1942 ⟶ Rommel Drives Out Free French at Bir Hakeim
Rommel pushes the Free French forces out of Bir Hakeim, a fo...
Year
1942
⚔️ Rommel Drives Out Free French at Bir Hakeim
Rommel pushes the Free French forces out of Bir Hakeim, a fortress south-west of Tobruk. Although the 1st Free French brigade is largely surrounded, their commander, General Koenig, is able to find and fight his way through gaps in Rommel's widely dispersed forces.⟶
North AfricaDesert WarFree FrenchRommelBir Hakeimbattlesmilitary tactics
⚔️ Rommel's Spring Offensive Begins at Gazala Line
Rommel begins a Spring offensive at the Gazala line (west of Tobruk). It opens with "Rommel's Moonlight Ride," a dramatic mechanized dash around 1st Free French Brigade Group positions at Bir Hakeim on the British left (desertward) flank, conducted by moonlight during the night of 26/27 May. In the process Rommel disperses 3rd Indian Motorized Brigade, some six hundred of whom are taken prisoner and then released in the desert, and who will make their way to Bir Hakeim. The offensive lasts well into June and ends with a total victory for Rommel.⟶
North AfricaDesert WarAfrika KorpsMilitary OffensiveBattleTank WarfareBir HakeimRommelGazala Line
🪖 Rommel Attacks Bir Hachim
Rommel turns his troops to Bir Hachim on the south edge of the Gazala line; once it is taken, he can move north and destroy the Allied emplacements in the line.⟶
North AfricaDesert WarAfrika KorpsMilitary OffensiveBattleTank WarfareBir HakeimRommelGazala Line
🇫🇷 Free French Brigade at Bir Hakeim Withdraws
At Bir Hakeim, Rommel renews his attacks on the 1st Free French Brigade's "box". Although the Free French continue to hold out, their perimeter, never the largest, is dangerously reduced in size, and their position becomes untenable. General Ritchie orders 1st Free French Brigade to withdraw the following day.⟶
Bir HakeimNorth AfricaFree FrenchRommelDesert WarfareWorld War IIMilitary OperationsAfrica
🛡️ British Forced Out of Knightsbridge
At Gazala, the British are forced out of the defensive position known as 'Knightsbridge;' it is only approximately fifteen miles from the Tobruk perimeter (some sources give a date of 13 June for this; the withdrawal may have been in operation on both calendar days).⟶
North AfricaGazalabattlesDesert WarBritish Armyarmored warfaremilitary tactics
💣 'Black Saturday' at Gazala
'Black Saturday' for the 8th Army at the Battle of Gazala; during the course of the day Rommel does great damage to the British armour. At the end of the day not only have unsustainably large amounts of British armour been destroyed, but both 50th Division and 1st South African Division, who have largely retained their forward positions along the Gazala Line, are threatened with envelopment. The position of 50th Division is especially grave since Rommel's armour now ranges freely between them and safety.⟶
North AfricaGazalabattlesDesert WarRommelarmored warfareBritish Armytank battle