THE FIRST MAJOR attack launched by the Axis was made to the left of the El Adem Road on Easter Friday. Elements of the Australian
2/17 Battalion pinned down enemy infantry from the Machinengewehr Bataillon 8.
Meanwhile, another German attack was materialising in the form of tanks from the 5th Panzer Regiment. Fortunately for the defenders, the panzers were unaware of a tank ditch at the point where they planned to attack.
Encountering the ditch, the panzers turned east, searching for a breach. They were subsequently engaged by allied tanks
(1RTR) and artillery and eventually turned tail, leaving the German infantry to fend for themselves.
During the night German pioneers attempted to penetrate the defences but were intercepted by a patrol from the Australian 2/13. The pioneers fled, leaving demolition equipment behind.
Jack Harris:-
On Friday 11 April 1941, Post R33 in Tobruk was occupied by 16 platoon commanded by Lieutenant Austin Mackell. Jack Gambling was the platoon sergeant. 1 Section was Sgt. Snell, 2 Section was Cpl. Cooper and 3 Section was Cpl. Jack Edmondson. There was also 6 section from 11 Platoon of B Company, Cpl. Athol Roberts was the section leader. There was a mortar platoon sergeant, Sgt. Lance O'Dea and a stretcher bearer, and we also had Lt. Vincent.
There had been an exchange of rifle fire between one section and some of the Germans further out during Friday morning, and at about 3pm on the Friday afternoon, it was seen that tanks were assembling further out, and Austin Mackell thought there may be an attack imminent. He sent 2 Section out to lay on the ground between post R33 and post R35. At about 3.30pm, a few tanks came up to the wire, they were obviously searching out the strength of the post, and between R33 and R35 was the most shallow part of the tank ditch, that had not been completed by the Italians earlier. 2 Section, commanded by Cpl. Tom Cooper was lying on the ground with the idea that if any Germans got through the wire, they would be able to clean them up.
Private Arthur Beezley was number two on the Bren gun, and he reached up to put a magazine on the Bren gun anticipating that he would be firing shortly, and a German gunner in the tank opened up. A bullet penetrated his head, below the eye but he was still conscious, and he called out to Tom Cooper the Cpl. to help him. Tom put him on his shoulder and raced him back to the rear. Then a couple of our tanks arrived from behind and the German tanks backed off. Austin Mackell then signalled 2 Section to come back in. That was the end of that operation. Arthur Beezley died later of wounds.
On the Friday night, there were sounds of digging in the main tank ditch. I think that Doug Foster and Jack Edmondson may have been in the listening post in front of post R33, and Austin Mackell decided to send a small patrol to investigate. It was led by Lance Cpl. Dunbar, with John Hedges, and Jack Harris as a drag man. As Alf Dunbar moved along the anti-tank ditch, he was unable to see or hear any digging so we went back and reported this.
