Tag Archives: Matilda

This week in the War, 20–26 January 1941: Tobruk

Posted on January 25, 2013 by secondbysecond

Forces under British general Richard O’Connor—and the Australian 6th Division, in particular—were racing westward along the coast of Libya. This week in the war, on 22 January 1941, they captured Tobruk—one of the most heavily fortified towns in Italy’s colonial … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 9–15 December 1940: “I purred like six cats.”

Posted on December 12, 2012 by secondbysecond

“I purred like six cats,” Churchill writes in his autobiographical The Second World War. He was describing his reaction to General Wavell’s plans for a North African offensive. Archibald Wavell was C-in-C for the Middle East and then some—from Iraq … Continue reading →

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