Word: rna
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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Montgomery swept past the white, empty shells of Tobruk's ruined houses. He rumbled through Ain el-Gazála, Dérna. He roared on past El Gubba, where the Silesian father in a flowing beard, who had clung to his parish through five occupations, intoned: "Religion is above wars...
...German Army's retreat as far as el-Gazála was orderly enough. Beaten back rather than completely outmaneuvered, Rommel had left el-Gazála to hold el-Mechili-el-Tmimi road in defense of Dérna. In one of the biggest battles of the Desert campaign, the British cut this road and started their advance. This was apparently the beginning...
Because the success of the next push-to Dérna or Bengazi-will directly reflect Ritchie's ability, it will be the high spot of his career, and of the offensive. Neil Ritchie is only 44. If only because of his youth, he may do better than Cunningham, who is ten years his senior. But his career, from subaltern in the Black Watch at 17 to Major General at 43, has been almost too formal to promise the flashes of unorthodoxy which usually herald great commanders...
...Three days later Army patrols attacked a land convoy between Tobruch and Salûm, and destroyed twelve more. British reconnaissance noted ex tensive digging on the escarpment around Halfâya Pass, only convenient gate from Libya to Egypt; extensive aerial preparations at the airports of Dérna and Gambut...
...situation was not at all like that at Sidi Barrani, Bardia and Tobruch. There were no rigid, prepared defenses around Dérna (see map), no circles of wire and ditch. But the natural defense was rugged: a deep, wide wadi, the eroded path of an ancient stream. With more spunk than they had shown in seven weeks' war, 10,000 Italians fought to keep many more attackers from swarming into the wadi. Italian aircraft were active, tanks gave fight, artillery answered stubbornly. But numbers and more efficient supply told in the end. The town capitulated...