Friend or Foe? Part 1
Bibliography with Notes plus Bonus Content
Beckett, Ian, F.W. Rommel Reconsidered. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2013, p. 91 (from Wikepedia).
“It has been estimated that Rommel was using 6,000 captured British lorries…”
Bierman, John and Colin Smith. War Without Hate. New York: The Penguin Group, 2002, p. 49.
“Among the port’s (Tobruk) considerable booty was a fleet of Lancia and Fiat trucks which the Australians commandeered to replace their own vehicles which were beginning to fall apart.”
Delve, Ken. The Desert Air Force in WWII: Air Power in the Western Desert 1940-1942. South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Books, Ltd, 2017. Kindle.
Chapter 3: From Victory to Defeat to Stalemate
“The captured vehicles and POL (petrol, oil and lubricants) enabled the advance to continue, and it became a feature of German operations that British trucks from then on formed a significant percentage of the German supply systems.”
W.G.F. Jackson, W.G.F. The Battle for North Africa 1940-1943. New York: Mason/Charter Publishers, 1975, p. 130.
“…As the Germans held the battlefield they could recover most of their tanks along with a number of British “I” tanks which they repaired and manned themselves, causing some confusion in later battles.”
Latimer, Jon. Operation Compass. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2000. Kindle.
Chapter: The Campaign
“In every gully, abandoned transport of every description were found. The Commonwealth forces were so short of transport that every serviceable vehicle captured was pressed into service…transport columns became more and more like gypsy caravans.”
Stockings, Craig. The Battle of Bardia. (Australian Army Campaigns Series Book 9). Sydney: Big Sky Publishing, 2011. Kindle.
CHAPTER 7: Endgame
“The 6th Australian Division captured 130 Italian tanks at Bardia. Some of the M13/40 tanks in better condition were commandeered by 6th Cavalry Division, after painting a kangaroo on the side to identify it to friendly forces.”
Stockings, Craig. The Battle of Bardia. (Australian Army Campaigns Series Book 9). Sydney: Big Sky Publishing, 2011. Kindle.
CHAPTER: Epilogue
“Importantly for the XIII Corps’ continuing advance, 708 Italian vehicles and 233 motorcycles were pressed into service.”
Wahlert, Glenn. The Western Desert Campaign 1940-1941
(Australian Army Campaigns Series Book 2). Sydney: Big Sky Publishing, 2011. Kindle.
Chapter: The Leaders
“…O’Conner’s capture of the town of Bardia in January 1941, was invaluable to the Western Desert Force. Not only was the port taken intact, but over 700 trucks were also captured, along with fuel, water and other supplies.”
Bonus Illustrations
WWII in North Africa 