12 Sep 1935 - Marsa Matruh, Egypt

[Diarist]

At daybreak four squadrons of Handley Page Heyfords from the 70th RAF Bomber Wing left Chania, Crete to bomb Tobruk port, its airfield and El Adem airfield further south. Considerable damage was done. Four aircraft were lost but most of the crews were rescued by Royal Navy ships offshore. Task Force 'W' with the Béarn and the battleships HMS Ramilles and HMS Resolution again bombarded targets at Tobruk and Bardia. The lighter ships also provided ground support fire against the Italian army advancing east towards Buq Buq. RAF aircraft based at Marsa Matruh bombed and strafed Italian formations south of the coast which were advancing eastwards. By the end of the evening the Italians were south of Sidi Barani, 35km inside Egypt.

Further south the 271st CCNN Legion "Vespri" had left El Grein heading southeast towards Siwa. The 352nd CCNN Legion "Acciaiata" has left Giarabub heading to Siwa. These attacks were uncoordinated so the British defenders could halt and throw back the 352nd's assault before the 271st Legion arrived. It too was repulsed with air support form Marsa Matruh. A second coordinated attack was launched later in the evening but the British defenders held their positions.

In Cyrenaica columns of troops from the 5th Infantry Division "Cosseria" had been sighted marching eastwards. Several truck convoys had also been spotted. They received a visit from Task Force 'W' in the late afternoon. Installations in and around Benghazi were bombed by aircraft from the 70th Bomber Wing as well as the 17th RAF Wing based at RAF Hal Far, Malta.

A total of six CCNN Legions have advanced into Egypt: two along the coastal road which have been mostly contained with naval gunfire support; two further inland have made some progress and finally two attacked Siwa. A 7th, the 196th CCNN Legion "Petrarca", is at Fort Capuzzo, south of Bardia on the Libyan-Egyptian border. The Italians are lacking air support and are suffering accordingly.

[Diarist]

The two Italian Blackshirt units which are south of Sidi Barani are the 241st CCNN Legion "Volturno" and a few kilometres further south, the 267th CCNN Legion "Etna". They have pushing back elements of the British 13th Infantry Brigade the whole day. After dusk the two battleships from Task Force 'W', HMS Ramilles and HMS Resolution, came as near to the shore as safely possible and opened fire on the encampment of the 241st Legion. Although at extreme range some of the shells did explode inside the legion's defensive perimeter. At the same time the 92nd FA Regiment opened fire on the 241st while the 97th FA Regiment bombarded the 267th Legion further south.

The artillery fire made it possible for the 1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment to slip unnoticed between the two Legions and take up positions to the rear of the enemy. The two remaining regiments of the 15th Infantry Brigade and the 1st Bn, Royal Tank Corps attacked the 241st Legion from the east. Shortly later the 1st Y & L then attacked from the rear and the 241st capitulated within the hour. Both FA Regiments now concentrated their fire on the 267th Legion's perimeter then they were assaulted by the 2nd Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment from the east, the 1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment from the rear and the 1st Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry plus tanks from the north. The fighting was heavy but eventually the Italians were overwhelmed. Those that didn't surrender broke out to the south and into the desert.

Over 500 Italians were dead and more than 1,000 taken prisoner. The 15th Brigade now took up defensive positions in the desert while the 2nd Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment joined the rest of 13th Infantry Brigade at Buq Buq. The Italian threat at the coast has been banished for the moment but the British forces at Siwa are still outnumbered and far away from possible reinforcements.