#battle of tobruk

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"Near Victory Turned to Defeat for British Forces," Kingston Whig-Standard. June 26, 1942. Page 10. ---- When these pictures were made in Libya a few short weeks ago things were going well for the British German tanks like the captured one above were being tested. German prisoners like these at left below were being taken. South African gunners like those at right below were blistering the desert with bullets. But Rommel came back with bigger, better armored tanks to take many more thousands of British prisoners, a large part of them South Africans.

[retrocgads]

UK 1987

[whencyclopedia]

Operation Torch

Operation Torch (aka the North Africa landings) landed Allied troops in French Morocco and Algeria on 8 November 1942 with the aim of removing German and Italian forces from North Africa. The first jointly-planned Allied operation of the Second World War (1939-45), Torch overcame difficulties such as the testing logistics of shipping troops directly from the United States and Britain and the large presence of Vichy French forces in North Africa, but the landings were ultimately successful, establishing the region as a launchpad for a future invasion of Italy.

The Importance of North Africa

Right from the start of WWII, both the Axis powers of Germany and Italy were interested in controlling North Africa because a presence there would help protect shipping in the Mediterranean and provide support for such campaigns as the attacks on enemy-held Crete and Malta. The Allies, particularly Britain, had the same strategic interest but were, in addition, anxious to protect the vital Suez Canal and the Middle East oil fields. In addition, in the early years of the war, North Africa remained the only place where Britain could fight a land war against the Axis powers and so hopefully gain much-needed victories that would encourage the British people after the debacle of the Dunkirk Evacuation and the horrors of the London Blitz. Here in the great desert plains of Libya and Egypt, then, a series of battles were fought, which became known as the Western Desert Campaigns (June 1940 to January 1943).

The Desert War became something of a pendulum affair. First, the Italians pushed across from their colony of Libya into British-held Egypt but were then pushed back by the British and its empire forces in Operation Compass (December 1940 to February 1941). The German army arrived in February 1941 with superior armour, weapons, and training compared to both the Italians and the Allies. Axis forces in Africa came under the command of General Erwin Rommel (1891-1944) who proceeded to win a number of battles, notably the Battle of Gazala, which ended in the capture of the port of Tobruk in June 1942. Rommel was then held back at the First Battle of El Alamein (July 1942) and roundly defeated by the British Eighth Army led by General Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976) at the Second Battle of El Alamein (October-November 1942). Rommel was obliged to retreat back to Tunisia. Without sufficient supplies, Rommel recommended to Adolf Hitler, who was wholly preoccupied with the Russian Front, that North Africa be abandoned, but he was ordered to continue the desert campaign as best he could.

The Allied commanders, in sharp contrast to Rommel, were keener than ever to control North Africa as they realised this region could be used as a platform for a full invasion of southern Europe, in particular, Sicily and the Italian mainland. Such a plan would fulfil a long-made promise to their ally Russia that there would be a second front to the war after the Eastern Front had opened in the summer of 1942. In order to finally remove Axis forces from North Africa, then, a massive and complex joint landing operation was months in the planning: Operation Torch.

WWII North Africa Campaign, 1940-1943

Simeon Netchev (CC BY-NC-ND)

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[all-action-all-picture]

Battle Picture Library Collection No. 1 - Death or Glory, 2007. Prion Books reprint of 12 early Battle Picture Library stories from 1961/1962.

Shock Tactics (No. 66, 1962)

The Rats of Tobruk (No. 1, 1961)

Fighting Blood (No. 20, 1961)

Blood on the Sand (No. 12, 1961)

Trained to Kill (No. 3, 1961)

Dawn Attack (No. 37, 1961)

Blaze of Glory (No. 32, 1961)

Jaws of Hell (No. 29, 1961)

Macey's Mob (No. 71, 1962)

Battle Order (No. 13, 1961)

Seize and Hold (No. 68, 1962)

Crack-Up (No. 9, 1961)

The cover art shown isn't from any of the issues reprinted inside. Also I don't know if the title Death or Glory was ever used on an issue of Battle Picture Library. The closest I can find at present is Death - and Glory which first appeared on No. 27, 1961. Treasury of British Comics.

[theworldatwar]

A British Matilda II tank lies abandoned after being hit by 88-mm German antiaircraft guns - The Battle of Tobruk, Dec 1941

[thedesertfox]

"Catch them!"

This photo was taken sometime shortly after Rommel's epic capture of the port of Tobruk, late June 1942. Colonel Fritz Bayerlein (right) and German & Italian staff officers are also present.

The newly-promoted Field Marshal did not celebrate for long. He knew that the British were retreating, but if he didn't capture their veteran divisions and heavy equipment, they would slip away into British-controlled Egypt. This set the stage for the First Battle of El Alamein.

[bantarleton]

An Australian fighting patrol negotiates the perimeter wire on its way to make a raid Artwork is from CAM 80 'Tobruk 1941' by Jon Latimer and illustrated by Jim Laurier. The short summer nights were constantly punctuated by the sounds of small battles flaring up all around the perimeter, usually instigated by Australian infantrymen, but also by Royal and Australian Army Service Corps, and British and Indian cavalrymen – a task not normally expected of them. In the absence of large-scale actions, patrolling prowess became a matter of pride, both within units and between them.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 6.22

217 BC – Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV Philopator of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. 168 BC – Battle of Pydna: Romans under Lucius Aemilius Paullus defeat Macedonian King Perseus who surrenders after the battle, ending the Third Macedonian War. 813 – Battle of Versinikia: The Bulgars led by Krum defeat the Byzantine army near Edirne. Emperor Michael I is forced to abdicate in favor of Leo V the Armenian. 910 – The Hungarians defeat the East Frankish army near the Rednitz River, killing its leader Gebhard, Duke of Lotharingia (Lorraine). 1527 – Fatahillah expels Portuguese forces from Sunda Kelapa, now regarded as the foundation of Jakarta. 1593 – Battle of Sisak: Allied Christian troops defeat the Ottomans. 1633 – The Holy Office in Rome forces Galileo Galilei to recant his view that the Sun, not the Earth, is the center of the Universe in the form he presented it in, after heated controversy. 1774 – The British pass the Quebec Act, setting out rules of governance for the colony of Quebec in British North America. 1783 – A poisonous cloud caused by the eruption of the Laki volcano in Iceland reaches Le Havre in France. 1807 – In the Chesapeake–Leopard affair, the British warship HMS Leopard attacks and boards the American frigate USS Chesapeake. 1813 – War of 1812: After learning of American plans for a surprise attack on Beaver Dams in Ontario, Laura Secord sets out on a thirty kilometres (19 mi) journey on foot to warn Lieutenant James FitzGibbon. 1839 – Cherokee leaders Major Ridge, John Ridge, and Elias Boudinot are assassinated for signing the Treaty of New Echota, which had resulted in the Trail of Tears. 1870 – The United States Department of Justice is created by the U.S. Congress. 1893 – The Royal Navy battleship HMS Camperdown accidentally rams the British Mediterranean Fleet flagship HMS Victoria which sinks taking 358 crew with her, including the fleet's commander, Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon. 1897 – British colonial officers Charles Walter Rand and Lt. Charles Egerton Ayerst are assassinated in Pune, Maharashtra, India by the Chapekar brothers and Mahadeo Vinayak Ranade, who are later caught and hanged. 1898 – Spanish–American War: In a chaotic operation, 6,000 men of the U.S. Fifth Army Corps begins landing at Daiquirí, Cuba, about 16 miles (26 km) east of Santiago de Cuba. Lt. Gen. Arsenio Linares y Pombo of the Spanish Army outnumbers them two-to-one, but does not oppose the landings. 1907 – The London Underground's Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway opens. 1911 – George V and Mary of Teck are crowned King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 1911 – Mexican Revolution: Government forces bring an end to the Magonista rebellion of 1911 in the Second Battle of Tijuana. 1918 – The Hammond Circus Train Wreck kills 86 and injures 127 near Hammond, Indiana. 1940 – World War II: France is forced to sign the Second Compiègne armistice with Germany, in the same railroad car in which the Germans signed the Armistice in 1918. 1941 – World War II: Nazi Germany invades the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa. 1942 – World War II: Erwin Rommel is promoted to Field Marshal after the Axis capture of Tobruk. 1942 – The Pledge of Allegiance is formally adopted by US Congress. 1944 – World War II: Opening day of the Soviet Union's Operation Bagration against the Army Group Centre. 1944 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs into law the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill. 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Okinawa comes to an end. 1948 – The ship HMT Empire Windrush brought the first group of 802 West Indian immigrants to Tilbury, marking the start of modern immigration to the United Kingdom. 1948 – King George VI formally gives up the title "Emperor of India", half a year after Britain actually gave up its rule of India. 1962 – Air France Flight 117 crashes on approach to Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport in Guadeloupe, killing 112 people. 1965 – The Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea is signed. 1966 – Vietnamese Buddhist activist leader Thích Trí Quang was arrested as the military junta of Nguyen Cao Ky crushed the Buddhist Uprising. 1969 – The Cuyahoga River catches fire in Cleveland, Ohio, drawing national attention to water pollution, and spurring the passing of the Clean Water Act and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. 1978 – Charon, the first of Pluto's satellites to be discovered, was first seen at the United States Naval Observatory by James W. Christy. 1979 – Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him. 1984 – Virgin Atlantic launches with its first flight from London to Newark. 1986 – The famous Hand of God goal, scored by Diego Maradona in the quarter-finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup match between Argentina and England, ignites controversy. This was later followed by the Goal of the Century. Argentina wins 2–1 and later goes on to win the World Cup. 1990 – Cold War: Checkpoint Charlie is dismantled in Berlin. 2000 – Wuhan Airlines Flight 343 is struck by lightning and crashes into Wuhan's Hanyang District, killing 49 people. 2002 – An earthquake measuring 6.5 Mw strikes a region of northwestern Iran killing at least 261 people and injuring 1,300 others and eventually causing widespread public anger due to the slow official response. 2009 – A Washington D.C Metro train traveling southbound near Fort Totten station collides into another train waiting to enter the station. Nine people are killed in the collision (eight passengers and the train operator) and at least 80 others are injured. 2012 – Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo is removed from office by impeachment and succeeded by Federico Franco. 2012 – A Turkish Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter plane is shot down by the Syrian Armed Forces, killing both of the plane's pilots and worsening already-strained relations between Turkey and Syria. 2015 – The Afghan National Assembly building is attacked by gunmen after a suicide bombing. All six of the gunmen are killed and 18 people are injured. 2022 – An earthquake occurs in eastern Afghanistan resulting in over 1,000 deaths.

[jammum]

El Alamein Pt 2

Time to go back to El Alamein were in the middle of 1942 there was great Axis pressure on the desert fighters. It was in June 1942 that Rommel was finally able to capture Tobruk with 35,000 prisoners of war. At the end of June, the Australian 9th division was ordered back to Egypt, arriving in July. The following battles prevented Rommel from advancing further into Egypt also even though he…

[dan6085]

The conflicts in Libya today are rooted in the aftermath of the 2011 revolution that led to the overthrow and death of Muammar Gaddafi, who had ruled the country for over four decades. Since then, Libya has been plagued by political instability, competing factions, and intermittent violence. Here’s a detailed explanation of the current conflicts in Libya:

### 1. **The Aftermath of the 2011 Revolution**

- **Background:** The 2011 revolution, part of the wider Arab Spring, ended Gaddafi’s authoritarian regime but left a power vacuum. This vacuum was quickly filled by various armed groups and political factions, each vying for control of the country. The lack of a strong central government led to a fragmented state, with different regions and cities controlled by local militias.

### 2. **Division of Government (2014-Present)**

- **House of Representatives (HoR) in Tobruk:**

- Located in the eastern city of Tobruk, the HoR was elected in 2014. However, its legitimacy was disputed, leading to the establishment of a rival government.

- **Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli:**

- In 2015, the United Nations brokered the formation of the GNA, based in Tripoli, as an attempt to unify the country. However, the GNA struggled to assert its authority and was largely confined to western Libya.

- **Libyan National Army (LNA):**

- The LNA, led by General Khalifa Haftar, became the military force aligned with the HoR. Haftar's forces controlled much of eastern Libya and parts of the south, and in 2019, they launched an offensive to capture Tripoli from the GNA.

### 3. **2019-2020 Battle for Tripoli**

- **LNA Offensive:** In April 2019, Haftar's LNA launched a major military offensive to seize Tripoli from the GNA. This triggered intense fighting, leading to a humanitarian crisis. Despite initial gains, the LNA’s offensive stalled due to strong resistance from GNA-aligned forces and international intervention.

- **GNA Counteroffensive:** With significant support from Turkey, the GNA launched a successful counteroffensive in mid-2020, pushing Haftar’s forces back and reclaiming territory.

### 4. **International Involvement**

- **Foreign Backers:**

- The conflict in Libya is heavily influenced by foreign powers supporting different sides. The GNA has received support primarily from Turkey, Qatar, and Italy, while the LNA has been backed by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, and France. This international involvement has further complicated the conflict and prolonged the fighting.

- **Mercenaries and Foreign Fighters:** Both sides have employed foreign mercenaries, including fighters from Syria, Sudan, Chad, and Russian private military contractors like the Wagner Group.

### 5. **Ceasefire and Political Transition (2020-2022)**

- **Ceasefire Agreement (October 2020):** In October 2020, both sides agreed to a UN-brokered ceasefire. This marked a significant step toward ending the immediate hostilities and paved the way for political dialogue.

- **Interim Government:** In early 2021, a new interim government, the Government of National Unity (GNU), was formed with the mandate to unify the country and lead it to elections in December 2021. However, these elections were postponed due to disagreements over electoral laws and eligibility of candidates.

- **Renewed Tensions:** The delay in elections led to renewed tensions between rival factions, particularly between forces loyal to Haftar in the east and those aligned with the GNU in the west.

### 6. **Current Situation (2023)**

- **Political Stalemate:** As of 2023, Libya remains divided, with no clear resolution to the political stalemate. The GNU's authority is contested, particularly in eastern Libya, where Haftar and the HoR still exert considerable influence. The elections, initially planned for 2021, have yet to be held, and efforts to unify the country under a single government have stalled.

- **Localized Conflicts:** While large-scale fighting has diminished, Libya continues to experience localized conflicts, particularly in southern and central regions. These conflicts often involve tribal groups, local militias, and other armed factions fighting over control of resources, territory, and smuggling routes.

- **Humanitarian Crisis:** The ongoing conflict has led to a severe humanitarian crisis. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, and many Libyans face food insecurity, lack of access to healthcare, and other basic services. The presence of mines and unexploded ordnance poses a continued threat to civilians.

- **Economic Struggles:** Libya’s economy, heavily reliant on oil, has been severely impacted by the conflict. Oil production has been frequently disrupted due to blockades by various armed groups, leading to significant revenue losses and further economic hardship for the population.

### 7. **International Diplomatic Efforts**

- **Continued Diplomacy:** The United Nations and other international actors continue to push for a political solution. The UN-led Berlin Process, involving key Libyan and international stakeholders, aims to facilitate dialogue and resolve the crisis, though progress remains slow.

- **Sanctions and Accountability:** There have been efforts to impose sanctions on those obstructing the peace process, and there is ongoing international pressure for accountability for human rights violations committed by all sides during the conflict.

### Conclusion

Libya's current conflict is a complex and multifaceted crisis that stems from the power vacuum left by Gaddafi's fall. The division between rival governments, the influence of foreign powers, and the presence of numerous armed groups have made it difficult to achieve lasting peace. While the country has seen periods of reduced violence, the underlying issues remain unresolved, and Libya continues to face significant challenges in achieving stability, political unity, and economic recovery. The future of Libya hinges on the successful resolution of its political crisis, the withdrawal of foreign fighters, and the ability of its leaders to work together for the benefit of the Libyan people.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"Inferno Rages in Sand, Sky of Libya War Zone," Toronto Star. May 28, 1942. Page 23. ---- WITH TANKS AND PLANES the war has flared again in the Libyan desert as the Axis forces launched a four-pronged drive at British positions west and south of Tobruk. "The biggest tanks I have seen in two years of desert warfare," was the description given by one foreign correspondent of German tanks. The R.A.F. is in heavy action only 15 miles west of Tobruk. CENTRE OF THE FOUR-PRONGED Axis drive against the British in the desert is between Ain El Gazala, 30 miles west of Tobruk and Bir Hacheim, southeast of Tobruk. There the British have powerful artillery concentrations, such as these, and, according to London sources, the defences in the rear are even more powerful than the outlying strong points. DURING THE LULL in desert warfare both sides brought up reinforcements and new equipment. The Axis is said to be using bigger tanks with very strong armor. British forces, too, have new equipment. Ever ready for a possible gas attack, British have masks such as this, being placed on a soldier by a South African W.A.A.F. sergeant.

BEST WAY to put enemy aircraft out of action is to blast them, before they get off the ground and both sides have been doing this since the war flamed up again in the Libyan desert. These are Italian planes burning after a British attack on a airdrome.

ROMMEL'S TANK COLUMNS are in the forefront of the Libyan battle and one observer says that almost all the Axis armored columns are now in the fight. London sources state "no real offensive can be mounted unless the attacking forse holde both Bengazi and Tobruk." The Axis is making a fierce drive only 15 miles from Tobruk. The British are confident. "Let 'em come and get us!" is their motto.

[sa7abnews]

UN urges restraint as Libya government braces for attack

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/11/un-urges-restraint-as-libya-government-braces-for-attack/

UN urges restraint as Libya government braces for attack

The United Nations urged restraint on Friday after Libya’s Tripoli-based government put its forces on high alert for an assault by fighters loyal to an eastern-based strongman in the remote southern desert.

Energy-rich Libya has been wracked by unrest since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising.

It is split between the UN-recognised government in the capital Tripoli in the west and a rival administration backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar that rules from Benghazi and Tobruk in the east.

A 2020 ceasefire agreed after government forces repelled an assault by Haftar’s forces on the capital has largely held until now.

The UN Support Mission in Libya called on “all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any provocative military actions that could be perceived as offensive and might jeopardise Libya’s fragile stability”.

Western governments voiced concern about “ongoing military movements in Libya’s southwest region”.

“In the context of continued stalemate in the political process, such movements risk escalation and violent confrontation,” a joint statement from the embassies of Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the United States warned.

On Friday, emergency services in Tajoura, an eastern suburb of Tripoli, said nine people were killed in battles between armed groups, which witnesses said lasted for several hours.

It was not immediately clear who was involved in the fighting, and there was no immediate comment from either of Libya’s administrations.

A security official told AFP that “the clashes stopped and both sides have withdrawn”.

‘Frenzy’

The general staff of the Tripoli-based government said on Thursday it had put its forces on “high alert”, ordering them to be “ready to repel any possible attack”.

Libyan media said that Haftar’s goal was to take the small but strategic government-held oasis town of Ghadames on Libya’s western border, along with its airport, an operation that an analyst warned would torpedo the 2020 ceasefire.

Emad Badi, a Libya specialist at the Atlantic Council, said government-held areas of western Libya had been “thrown into a frenzy” by the mobilisation of Haftar’s Libyan Arab Armed Forces, “perceived by some to be the prelude to an eventual offensive on Tripoli”.

“More importantly, the LAAF seizing Ghadames would officially mark the collapse of the 2020 ceasefire,” he added.

The LAAF, led by Saddam Haftar, the son of Khalifa Haftar, announced on Tuesday that it was launching an operation to “secure the country’s southern borders and strengthen stability in these strategic areas”.

The Tripoli-based High State Council (HSC), which functions as an upper house of parliament, said on Thursday that it was “following with great concern the military mobilisations of Haftar’s forces in the southwest”.

It said they were “clearly aimed at strengthening his influence and extending his control” over these “strategic areas” on Libya’s western border with Tunisia and Algeria.

“These movements are likely to lead us back to armed clashes and are a direct threat to the ceasefire,” the HSC said in a statement.

In a video posted Friday on their Facebook page, pro-Haftar forces did not mention Ghadames specifically, saying only that they intended “to secure” several remote oasis towns already under the control of the eastern-based administration.

[lboogie1906]

Lance Corporal Job Maseko MM (c. 1922 - March 7, 1952) was a soldier during WWII, serving in the Native Military Corps as part of the South African 2nd Infantry Division. He was one of many Allied troops captured by the Axis in the surrender of the port of Tobruk. He gained fame by his actions in sinking a German vessel with a milk can whilst serving as a POW in Tobruk harbor, for which he was awarded the Military Medal.

He worked as a miner in Springs South Africa. He was sent to North Africa to join the 2nd South African Division. He became a prisoner of war when Major-General Hendrik Klopper, surrendered the Tobruk Garrison with 32,000 men to Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. The garrison included 10,722 South Africans of the 2nd Division.

The Germans separated their prisoners by race. The white troops were sent to POW camps in Europe, but the prisoners of color were retained in Italian POW camps in Africa where they were forced to work as manual laborers. Part of the prisoners’ forced labor involved loading and unloading supplies from German freight ships in the port of Tobruk. He got three of his fellow prisoners to distract the German guards while he got busy below deck making a bomb using his pre-war mining experience. He put together an improvised explosive device which he stashed among jerry cans of gasoline in the ship’s hold. He lit the fuse and then left the ship. The ship was destroyed by the explosion and the fire.

He escaped from the Italian POW camp in Tobruk and walked for three weeks through the desert and enemy lines to El Alamein. In October 1942 he joined in the defeat of his German and Italian captors as a stretcher bearer with the 1st South African Infantry Division in the Second Battle of El Alamein. He was transferred to the 6th South African Armoured Division and was gazetted as the recipient of the Military Medal for his actions in Tobruk. The award was bestowed on him by Major-General Francois Henry “Frank” Theron.

He attained the rank of lance corporal during his service. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[ramadhanseries]

தமிழில்......

What happened on the fifth day of Ramadan throughout history?

On the fifth day of Ramadan throughout history, founder of a Muslim dynasty Abd al-Rahman I was born in 113 hijri, a battle between Libyan rebels and Italian colonial forces erupted near Tobruk in 1342 hijri and the Lydda massacre was committed in Palestine in 1367 hijri.

Abd al-Rahman was raised in Damascus during the Umayyad rule. When the Umayyad state collapsed, Abd al-Rahman traveled from one country to another. He then decided to prepare to enter Andalusia after he formed a strong army. Those who supported the Umayyad state and the Berbers approved of his plan to enter Andalusia.

In 138 hijri, Abd al-Rahman crossed with his army to Andalusia and subjugated the country. He then seized Seville and entered Crodoba eventually controlling the entire of Andalusia.

Also on the fifth day of Ramadan in 1342, which is April 23, 1923, a battle between Libyans and Italian colonial forces erupted around 80 kilometers south of Tobruk.

The battle erupted as Omar Mukhtar returned from Egypt and crossed the Libyan borders. Seven Italian armored vehicles ambushed him leading to a clash with Libyan fighters.

The Italian forces have been monitoring Mukhtar’s movement and decided to kill him to suppress the revolution. As Mukhtar crossed into Libya, they opened fire on him and his companions and besieged them but Mukhtar and the fighters opened fire on them and a clash ensued. All the vehicles were burnt except for one that managed to escape the scene.

On the fifth day of Ramadan in 1367 hijri, which is July 11, 1948, an Israeli commando unit led by Moshe Dayan committed a massacre in the Palestinian city of Lydda.

The operation was dubbed Operation Dani by the Israelis. The Israeli air force attacked Lydda and Ramla and Palestinian fighters fought back killing 60 Israelis. The Israelis resumed their attack and killed 426 Arabs.

வரலாறு முழுவதும் ரமலான் ஐந்தாம் நாளில் என்ன நடந்தது?

வரலாறு முழுவதும் ரமழானின் ஐந்தாம் நாளில், ஒரு முஸ்லீம் வம்சத்தின் நிறுவனர் அப்துல்-ரஹ்மான் I ஹிஜ்ரி 113 இல் பிறந்தார், லிபிய கிளர்ச்சியாளர்களுக்கும் இத்தாலிய காலனித்துவப் படைகளுக்கும் இடையேயான போர் ஹிஜ்ரி 1342 இல் டோப்ரூக் அருகே வெடித்தது மற்றும் 1367 இல் பாலஸ்தீனத்தில் லிடா படுகொலை செய்யப்பட்டது. ஹிஜ்ரி.

உமையா ஆட்சியின் போது அப்துல் ரஹ்மான் டமாஸ்கஸில் வளர்க்கப்பட்டார். உமையாத் அரசு வீழ்ச்சியடைந்தபோது, ​​அப்துல் ரஹ்மான் ஒரு நாட்டிலிருந்து மற்றொரு நாட்டிற்கு பயணம் செய்தார். பின்னர் அவர் ஒரு வலுவான இராணுவத்தை உருவாக்கிய பிறகு அண்டலூசியாவிற்குள் நுழையத் தயாராக இருந்தார். உமையாத் அரசை ஆதரித்தவர்கள் மற்றும் பெர்பர்கள் ஆண்டலூசியாவிற்குள் நுழைவதற்கான அவரது திட்டத்தை ஏற்றுக்கொண்டனர்.

ஹிஜ்ரி 138 இல், அப்துல் ரஹ்மான் தனது இராணுவத்துடன் ஆண்டலூசியாவுக்குச் சென்று நாட்டைக் கைப்பற்றினார். பின்னர் அவர் செவில்லைக் கைப்பற்றி, குரோடோபாவில் நுழைந்து இறுதியில் அண்டலூசியா முழுவதையும் கட்டுப்படுத்தினார்.

1342 ஆம் ஆண்டு ரமழானின் ஐந்தாவது நாளில், அதாவது ஏப்ரல் 23, 1923 இல், லிபியர்களுக்கும் இத்தாலிய காலனித்துவப் படைகளுக்கும் இடையே டோப்ரூக்கிற்கு தெற்கே 80 கிலோமீட்டர் தொலைவில் போர் வெடித்தது.

உமர் முக்தார் எகிப்திலிருந்து திரும்பி வந்து லிபிய எல்லைகளைக் கடந்தபோது போர் வெடித்தது. ஏழு இத்தாலிய கவச வாகனங்கள் அவரை பதுங்கியிருந்து லிபிய போராளிகளுடன் மோதலுக்கு வழிவகுத்தன.

முக்தாரின் நடமாட்டத்தை இத்தாலியப் படைகள் கண்காணித்து, புரட்சியை ஒடுக்க அவரைக் கொல்ல முடிவு செய்தனர். முக்தார் லிபியாவிற்குள் நுழைந்தபோது, ​​​​அவர்கள் அவர் மீதும் அவரது தோழர்கள் மீதும் துப்பாக்கிச் சூடு நடத்தி அவர்களை முற்றுகையிட்டனர், ஆனால் முக்தாரும் போராளிகளும் அவர்கள் மீது துப்பாக்கிச் சூடு நடத்தினர் மற்றும் மோதல் ஏற்பட்டது. சம்பவ இடத்தில் இருந்து தப்பியோடிய ஒரு வாகனத்தைத் தவிர அனைத்து வாகனங்களும் எரிக்கப்பட்டன.

1367 ஹிஜ்ரியில் ரமழானின் ஐந்தாவது நாளில், அதாவது ஜூலை 11, 1948 இல், மோஷே தயான் தலைமையிலான இஸ்ரேலிய கமாண்டோ பிரிவு பாலஸ்தீன நகரமான லிட்டாவில் படுகொலை செய்தது.

இந்த நடவடிக்கைக்கு ஆபரேஷன் டானி என்று இஸ்ரேலியர்கள் பெயரிட்டனர். இஸ்ரேலிய விமானப்படை லிட்டா மற்றும் ரம்லாவை தாக்கியது மற்றும் பாலஸ்தீனிய போராளிகள் 60 இஸ்ரேலியர்களைக் கொன்றனர். இஸ்ரேலியர்கள் தங்கள் தாக்குதலை மீண்டும் தொடங்கி 426 அரேபியர்களைக் கொன்றனர்.

[quotesfrommyreading]

Sergeant George Booth, a twenty-nine-year-old observer with the RAF's No.107 Squadron, is usually credited as the first Briton to be taken prisoner in the Second World War. Booth's war ended the day after it had officially begun when his Bristol Blenheim was shot down over the German coast on 4 September 1939. The pilot was killed by the Wireless Operator, Air Gunner Larry Slattery, survived and, together with Booth, spent the next six years in captivity. They were among an estimated 170.000 to 200,000 British, Commonwealth and Empire men who were taken prisoner in Europe during the Second World War. This compares to the 90,000 Allied prisoners who were held in around a thousand camps around the Far East after Japan entered the war in late 1941.

Booth and Slattery left behind a country that was just embarking on what became known as the 'Phoney War' – when the population held its breath, waiting for a bombing onslaught that failed to appear. The first major influx of British POWs into German camps began nine months later in June 1940 when that phoniness gave way to a Blitzkrieg – or lightning war – as the Nazis swept down through the Low Countries into northern France. As the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), which had been sent to defend France, was evacuated from Dunkirk and other ports it was forced to abandon over 50,000 men who would spend the rest of the war as POWs. They entered captivity knowing that Britain faced the threat of invasion and that, if Hitler was successful, they were unlikely ever to see their homes again.

Each major Allied defeat made more men POWs. Germany's invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia in April 1941 was followed by the battle for Crete after which 11,370 Allied troops were captured in May 1941. The next big wave of POWs arrived from North Africa where Rommel was notching up significant victories. When he finally managed to break the siege of the Libyan port of Tobruk in June 1942, the garrison's 35,000 men, many of whom were South Africans, lost their freedom.

Since America did not enter the war until after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941 only 62,000 of her soldiers became POWs in Europe. Most American POWs before D-Day were airmen. Soldiers began to be taken in large numbers when the Allies landed in Italy in 1943 and Normandy in 1944 and began to claw back parts of occupied Europe. The Germans captured over 6,000 men in September 1944 as a result of Operation Market-Garden when the Allies tried to establish a bridgehead across the Rhine at Arnhem; Hitler's surprise attack on the Ardennes (also known as the Battle of the Bulge) in a bitterly cold December 1944 led to around 23,000 Americans becoming POWs.

Most prisoners were soldiers. The nature of sea battles meant that few men serving in the Royal or Merchant Navy survived to becomes prisoners or internees – about 5,500 from each category. Around 13,000 British and Commonwealth airmen and 33,000 US airmen became POWs but their experience was very different from the other services. Of the 10,000 members of Bomber Command (about eight per cent of its total) who became POWs, many started their day with a British breakfast on British soil, and ended it in a cell where the enemy was keen to extract as much information from them as possible. The RAF did not suffer anything like the military setbacks of Dunkirk or North Africa and the peak year for Bomber Command was 1943-44 when 3,596 of their members became prisoners.

Becoming a prisoner in 1944 or 1945 felt quite different from becoming a POW in the early days of the war. Although the later prisoners had a sense that the war was drawing to a conclusion and that the Allies were winning, they still faced an uncertain future. Would they become hostages or even suffer execution at the hands of an enemy who felt he had nothing to lose?

  —  The Barbed-Wire University: The Real Lives of Allied Prisoners of War in the Second World War (Midge Gillies)

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My Favorite Films I Watched In 2022.

My Favorite Films I Watched in 2022.

Note 1. These are films I watched in 2022. Not that were all released in 2022. Note 2. This is a subjective ranking based on how much I enjoyed the film. Not necessarily based on the quality of the film.

1. The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly (1966) - A bounty hunting scam joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a third in a race to find a fortune in gold buried in a remote cemetery. (This film is very well-made. I wouldn't put it on for a random lazy afternoon, but I strongly recommend everyone watch it once.)

2. How To Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) - When Hiccup and Toothless discover an ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. (Quality sequel.)

3. Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022) - Thirty years after their popular television show ended, chipmunks Chip and Dale live very different lives. When a cast member from the original series mysteriously disappears, the pair must reunite to save their friend. (This is a fun, spiritual successor to 'Roger Rabbit'. I really enjoyed this flick.)

4. Child's Play (1988) - A single mother gives her son a much sought-after doll for his birthday, only to discover that it is possessed by the soul of a serial killer. (This is a fun, sometimes creepy horror flick. I had seen parts of this film through the years, but this is the year I sat and watched it in one sitting.)

5. Onward (2020) - Two elven brothers embark on a quest to bring their father back for one day. (Great concept. Good execution. And it had me getting a bit misty-eyed a few times.)

6. The Fox And The Hound 2 (2006) - Tod and Copper still go together like an itch and a scratch, but when Copper gets a shot at the big time with a nutty group of hound dog howlers, their purebred friendship is put to the test. (Look, this ranking is entirely based on Reba McEntire voicing 'Dixie'.)

7. Jane Eyre (1943) - After a harsh childhood, orphan Jane Eyre is hired by Edward Rochester, the brooding lord of a mysterious manor house, to care for his young daughter. (Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles are good in this film. I have never read the book.)

8. Sahara (1943) - After the fall of Tobruk in 1942, during the Allied retreat in the Libyan desert, an American tank picks-up a motley group of survivors but they face advancing Germans and a lack of water. (Solid war film. Humphrey Bogart is good, as usual, in it.)

9. Balto II: Wolf Quest (2001) - Balto and his daughter Aleu embark on a journey of adventure and self discovery. (I like the first 'Balto' quite a bunch, and that bias definitely boosts this sequel in my rankings.)

10. Fiend Without A Face (1958) - A scientist's thoughts materialize as an army of invisible brain-shaped monsters (complete with spinal-cord tails!) who terrorize an American military base in this nightmarish chiller. (I've seen a bunch of old horror and sci-fi flicks. This one is pretty good. Pretty good effects as well for the time.)

Honorable Mentions - Turning Red (2022), Guys And Dolls (1955), The Women (1939), Day The World Ended (1955), Pet Sematary (1989), and For Me And My Gal (1942).

According to my log on Letterboxd, I have seen 93 films for the first time in 2022. That number will be higher in 2023.