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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict = Battle of Sidon (1941)
|partof = the [[Syria-Lebanon Campaign]] of [[World War II]]
|image = File:AUS Sidon 1941.jpg
|image_size = 250px
| caption = Australian troops among the ruins of the [[Sidon Sea Castle|old Crusader castle]] at [[Sidon]], Lebanon, July 1941
|date = 13–15 June 1941
|place = [[Sidon]], [[Greater Lebanon|French Lebanon]]
|coordinates = {{coord|33|33|38|N|35|23|53|E|region:LB|display=inline,title}}
|result = Australian victory
|combatant1 = {{flag|Australia}}
|combatant2 = {{flag|Vichy France}}
|commander1 = [[Jack Stevens]]
|commander2 = [[Henri Dentz]]
|strength1 =
|strength2 =
|casualties1 =
|casualties2 =
}}

{{Campaignbox Syria-Lebanon}}

The '''Battle of Sidon''' (13–15 June 1941) was part of the [[7th Division (Australia)|Australian 7th Division]]'s advance on [[Beirut]], which took place during the five-week-long [[Syria-Lebanon campaign]] fought between the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] and [[Vichy French]] forces in [[Syria]] and [[Lebanon]].

[[Sidon]], a town of about 12,000 people at the time with a number of historic mosques and castles dating back to the [[Crusades]],{{sfn|Long|1953|p=379}} was positioned on the coast to the north of [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyre]], about halfway between the Lebanese border with [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] and [[Beirut]].{{sfn|Dennis et al|1995|p=578}} The fighting came several days after the Allied forces from the Australian [[21st Brigade (Australia)|21st Brigade]], under Brigadier [[Jack Stevens]], crossed the [[Battle of the Litani River|Litani River]] as part of Operation Exporter. After preliminary moves by the [[2/27th Battalion (Australia)|2/27th Infantry Battalion]] around Adloun, the [[2/14th Battalion (Australia)|2/14th Infantry Battalion]] had carried the advance north along the coast towards Sidon. On 13 June, the [[2/16th Battalion (Australia)|2/16th Infantry Battalion]], with artillery and cavalry support, was assigned the task of capturing the town itself,{{sfn|Long|1953|p=380}} undertaking a daylight advance over {{convert|6.5|km|mi}} of open ground to reach the town, before exploiting a further {{convert|4.5|km|mi}} to the north.<ref name=AWM/> The presence of the historic buildings meant that the Australian artillery bombardment of the town was limited in an effort to prevent collateral damage, which slowed the Allied advance.<ref name=harriott/>

On the periphery, the 2/27th was also active around Miyeoumiye to the south-east during the fighting. The town fell on 15 June, after the Australians completed a long approach march and overcame a determined French counterattack the included tanks.{{sfn|Long|1953|pp=380–384}}<ref name=AWM>{{cite web |url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/E84349 |title=Capture of Sidon |publisher=Australian War Memorial |access-date=26 January 2022}}</ref> French aircraft were also active during the battle, attacking the [[2/4th Field Regiment (Australia)|2/4th Field Regiment]]'s positions and the headquarters of the 2/16th Infantry Battalion.<ref name=AWM/>

The day after Sidon fell, further actions were fought to the east between Algerian [[Tirailleur]]s and the Australians around the high ground at Meidelyoum and Jabal Aababy, as the Australians cut the road between Sidon and [[Battle of Jezzine (1941)|Jezzine]],<ref name=harriott>{{cite news |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/41934739 |author=Harriott, G. E. W. |title=Australians' Hard Fighting in Battle of Sidon |date=17 June 1941 |newspaper=The Courier Mail (Brisbane, Queensland: 1933–1954) |publisher=National Library of Australia (Trove) |access-date=4 February 2022}}</ref> which had been captured on 13 June by troops from the Australian [[25th Brigade (Australia)|25th Brigade]].{{sfn|Dennis et al|1995|p=578}}

The next stage of the fighting saw the Australians advance towards [[Battle of Damour|Damour]], which fell in early July.{{sfn|Dennis et al|1995|p=578}} Following the war, a [[battle honour]] was awarded to the 2/16th and 2/27th Infantry Battalions, the [[2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)|2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion]], and the [[2/6th Cavalry Commando Regiment (Australia)|6th]] and [[2/9th Cavalry Commando Regiment (Australia)|9th Divisional Cavalry Regiments]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.army.gov.au/ahu/docs/BattleHonours_WWII_Syria.pdf |title=Battle Honours of the Australian Army: World War II – Syria |access-date=30 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110603162103/http://www.army.gov.au///AHU/docs/BattleHonours_WWII_Syria.pdf |publisher=Army History Unit |archive-date=3 June 2022}}</ref>

==References==
'''Citations'''
{{Reflist}}

'''Bibliography'''
*{{cite book |last1=Dennis |first1=Peter |last2=Grey |first2=Jeffrey |authorlink2=Jeffrey Grey |last3=Morris |first3=Ewan |last4=Prior |first4=Robin |year=1995 |title=The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Melbourne |isbn=0-19-553227-9|ref=CITEREFDennis_et_al1995 }}
* {{cite book |last=Long |first=Gavin |author-link=Gavin Long |series=[[Australia in the War of 1939–1945]] |volume=II |title=Greece, Crete and Syria |publisher=[[Australian War Memorial]] |location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |year=1953 |edition=1st |url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070201/ |oclc=3134080}}

[[Category:Conflicts in 1941|Sidon]]
[[Category:1941 in Lebanon]]
[[Category:Military battles of Vichy France|Sidon]]
[[Category:Syria–Lebanon campaign|Sidon]]
[[Category:Battles of World War II involving Australia|Sidon]]
[[Category:Australia–France relations]]
[[Category:June 1941 events]]

Battle of Sidon (1941) - Revision history

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