The Whale Has Wings Vol 2 - Taranto to Singapore (9 page)

In addition to the monitor and gunboats, two forces of the Mediterranean fleet are at sea. The first, and more forward one, is centred around the battleships HMS Warspite and HMS Valiant, the second around the carrier HMS Implacable. The battleships are to give additional fire support to the army in the coastal regions, and to make sure no Italian ships try and interfere. The carrier is covering the battleships and also adding to the RAF reconnaissance fore out of Egypt. In addition Cunningham has lent two squadrons of Goshawks to help make sure the Army has air cover for the start of the operation, until it can capture forward airfields. If necessary he has agreed to move his second carrier forward to help provide this.

In Italy, The newly formed 97 Gruppo of the Regia Aeronautica is deployed with its new aircraft - the Junkers JU87. This Gruppo will operate initially on the Greek-Albanian front, but the Navy is pressing for them to be allocated to anti-shipping strike duties. This time, the Army has won.

Before dawn, colonial troops of the Libyan 1st Division withdrew from Maktila, Egypt. In the afternoon, the Indian 4th Infantry Division and British 7th Royal Tank Regiment surround Sidi Barrani, pushing the Italian 4th Blackshirt Division and another Libyan colonial division into the desert.

With bands playing and their blue and white flags flying, Greek troops marched through the streets of Koritsa in Albania today as the last Italian invaders fled from Greek soil. Koritsa had been surrounded for several days before the Greeks finally stormed the Italians' shallow trenches with bayonets and trench-knives. The invaders surrendered in their hundreds, with retreat becoming a rout as they abandoned a complete arsenal of heavy guns, antitank weapons, food and a huge stock of petrol. The Italian Army retreats to Elbasan as the Greeks advance on the Epirus front.

In Germany, Führer Directive 19 is written. This describes the steps that will be taken if it becomes necessary to occupy the rest of metropolitan France, and to seize those parts of the French fleet still in France. The document concludes 'The Italians will be given no information about our preparations and intentions.'

The carrier HMS Indefatigable with a force of light escorts raids the Italian-held port of Tobruk. The dive bombers sink two merchant ships and the accompanying fighters strafe the harbour and light shipping present before withdrawing. There is no Italian fighter resistance, and only two planes are damages by the AA fire. As a result of the damage and confusion, not to mention the damage to morale, the port will take three days to resume normal operation.

11th December

A report by the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine discusses the possibility of conducting a raid on the Royal Navy similar to that conducted by the FAA on Wilhelmshaven and Taranto. While it admits this is possible, there are significant difficulties.

The available torpedo planes and dive bombers are unlikely to get through the RAF daytime defence. This mandates a night attack, for which no units have been trained. Also, the best target, Scapa Flow, is barely in range of the Ju-87R and outside Me109 cover. A raid on Portsmouth or Plymouth would be easier, but the Royal Navy is only using them for light craft now as they consider invasion unlikely until the spring. A raid sinking a few destroyers will not have the propaganda and morale value that one sinking capital ships would. In addition, the dive bombers are currently unable to sink a battleship without a lucky hit due to their thick deck armour.

The report therefore recommends three courses of action.

First, to use the available planes tasked for anti-shipping roles in the Mediterranean (keeping some in Northern Europe to attack British coastal shipping). This would have the advantage of allowing attacks to begin as soon as the force and its logistic train are in place. A second benefit is that ships sunk at sea are not recoverable.

Second, to look into planning a heavy raid on either one of the RN's southern ports, or Scapa Flow (ideally both), which could take place in the late spring if invasion is again planned (or even an invasion scare) which will bring heavy units south into easier range. A raid on Scapa would be easier if one of the Luftwaffe's modern bombers can be adapted to carry torpedoes.

Third, a small unit should investigate the issues involved in a night attack on a port, and suggest training measures (it is pointed out that this may take time). It would also allow the specific aircraft to be allocated. A possible target for a raid would be the autumn (the spring would be too early, while the very short summer nights at the latitude of the UK, and Scapa in particular, make a night raid very difficult).

In North Africa, the British 7th Armoured Brigade attacks Buq Buq, Egypt, forcing Italian 64th Infantry Division to surrender. While this is happening, the Indian 4th Infantry Division and British 7th Royal Tank Regiment force the surrender of Italian 4th Blackshirt Division and two colonial Libyan divisions in the desert.

Off the coast the British battleships HMS Warspite and HMS Valiant heavily bombard Italian positions at Sollum, Egypt. The Allied forces have now captured over 20,000 Italian prisoners of war, 237 guns, and 73 tanks.

The First Free French division commences full operational status in East Africa. This allows Wavell to allocate his 'reserve' formation, the 6th Australian Division, to Operation Compass (it had earlier been considered to be used to replace the 4th Indian Division to allow them to move to the Sudan, but the logistical situation there means they could not have been supported as well as the Free French division. The division is still not fully equipped or ready for action, but it allows his frontline formations to keep more pressure on the Italian Army, which is showing a decided tendency to collapse when sufficient force is applied.

12th December

Hungary and Yugoslavia sign the Treaty of Eternal Friendship. This will be one of the shorter definitions of 'eternal'.

In Greece, the CIC of the Greek Army Papagos meets with General Tsolakogolu, head of the Greek Army III corps which has taken Koritsa. He fears that the troops are tired and need rest. Tsolakogolu insists that the advance continue and recommends that a select group of Greek units be dispatched from those who have taken Koritsa to chase the Italians north

The British 7th Armoured Brigade moves through the desert to outflank Italian forces at Sollum and to cut the road to Bardia in Libya. The port itself was subjected to heavy attack by carrier aircraft attack by HMS Indefatigable, leaving two coastal ships on the bottom of the harbour and the port itself in chaos. Meanwhile, the first groups of Italian prisoners of war began to arrive by truck at the British headquarters at Mersa Matruh, Egypt. Headquarters is surprised by the numbers; even though they had been getting reports from the frontline units, seeing them is a different matter.

13th December

A squadron of Cormorant dive bombers is deployed to Greece. This has been made up from the reserve planes for HMS Courageous and the rescued pilots, and is intended to help interdict Italian shipping supplying the troops in Albania and Greece.

The British 4th Armoured Brigade crossed the desert between Halfaya and Sidi Omar in Egypt in an attempt to cut the road to Tobruk.

The cruiser HMS Coventry is torpedoed by an Italian submarine 40m northeast of Sidi Barrani. The torpedo nearly blows off the cruisers bow, but she manages to make it back to Alexandria under her own power.

The 6th Australian division is not yet considered ready for battle, but O'Connor wants to keep the pressure up on the Italian Army. The biggest issue is their incomplete transport, as this is vital to keep forces moving rapidly in the desert. It is suggested that some of the division could be tasked for an amphibious assault (where lack of trucks would be less of an issue), but at the moment the Army is advancing too fast for one to be easily planned. In the meantime, 16 Brigade is being brought up to full strength at the expense of the other two Brigades. These will be brought up to strength as soon as possible.

15th December

In North Africa, O'Connor presses on with his attacks. Sollum and Halfaya Pass were captured today, followed by the advance to Fort Capuzzo on the Libyan side of the border. All lost Egyptian territory has now been recaptured.

In Greece, elements of the Greek Army's III Corps have been fighting their way North toward Lake Ohrida since the capture of Koritsa on the 22nd. The snow and freezing weather have been affecting the effectiveness of both sides but the Greek advance continues nevertheless.

17th December

The monitor HMS Terror and gunboat HMS Ladybird bombarded Bardia in Libya, sinking Italian ships Galata, Vincenzino, and Giuseppina D. in the harbour. The battleship HMS Warspite and two cruisers bombard Tobruk; as a result the port will be rendered inoperable as the local work force refuse to work. Attempts by the Italian commander to man the port with his men do not work out well.

On the same day, the British announced that they had captured 20,000 Italian prisoners, including three generals, in Egypt (this is in fact an underestimate, the capture figures are mounting so fast they are unable to keep up with them!), and that the 4th Armoured Brigade captured Sidi Omar, Egypt, taking 900 Italian troops prisoner.

The Western Desert force is now getting ready to exploit its victory so far by an assault on Bardia. The 7th Armoured division is concentrating southwest of Bardia while waiting for 4th Indian division to catch up. Meanwhile 6th Australian division is following up (and spending far more time than they wish helping send back prisoners); so far the British have captured 38,000 men, 400 artillery pieces and 50 tanks while losing only 133 killed and 395 wounded and missing.

Bardia, on the Libyan coast, is guarded by about 45,000 Italian and colonial troops (the British are underestimating the defenders, they only estimate some 20,000 men) under the command of Lieutenant General Annibale Bergonzoli, who had orders from Mussolini to fight until the last man. This dismays General Bergonzoli.

18th December

In Berlin, Führer Directive 21 is issued, confirming the plans for Unternehmen Barbarossa. This describes how the intention is to crush the Russian army in a quick campaign, even if war with England (sic) is not completed. Only the navy will continue to prosecute the war against Britain; apart from the need to keep occupied territories under control, all other efforts are to be diverted to attacking Russia.

19th December

Mussolini requests German aid for his troops in Cyrenaica, asking for a Panzer Division, Luftwaffe units, and various logistical support. Given the need to prepare for Barbarossa, this request is not popular, but the German army starts to look at the possibility of supporting Italy. The Luftwaffe is busy getting Fliegerkorps X into operation, and expects to be able to make their first attacks from Sicily by the end of the year. It is pointed out that moving them to North Africa will delay the start of anti-shipping operations, and using them in a ground support role would negate the only specialised Luftwaffe anti-shipping unit. It is suggested that if Luftwaffe units are to be provided, these should be regular ones (rather than the specialised Fliegerkorps X), and that they should ideally provide logistics support so the F.X. planes can be stationed in North Africa quickly if plans change. The Luftwaffe is currently trying to organise training and build-up for Barbarossa, support in the Mediterranean, and a heavy night blitz on Britain, with resources that are becoming stretched.

Bardia is now surrounded by the 4th Indian Division and the 16th Brigade of the 6th Australian division, and being bombarded daily by units of the Mediterranean fleet. The port facilities are now unusable, and the daily attacks, undeterred by the Italian air force (who have so far lost five fighters and seven bombers to FAA Goshawks while trying to attack the British warships) is affecting morale badly

20th December

Aircraft from HMS Victorious attack an Italian convoy off the Kerkennah islands off Tunisia. All three ships in the convoy, as well as an anti-submarine escort, are sunk.

23rd December

In Libya, the Commander-in-Chief of Italian North Africa General Rodolfo Graziani replaces General Mario Berti of Italian 10th Army with his Chief of Staff General Giuseppe Tellera after the failures in the initial stages of Operation Compass. Meanwhile the British forces outside Bardia have resupplied and regrouped ready to resume the offensive, but are still short of ammunition. It is hoped to resume the offensive tomorrow, and meanwhile ammunition is being brought forward from the two Australian Brigades in reserve so as not to lose momentum.