#19 - Point.175 (23 November 1941) - PzC 04 Tobruk '41

Point 175, east of Sidi Rezegh, 23 November 1941: As the battles raged in and around the airfield at Sidi Rezegh, the 2nd New Zealand Division, as part of 13th Corps, worked their way around the frontier defenses, past the Italian garrison at Bardia, and pushed on for Tobruk from the east. In the lead, the 6th NZ Brigade had halted for the night of 22/23 November, near Bir el Chleta, but awoke to find themselves intermingled with German headquarters and service elements. The Germans surrendered after a short action, and proved to be the headquarters for the DAK, the Deutsche Afrika Korps (fortunately General Cruewell, its commander, was away). The 6th Brigade then set off and, by noon, was in position to attack the flank of the German line guarding the Sidi Rezegh escarpment. The eastern end of the German line had been held for days by the 361st Afrika Regiment, formed primarily from German veterans of the French Foreign Legion. They were still waiting on much of their heavy equipment, but their finely honed desert fighting skills more than made up for it. Supported by tanks of the 8th Royal Tank Regiment, the 6th Brigade attacked the 361st Regiment's prepared positions in the area of point 175. Unable to halt the New Zealanders and Matildas, the German lines were pushed back, initiating a grinding battle that would continue down the length of the escarpment for days.