Twin Pimples raid

Coordinates: 32°06′31.3″N 23°50′07.4″E / 32.108694°N 23.835389°E / 32.108694; 23.835389
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Twin Pimples Raid
Part of the
Second World War
Date17/18 July 1941
Location
Tobruk
32°06′31.3″N 23°50′07.4″E / 32.108694°N 23.835389°E / 32.108694; 23.835389
Result Allied victory
Belligerents

 United Kingdom

 Australia		  Italy
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom Captain M Keely Fascist Italy Unknown
Units involved
18th King Edward's Own Cavalry
27 Infantry Division Brescia[nb 1]
Strength
43 Commandos
Small detachment engineers		 Unknown
Casualties and losses
1 dead
4 wounded		 1
ammunition dump and several mortars destroyed.
200 dead (Italian claim).[1]

The Twin Pimples Raid was a

Second World War. The raid, carried out by men of the No. 8 (Guards) Commando and the Royal Australian Engineers, was a complete success. However it did not end the siege; that continued until November 1941, when the Allied advance during Operation Crusader
reached the town.

Background

During 1941, the

Greece greatly changed the strategic outlook. By the time Layforce arrived in Egypt in March the situation had become dire.[3] The deployment of forces to Greece meant that the Commandos became the only troops in general reserve. As the strategic situation worsened, it became increasingly difficult to employ them in the manner intended, as they were called upon as reinforcements to the rest of the army.[5]

In May 1941 the majority of Layforce were sent as reinforcements to the

prisoners of war.[6] By the end of the operation about 600 of the 800 Commandos that had been sent to Crete were listed as killed, missing or wounded; only 179 Commandos managed to get off the island.[7] Shortly after being evacuated from Crete, a detachment of 75 men from No. 8 (Guards) Commando was sent to Tobruk to assist the Allied forces holding out against the Axis powers that had the city under siege.[8]

Raid

Australian troops in trench system
Allied trench on the Tobruk perimeter

The Twin Pimples was a feature in the Axis lines surrounding Tobruk. It was a defensive strong point consisting of two hills very close together that dominated the opposing Allied lines and at the time of the raid was held by units of the

18th King Edward's Own Cavalry, normally part of the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade, held the line across from the Twin Pimples when it was decided to take out the Italian position. The No. 8 Commando was selected to carry out the operation and for some days prior they conducted patrols with the Indians to get to know the lay of the land.[8]

The plan called for three officers and 40 men of No. 8 Commando and a small number of

bandoleer fashion to use as a stretcher.[9]

The Commandos left their own lines at 23:00 hours on 17 July and crossed the Italian forward positions and main lines undetected. Upon reaching the supply road they had to take cover and wait, as the attack was planned for 01:00 hours on 18 July. They moved closer to their objective just prior to the start of the diversionary attack by the 18th Cavalry. The diversion was a success, and Italian machine-gun fire and

very lights were directed towards the Indian cavalrymen. The Commandos managed to get within 30 yards (27 m) on the Twin Pimples before being challenged. The challenge was answered by a frontal attack by the Commandos. So as not to confuse their own forces with the Italians in the darkness, the password Jock was used when a position had been taken. The fire fight lasted about four minutes and the Australian Engineers planted explosives on several mortars and an ammunition dump. The planners had estimated that the Commandos could spend no longer than 15 minutes on the Italian position before it was engaged by the Italian artillery. The raiders had only got about 100 yards (91 m) from the Twin Pimples when the Italian artillery started to come down onto their own position.[9]

Aftermath

The cost of the raid to the Commandos was five wounded, one of whom later died of his wounds.[9] The No. 8 Commando, together with the rest of Layforce, was disbanded soon after. The operational difficulties that had been exposed, combined with the inability of the high command to fully embrace the commando concept, had largely served to make them ineffective.[10][11] Two members of No. 8 Commando, David Stirling and Jock Lewes, would form the Special Air Service by the end of July 1941.[12] Tobruk would remain under siege until relieved by Operation Crusader in November 1941.[13]

The only soldier to be killed on this raid was Corporal John “Jackie” Edward Trestrail Maynard of the Duke of Cornwall's light Infantry and No 8 (Guards) Commando.[1]

See also

Notes

Notes

  1. ^ These are the units besieging Tobruk at the time; the specific unit on the Twin Pimples is not known

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b Schofield
  2. ^ Chappell, p.15.
  3. ^ a b Saunders, p.52.
  4. ^ Moreman, p.20.
  5. ^ a b Saunders, p.55.
  6. ^ Saunders, p.57.
  7. ^ Chappell, p.16.
  8. ^ a b Mountbatten, p.39.
  9. ^ a b c d Mountbatten, p.40.
  10. ^ Saunders, p.61.
  11. ^ Chappell, p.17.
  12. ^ Molinari, p.22.
  13. ^ Maughan, p.442.

References

  • ISBN 1-85532-579-9
    .
  • ISBN 1-85367-479-6
    .
  • Maughan, Barton (1966). Tobruk and El Alamein. Australia in the War of 1939–1945 Series 1 (Army). Vol. III (1st online ed.). Canberra: Australian War Memorial.
    OCLC 954993
    . Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  • Molinari, Andrea (2007). Desert Raiders: Axis and Allied Special Forces 1940–43. Osprey.
    ISBN 978-1-84603-006-2
    .
  • Moreman, Tim (2006). British Commandos 1940–46. Oxford: Osprey.
    ISBN 978-1-84176-986-8
    .
  • ISBN 978-1-4067-5957-0
    .
  • Saunders, Hilary St. George (1959) [1949]. The Story of the Commandos, 1940–1945. Four Square Books. London: Landsborough.
    OCLC 752835976
    .
  • Schofield, Joe. Section Sergeant, 6 Troop, 8 (Guards) Commando (Report). First-hand Account.
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