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| Scrounging |
| BECAUSE of the universal supply problems in the desert, both Axis and Allied troops scrounged for equipment, weapons, ammunition and food. The Australian troops of the
9th Division, partly because they arrived severely unequipped, developed quite a reputation for scrounging and were regarded as the nearest thing to a plague of locusts. Discarded weapons, mostly Italian, were claimed and restored to working order to be used against their former owners. The Italian Breda machine-gun was particularly popular with the Australian troops. However, in at least one case, lack of tracer ammunition made accuracy questionable. Machine-guns were also reclaimed from crashed aircraft, particularly .303 Browning machine guns from crashed Hurricanes, and used for anti-aircraft or ground support [1]. No-man's-land was scoured for spare parts. Even enemy minefields were lifted and the mines resown elsewhere, usually to the former owner's detriment. |
TOBRUK LIBYA, 1941-06. A MACHINE GUN FROM A
JU87 SHOT DOWN BY ANTI AIRCRAFT FIRE IS NOW IN TOBRUK'S ANTI AIRCRAFT DEFENCES.
TOBRUK, LIBYA. 1941-09-06. A GUN CREW OF THE 3RD LIGHT ANTI-AIRCRAFT REGIMENT IN ACTION WITH THEIR ITALIAN BREDA MODEL 35 20MM CANNON. |
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