Obituaries

Continued from Page 60 detonated the mines and cleared a path for the infantry and armor. At 7 a.m., Gen. Enea Navarini’s XXI Corps of Sabratha and Trento infantry divisions, commanded by Mario Soldarelli and Carlo Gotti, attacked southwards from the coast.

Meanwhile, the Italian X Corps, commanded by Benvenuto Gioda, containing the Brescia and Pavia Infantry Divisions, commanded by Giacomo Lombardi and Arturo Torriano, attacked from the south.

At 9 a.m., a confident Rommel recorded an announcement for German radio: “Today my troops have crowned their efforts by the capture of Tobruk. The individual soldier may die, but the victory of our nation is assured.” The recording was taken to an airfield and flown straight to Berlin for broadcasting that same evening.

The 15th and 21st Panzerdivisiones, commanded by Eduard Crasemann and Georg von Bismarck. and the Ariete Division, now commanded by Giuseppe de Stefanis, swung around the city and attacked from the southeast. By midday, the 15th Panzerdivision had reached the Via Balbia, east of the city, and begun to shell the port.

Gen. von Bismarck, leading 21st Panzerdivision in his sidecar, began to attack the city at 5 p.m., and within an hour was in the city. The strong points of Forts Pilastrino and Solaro were captured at 7 p.m. Shortly before midnight, the harbor and pumping station were captured.

Gen. Klopper sent emissaries to negotiate the port’s surrender at 6 a.m. the next morning. They were mistakenly directed to Gen. Navarini, who then directed them to Gen. Rommel. At 9:40 a.m., Gen. Klopper surrendered the Port and 35,000 of its defenders (21,600 British, 8,900 white South Africans, 1,760 black South Africans and 2,500 Mahrattas and Ghurkas), 2,000 vehicles, 5,000 tons of food and 2,000 tons of fuel.

It, “...was the largest loss of arms in South African military history....” However, many more thousands of tons of fuel were destroyed before the Axis could prevent it, prompting a furious Rommel to threaten the Allied soldiers, “You’ll walk, walk, walk all the way to Tripoli for that!”

Panzerarmee Afrika’s losses were 3,360, of which 300 were officers. Rommel told the captured soldiers, “Gentlemen, you have fought like lions and been led by donkeys.”

After the surrender, the white South Africans asked to be separated from the black prisoners. Gen. Rommel denied the request, noting that, since they wore the same uniform and fought under the same flag, they would share the same facilities!

Since the Commonwealth emissaries had first gone to Gen. Navarini’s headquarters, Mussolini spun it that the surrender had been tendered to the Italian general. In response, Hitler, on June 22, bestowed the field marshal’s baton on Rommel (Rommel later told his wife, Lucy, “I would have preferred a division.”) his caused the Italian Duce “much pain,” since it emphasized, “...the German character of the battle,” according to his son-in-law, Italian Foreign Minister Count Galeazzo Ciano. In response, Mussolini named Gens. Ugo Cavallero, chief of Commando Supremo, and Ettore Bastico, governor-general of Libya, Marshals of Italy on July 1 and Aug. 12, 1942, respectively. Count Ciano, noted in his diary that this had, “...amused people in Bastico’s case and made them indignant in Cavallero’s.”

Following a meeting with Gen. Bastico and his chief-of-staff, Gen. Count Curio Barbasetti di Prun, on the afternoon of June 22, near Bardia, Germany’s newest, and youngest, field marshal ended by saying, “I now invite you for lunch in Cairo!” The next day, at 7:22 p.m., lead elements of Field Marshal Rommel’s Panzerarmee Afrika crossed into Egypt.

Next week: Thousand Plane Raid

Mr. Wimbrow writes from Ocean City, Maryland, where he practices law representing those persons accused of criminal and traffic offenses, and those persons who have suffered a personal injury through no fault of their own. He can be contacted at wimbrowlaw@beachin.net. ROGER SHELLEMAN Ocean City

It is with great sadness we announce the sudden passing of Roger L. Shelleman on May 27, 2022. This just days before his 81st birthday.

He was born in Hagerstown, Maryland on May 31, 1941. He was son to the late Roger D. Shelleman and Jane Elizabeth (Mary Jane) Bennett/Hersberger. Roger lived a full life. He was charming, witty and an exceptional salesman; he could sell ice to an Eskimo in the dead of winter! He wore Roger Shelleman varied hats down his career path. He served in the Korean War as an US Army paratrooper. He trained race horses, passing his love of horses on to his daughter and granddaughter.

As an owner of multiple businesses, he and his partners pioneered the importation of seasonal merchandise to the U.S. He was forward thinking and inspirational in the development of Christmas yard décor and lighted sculptures, which now embellish many homes during the holidays.

Time spent on the water was his true passion. His sons share his enthusiasm for boating and deep-sea fishing and will continue hoping for the “big catch.” While living in Annapolis and Severna Park, Maryland, he was a member of the Annapolis Yacht Club and Maryland Capital Yacht Club.

Roger leaves behind a daughter, Robin; son, Ed, and his wife, Jen, their daughters, Emily and Allie, son, Ross and his wife, Trisha, their daughter, Fiona; and his faithful sidekick, Dutch, who is now the “neighborhood” dog. He is preceded in death by his brother, Joseph D. Shelleman

His brilliant blue eyes and mischievous grin will be greatly missed, for they could light up a room.

With help from the Ocean City Reef Foundation, the family will be building a memorial fishing reef off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland. It will be named “Rambler” after his custom sport boat on which he fished from Maryland to Costa Rica and points in-between.

Expressions of sympathy may be made in his honor toward this endeavor and sent to: Ocean City Reef Foundation (www.ocreefs.org) in Memory of Roger Shelleman.

A private family “Celebration of Life” will be held in lieu of a service.