Battle
The British assault on the Axis positions on Brega, and El Agheila began on the night of 11/12 December. The Axis forces engaged, after a few time, with a British reconnaissance force at Merduma (60 mi (97 km) west of El Agheila) behind the Axis lines, so Rommel decided to withdraw. By the evening of 12 December, the Axis withdrawal began, except for some units covering the withdrawal.
On 13 December, Axis reconnaissance aircraft discovered some 300 vehicles north of Marada oasis (75 mi (121 km) south of El Agheila), which meant for the Axis forces the danger of being outflanked, so the withdrawal continued. Meanwhile, in the north, a British attack was held back by the Italians.
On 15–16 December, isolated engagements occurred between the two combatants. On 17 December, the bulk of the German forces withdrew from El Agheila.
On 18 December, short-lived but fierce fighting took place at Nofaliya (100 mi (160 km) west of El Agheila), which brought the battle of El Agheila to an end.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of El Agheila
Famous quotes containing the word battle:
“Up from the South at break of day,
Bringing to Winchester fresh dismay,
The affrighted air with a shudder bore,
Like a herald in haste, to the chieftain’s door,
The terrible grumble, and rumble, and roar,
Telling the battle was on once more,
And Sheridan twenty miles away.”
—Thomas Buchanan Read (1822–1872)
“... the big courageous acts of life are those one never hears of and only suspects from having been through like experience. It takes real courage to do battle in the unspectacular task. We always listen for the applause of our co-workers. He is courageous who plods on, unlettered and unknown.... In the last analysis it is this courage, developing between man and his limitations, that brings success.”
—Alice Foote MacDougall (1867–1945)
“If you are willing to inconvenience yourself in the name of discipline, the battle is half over. Leave Grandma’s early if the children are acting impossible. Depart the ballpark in the sixth inning if you’ve warned the kids and their behavior is still poor. If we do something like this once, our kids will remember it for a long time.”
—Fred G. Gosman (20th century)