#23 - Night Attack (26-27 Nov 1941) - PzC 04 Tobruk '41

ed Duda, 26 November 1941: There existed in the desert war, at least in 1941, a general convention with regard to activities after dark. The British would withdraw from contact and laagered, in total darkness, three to four kilometers to the rear. The Germans generally held the field of battle and would laager on the spot, utilizing an uninterrupted barrage of flares to mark their location. Both sides used this time for repairs and replenishment and night actions were very rare. The British and Commonwealth forces, however, had a great deal more night fighting experience than their German counterparts, a direct result of German air superiority throughout the early years of the war. By 26 November, efforts had been intensifying in front of Tobruk but the introduction of fresh Italian formations had not stopped the New Zealand advance but had greatly added to the casualty count. After assembling their remaining tanks, the Tobruk break-out forces captured ed Duda by the afternoon of 26 November. It only remained for the New Zealanders to make the final push from the Sidi Rezegh and Belhamed areas to complete the link-up. General Freyberg, commander of the New Zealand Division, believed that his depleted formations could not stand up to the pounding associated with a daylight attack over open ground and thus decided, drawing on his New Zealander's experiences from Greece and Crete, make a rare night attack to complete the link-up. By dawn, a corridor was open and the New Zealand Division was receiving much needed supplies from the fortress.