-of-wwii-podcast-by-ray-harris-jr/e/1659995220

With the failure of Gen. Auchinleck's Operation Crusader, at the end of 1941, Rommel resupplies and heads out again, before the British can start Operation Acrobat, the drive on Tripoli. As it was a year ago, the Allies are stretched far too thin and the men are under trained and under staffed. Rommel hopes to take Cyrenaica, then Tobruk, all in preparation for a much larger offensive that will finally end the war in North Africa, Egypt and possibly, the Middle East.

https://podbay.fm/p/the-history-of-wwii-podcast-by-ray-harris-jr/e/1660411080

Rommel is able to take Cyrenaica back from the British 8th Army, but between his fuel issues and C in C, ME Auchinleck’s personnel changes, the two sides will stare at each other for a while. But the combat will return as North Africa’s fate will determine the future of the Middle East and the Suez Canal. It’s all or nothing, but having to deal with the Japanese Empire, now in the war, is stretching the Allies to the breaking point.

 

Events

1940

British pursuit 9 December 1940 – 7 February 1941 : Battle of Beda Fomm - Wikipedia

1941

30th December 1941 : Hitler's War in Africa 1941-1942 has...



1942

January 1942

5th January 1942

THE SURRENDER OF BARDIA



9th Lancers : Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_0090.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby



6th January 1942

PICTURES TAKEN IN THE AGEDABIA AREA : IWM E7575 : Original wartime caption: A notice found in a Benghazi hotel after the enemy had left.

PICTURES TAKEN IN THE AGEDABIA AREA : IWM E7576 : Original wartime caption: Captured enemy vehicles on a road near Benghazi.

11th January 1942

LIBYA-EGYPT--S African 2d Div of 30 Corps, Br Eighth Army, attacks Sollum, just across Egyptian border, and captures it early on 12th. 13 Corps pursues Rommel's forces toward El Agheila, a strong natural position.

German armor DAK Panzer PzKpfw III tanks near Acroma retreating back to the west of Tobruk NIOD



12th January 1942

North Africa, the British took Sallum after a 56-day siege when the Germans ran out of ammunition.

Early Battles of the Eighth Army

PICTURES FROM THE WESTERN DESERT

PICTURES FROM THE WESTERN DESERT

PICTURES FROM THE WESTERN DESERT

PICTURES FROM THE WESTERN DESERT

17th January 1942

PICTURES FROM THE WESTERN DESERT

19th January 1942

MIDDLE EAST--Gen Auchinleck issues operations instructions to Commander, British Troops in Egypt (BTE), and Commander, Eighth Army, restating that objective in Libya is Tripoli and outlining plan for defensive stand in the event the Libyan offensive cannot be continued.

LATEST PICTURES FROM THE WESTERN DESERT

LATEST PICTURES FROM THE WESTERN DESERT

LATEST PICTURES FROM THE WESTERN DESERT

LATEST PICTURES FROM THE WESTERN DESERT

LATEST PICTURES FROM THE WESTERN DESERT

20th January 1942

THE SURRENDER OF HALFAYA

THE SURRENDER OF HALFAYA

THE SURRENDER OF HALFAYA

THE SURRENDER OF HALFAYA

THE SURRENDER OF HALFAYA

THE SURRENDER OF HALFAYA

21st January 1942

LIBYA--Axis forces, with strong air support, go on the offensive in W Cyrenaica, pushing rapidly eastward in 3 columns astride main road. Br Eighth Army's 13 Corps commander orders withdrawal to line Agedabia-El Haseiat at once and a further retreat if necessary; orders Ind 4th Div to check coastal advance toward Benghazi.

Rommel began his counteroffensive in North Africa, taking the enemy "by complete surprise".

22nd January 1942

VISIT OF THE M. OF S. AND MR. BULLITT TO 8TH ARMY AND CAPTURED ENEMY TERRITORY IN LIBYA

VISIT OF THE M. OF S. AND MR. BULLITT TO 8TH ARMY AND CAPTURED ENEMY TERRITORY IN LIBYA

VISIT OF THE M. OF S. AND MR. BULLITT TO 8TH ARMY AND CAPTURED ENEMY TERRITORY IN LIBYA

23rd January 1942

LIBYA--Axis troops take Antelat and Saunnu despite opposition of 13 Corps, Br Eighth Army.

Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_0091.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby

9th Lancers





Search Results | CWGC

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2063643/kenneth-blackwell-ashworth/

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2063724/kenneth-bramall/

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2183770/arthur-ernest-loveless/

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2063860/ernest-leslie-dudeney/

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2183803/edward-ralph-lumley/

Nb. The below has "died 28d1m1942" (currently) as a date, but this is a typo / error ...
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2064030/hubert-blake-hodson/

Recommendation for Award for Welham, Leonard George Rank: Corporal Service... | The National Archives

Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_385.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby



The Mediterranean and Middle East: British fortunes reach their lowest (Sept. 1941 to Sept. 1941)

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Inside the Afrika Korps

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24th January 1942

LIBYA--Br Eighth Army's 13 Corps prepares to counterattack or, if enemy cannot be contained, to fall back on line Derna-Mechili as Axis offensive halts briefly.

Operations in North Africa and the Middle East 1939-1942

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Inside the Afrika Korps

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25th January 1942

LIBYA--Speeding eastward again, Rommell's forces seize Msus. Weakened 1st Armd Div of 13 Corps, Br Eighth Army, is ordered to fall back on Mechili, leaving detachment to protect withdrawal of Ind 4th Div from Benghazi and Barce. Gen Auchinleck visits Eighth Army hq, where he remains until 1 February. Gen Ritchie revokes order for general withdrawal of 13 Corps and orders Ind 4th Div, over which he takes direct control, and 1st Armd Div to counterattack in Msus area.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2064010/ernest-john-hayward/

HOW TROOPS CAN HIDE

THE PARSON OF HELLFIRE!

26th - 27th January 1942

Sandstorms.

LIBYA--As 13 Corps, Br Eighth Army, prepares to counterattack in Msus area, enemy renews offensive, making main effort toward Benghazi while moving strong diversionary column toward Mechili.



28th January 1942

LIBYA--Ind 4th Div is authorized to withdraw from Benghazi since armored elements of 13 Corps, Br Eighth Army, are too busily engaged to assist it. Ind 7th Brig, the last to withdraw, finds its line of retreat blocked but breaks out to S and eventually makes its way back to Eighth Army.

German and Italian forces at Benghazi.



1st February 1942



3rd February 1942

LADY MOIRA LYTTELTON VISITS THE MIDDLE EAST CENTRES WITH THE MINISTER OF STATE

9th March 1942

9th Lancers, Trooper Edward Cyril Mustoe died from wounds after driving over a mine... https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2205902/edward-cyril-mustoe/

29th March 1942

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2163023/richard-o-connor/

December 1942

https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/WH2Petr-fig-WH2PetrP026a.html

 

Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_0091.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby

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And...



So the date "Died 28 January 1942" - below - is a typo / error.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2064030/hubert-blake-hodson/

LIEUTENANT HUBERT BLAKE HODSON
Service Number: 134985
Regiment : Royal Armoured Corps, 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
Date of Death : Died 28 January 1942
Age 22 years old
Buried or commemorated at BENGHAZI WAR CEMETERY. 2. C. 21. Libya
Country of Service : United Kingdom
Additional Info : Son of the Rt. Hon. Sir Charles Hodson, M.C., and Lady Hodson, of Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.
Personal Inscription : THEY SHALL GROW NOT OLD AS WE THAT ARE LEFT GROW OLD: AGE SHALL NOT WEARY THEM

 

Hi

Dad was at Saunnu at the same time with 1st Armd Div RAOC Workshop and only narrowly evaded capture.
Unfortunately no war diaries exist from Dec or Jan. I assume they were destroyed sometime during the withdrawal.

However 1st Amd Div 'G Ops' War Diary for January 1942. WO169-4053. does mention this in some detail.






Hope this helps

Gus

 

After intro, around 3 mins, account "begins" with events around January 1942...

5 mins - Rommel's plan of attack. 6 mins - Panzer Mark III Special.
7 mins - Crusader tanks. circa 8 mins - 21st January 1942.
11 mins - Grant tanks. 13 mins Approach to El Alamein.



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2min - Comparison of deployed forces. 3.30min Intelligence reports. 14min Agedabia, Saunnu & Antelat.



2min - British fall back to Msus. 7.45mins 25th January 1942.
8min German's capture Msus. 12.30min 26th January 1942 - Sandstorm. 13min 27th January 1942 - Sandstorm.
14min 28th January 1942. 16.30min Rommel enters Benghazi.
18min 30th January 1942 - British retreat to Gazala.

 

The command chaos in January 1942 was a harbinger of Gazala. It was a veritable shitshow of monumental proportions, the epitome of what the US army calls a Clusterfuck, an awe-inducing traincrash of the British army's leadership culture, laying bare all the shortcomings of the Auk and Richie. The only reason, and that's really the only one that Rommel didn't end up back at the Egyptian border was that the Afrika-Korps ran out of fuel somewhere around Mechili, and was grounded for two weeks or so. That meant Eighth Army got off lightly. The only positive for them was the competently fought retreat by 11 Indian Brigade, supported by Tuker's ruthlessness. Compare that to 7 Indian Brigade, who failed to remove a small roadblock at Coefia. In fairness they redeemed themselves with their epic escape through the open desert, but nobody ever won a battle by epically escaping.

If by now you get the impression that I thought this was underwhelming as a performance by the British Army, you're right. But then Auchinleck compounded this as he went ahead and instead of sacking Richie, effectively sacked Godwin-Austen (Godwin-Austen had no choice but to resign given the way Richie had acted). Godwin Austen was IMO the only one of the four senior British commanders during CRUSADER (Cunningham, Richie, Norrie, Godwin Austen) who actually had a clue of what he was doing. True to form, he was of course never given another operational command, despite having done very well in East Africa, and having rescued CRUSADER. Welcome to the British army in 1941/42, where good performance sees you punished and sent to exile, while failure sees you promoted (Gott, don't get me started).

Saunnu in January was the foundation on which the house of cards that was Gazala/Tobruk in June 1942 was built.

All the best

Andreas

 

North Africa from around 9mins...





North Africa from around 8m30s...



Mediterranean 8mins... North Africa 8m30s...

 

Just noted this. Lord give me strength.

All the best

Andreas

 

Recommendation for Award for Wingfield, Anthony Desmond Rex Rank: Captain ... | The National Archives

Reference:WO 373/19/68
Description:Name Wingfield, Anthony Desmond Rex
Rank:CaptainService No:39358
Regiment:10 Royal Hussars
Theatre of Combat or Operation:Middle East (Egypt and Libya)
Award:Military Cross
Date of announcement in London Gazette:23 April 1942
Date:1942
Held by:The National Archives, Kew
Legal status:Public Record(s)
Closure status:Open Document, Open Description



Nb. See also - Royal Armoured Corps

 

https://twitter.com/ItalianNavy/status/712670583885066240?t=LLdmNkimyuQLtYlYX08qWA&s=19

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https://twitter.com/PabloMRCuevas/status/1509040291138965506?t=LoXvoSC1R7YoiapBig-ZOA&s=19

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Also pictured in
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?...tU3gR5J2mXl&id=1232272823466275&sfnsn=scwspmo

 

So who downgraded him to an MC?

Is it correct that any immediate DSO award below Lt.Col. normally indicates they just missed a VC?

All the best

Andreas

 

It's "somewhat" covered here...

In the Ranks of Death

A lot of the details make interesting reading, and seem worthy of pulling further together although "filling in the gaps" is a large part of my current situation ;-)

The change was, - I think I would have thought - , made by General Auchinleck himself, with the GA - General Auchinleck beside the change, as initials... mind you, the M.C. looks like a darker ink, from a wider tipped nib, and more closely matches the signature of the Commander, 13 Corps.

Or perhaps it was collectively decided.

Neil Ritchie - Wikipedia

William Gott - Wikipedia

https://twitter.com/hughmainwaring/status/1309029165358878720?t=ooBSP1RVCW9jm37oBLEIpg&s=19

Has...

 

Page 349 | Supplement 38177, 13 January 1948 | Lond...



Page 351 | Supplement 38177, 13 January 1948 | Lond...

 

The full Marina Militare article is here, with more pictures:

https://www.marina.difesa.it/media-cultura/Notiziario-online/Pagine/20160321_battaglia_antelat.aspx

I may translate and repost it.

All the best

Andreas