#17 - Battle of the Omars (22 November 1941) - PzC 04 Tobruk '41

Sidi Omar, 22 November 1941: The German plan for holding back the British, while they continued their preparations for the reduction of Tobruk, involved a series of frontier strongpoints. Initially used at the time of Brevity and Battleaxe, these strongpoints were really nothing more than armed camps, with a few positions scraped out of the desert floor. But their design, and particularly their stockpiles of supplies, had been continuously improved over the months, to the point that they represented more than a passing obstacle to an invading army. The western most position in this line was near the village of Sidi Omar on the Libyan/Egyptian border. It contained the better part of an infantry regiment from the Italian Savona Division, backed with artillery and anti-tank guns, and bolstered by a small German contingent. After circling around the open desert flank of this position, the 7th Indian Brigade stood ready to attack it from the rear. The battle would rage throughout 22 November, and would cost the British heavy casualties, especially in Matildas of the 44th Royal Tank Regiment