Part 2/13:
By December 1st, Freyberg’s battered division was desperate. They had fallen back to a position near Zaafran, with some units crossing the wire to Tobruk, others retreating westward. The division’s commander, Freyberg, lost confidence in both British tank support and the South African forces. Frustrated and feeling abandoned, he publicly stated his intention to withdraw to Norrie’s headquarters rather than stay to fight. Norrie, facing the grim facts of the situation—meager reinforcements and exhausted troops—could only reluctantly agree. This decision, controversial and seeming insubordinate, was justified by the dire conditions, with heavy losses and little hope of timely reinforcement.