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Bardia to Enfidaville

5 Infantry Brigade and the Takrouna Area

5 Infantry Brigade and the Takrouna Area

All three battalions of 5 Brigade experienced fairly heavy shelling, and realised how completely they were overlooked from Takrouna—which for the moment had just to be borne—and also from Djebel el Ktatiss (Point 121) to the west of it. This was not so difficult to deal with, and a platoon from 21 Battalion captured it after dark on 15 April, taking six prisoners from the Young Fascist Division. A bright spot on the same day was the capture of an enemy truck that drove along the road in front of 21 Battalion, evidently unaware of the presence of our troops. It was first stopped by machine-gun fire, and then driven into the battalion lines.

As detailed plans would rest largely on the outcome of patrol activities, this day was the first of several of active patrolling. The result of the first day's work was to suggest that the enemy held a defensive line along the front of Takrouna joining up with the defences of Enfidaville. This was of particular interest to 5 Brigade, for the brigadier had already been told that the capture of Takrouna would be the task of the brigade. Despite enemy shelling on 23 Battalion, Brigadier Kippenberger held a conference at battalion headquarters on 16 April to discuss the future, and one of the decisions was to continue active patrolling, as there was uncertainty still about the enemy's posts.

As part of the readjustment of the front, 28 Battalion handed over its eastern sector to 26 Battalion, and Point 105 passed to 4 Indian Division on the left. The result of these adjustments was to reduce the divisional frontage to about five miles.