Desert war : the Battle of Sidi Rezegh / Peter Cox ; series editor, Glyn Harper.

Collection type	Library
Author	Cox, Peter, 1975-, author.; Harper, Glyn, 1958-, editor.;
Call Number	940.5423092 C877d
Document type	Monograph
Year	2015.
Pagination	224 pages, 16 pages of unnumbered plates : illustrations, maps, portraits ; 24 cm.
Publisher	Exisle Publishing Limited (Australia),
Note	Formerly CIP. Includes bibliographical references and index. Sir Geoffrey Cox described Sidi Rezegh, fought during Operation Crusader in Libya over November and December 1941, as 'the forgotten battle of the Desert War'. The objective of Crusader was to retake Cyrenaica, the eastern region of Libya, and ultimatelydrive the Italians and Germans out of North Africa. The campaign also involved British and South African troops, and did achieve the badly needed relief of Tobruk. Despite the importance of this campaign in achieving British victory in North Africa, it ha s largely been neglected by historians, failing to receive as much attention as Crete, El Alamein or Cassino. Yet more New Zealand soldiers were killed or taken prisoner during Crusader than in any other campaign fought by 'the Div' during the war. Peter Cox, whose father fought at Sidi Rezegh, draws on his experience of twice visiting the battlefield to tell the story of this complex, costly campaign. He sets the scene for the fighting in Libya, describes the unforgiving and inhospitable desert landscape , follows the stages of the action itself and recounts the often moving and heroic stories of the those who fought there. Many never returned home. This is both an accessible account of a significant New Zealand contribution to World War II and a tribute to the thousands of men who took part in this punishing battle.
Place made	Woolombi, N.S.W. :

Abstract

Introduction: The Forgotten Desert Battle / Timeline ? ch: 1 The First Libyan Campaign -- ch 2: Tobruk -- ch 3: The Plan for Crusader --ch 4: The Great Approach March ? ch 5: The Battle of the Armour -- ch 6: Totensonntag: The Sunday of the Dead ? ch 7: T he Division Moves West ? ch 8: The Attacks on Sidi Rezegh and Belhamed ? ch 9: Rommel's Dash to the Frontier ? ch 10: Rommel Returns to Sidi Rezegh ? ch 11: Mounting Pressure on 4 and 6 Brigades ? ch 12: 4 and 6 Brigades Withdraw ? ch 13: Wrapping up the Campaign ? ch 14: Treating the Wounded ? ch 15: For You the War is Over ? ch 16: Counting the cost of Crusader ? Epilogue: Return to Sidi Rezegh.