Nov I

A general reorganisation of the front line – 7th Armoured reorganised astroops sent to Greece. The Malta convoy of supplies and Cheshires getsthrough untouched by Italian pilots who fail to locate them. Blenheims andWellingtons attack Tobruk, but the build up in AA is effective. One wing ofBlen 1s are shot to pieces, scattering the desert sands outside the portwith wreckage. The other Blenheims and Wellingtons are returned to theirbases.

Over Malta, the SM 79s rain bombs on the island, but score no hits. AA fireis ineffective and weak. Reinforcements in the form of the 3rd ArmouredBattalion arrives at Tobruk.

Nov II

Newly arrived Australian brigades garrison the fleshpots of Cairo andAlexandria, drinking the city’s bars dry and complaining loudly about thepresence of New Zealanders in the area. Elsewhere little happens as theunits of the planned offensive wait to unleash death and destruction on theItalians.

The last sector of the Bardia-Sidi Barrani Motorway is completed. Theconstruction unit is barely finished when they are sent marching backtowards Bardia, away from the battlefield expected to soon develop.Supplies are moved back towards the border and in a cunning tacticalmanoeuvre, the entire 10th Army steps back 16 miles to throw any carefullyworked out British attack relying on use of full movement points intodisarray. This masterful movement is rewarded by a round of medals to thestaff of 10th Army.