August, 1941. Tobruk Libya.9th Division Bren Gunner opens fire at dusk.
With the glow of their illumination lighting their flight path these tracer bullets leave a visible sign of their passage at night as they rapidly pepper the German lines a mere 400 yards away.
This photo was taken during a fierce exchange of machine gun fire between the Aussies and the Germans on the Red Line. Twilight was a preferred time for attacks and counter-attacks as the dying light reduced the effectiveness of both machine guns and artillery. Tracer rounds assisted gunners in aiming their fire at night as they could see the path of their bullets. Problem is so could everyone else.
image 009492/14 Australian War Memorial.
No comments:
Post a Comment