Obituaries

LORENDA LYNCH BIRCH Ocean City

Lorenda Lynch Birch, age 89, died Wednesday, June 29, 2022, at her home in Ocean City.

Born in Selbyville, Delaware, she was the daughter of the late Chester and Olive Hudson Lynch.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Milton “Buddy” Birch, in 1980 and by her beloved companion, Curtis Birch, in 2008.

She is survived by her daughters, Nicole Desiree Birch Duleau of Arizona and Chantal Birch and Jonathan Ashton of Berlin. There are five grandchildren, Chloe French, Easton Wilkins, Alexis Wilkins, Danielle Kennell and Austin Birch; and four greatgrandchildren, Ava Kennell, Chase Kennell, Autumn Hicken and Francis Wilkins; and several nieces and nephews. Also surviving is a sister-inlaw, Jackie Lynch, of Selbyville.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Kenneth Lynch; and sister, Erma Torres.

She had been the owner and operator of the Rideau Motel in Ocean City.

She was a graduate of Selbyville High School, had been a member of The Atlantic United Methodist Church in Ocean City, Ocean City Chamber of Commerce, and the Worcester County Humane Society.

She was an artist who enjoyed painting in oils, loved music, cats, and Turkey Hill mint chocolate chip ice cream. She also loved to travel across America and internationally with her beloved companion, Curtis Birch.

A funeral service was held on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, at The Burbage Funeral Home in Berlin. Interment was in Evergreen Cemetery.

Donations may be sent to the Worcester County Humane Society, P.O. Box 48, Berlin, Maryland 21811.

Letters of condolence may be sent to the family via www.burbagefuneralhome.com. Arrangements are in the care of The Burbage Funeral Home.

Lorenda L. Birch

WORLD WAR II

Continued from Page 67 paired the damage.

Gen. Soldarelli’s Sabratha Division regrouped and counterattacked on July 14, knocking the Aussies back a bit. That was followed, three days later by elements of Gen. Masina’s Trento Division, taking 200 Australian prisoners.

To the south, Eighth Army was assaulting Axis positions on Ruweisat Ridge, located south of, and roughly parallel to, the Mediterranean Sea. The Ariete Armored Division, commanded by Francisco Arena, and by now down to 1,000 soldiers and less than eight tanks, was savaged by the 2nd New Zealand Division, still commanded by Bernard Freyberg, with a loss of over half its remaining soldiers. It was rescued by the Pavia and Brescia Infantry Divisions, commanded by Nazzareno Scattaglia and Giacomo Lombardi.

The Eighth Army began striking at the weaker Italian divisions. Brescia and Pavia were hit again on July 15, and Gen. Lombardi was severely wounded. A counterattack by 15th Panzer, commanded by Gustav von Värst, bagged 2,600 Kiwis, but Brescia and Pavia Infantry Divisions had suffered 2,000 captured.

Two days later it was the turn of Trento and Trieste Divisions, which landed 700 Italians in captivity. On the evening of July 21, the Indians and Kiwis attempted to take Ruweisat Ridge, but the Trieste and Brescia held, and on the next day, 21st Panzer, commanded by Georg von Bismarck, counterattacked, inflicting 1,000 casualties and accounting for 132 British tanks captured or destroyed.

By now, Panzerarmee Afrika was down to 38 German and 51 Italian tanks as opposed to 173 in Eighth Army’s1st Armored Division, alone.

On July 23, Eighth Army launched an assault in the south, which was turned back with a loss of 146 tanks and 1,400 men. Three days later, “The Auk” launched another poorly organized assault which resulted in 1,000 Aussie casualties at the hands of Gen. Masina’s Trento Division.

Slowly, Axis supplies and reinforcements arrived. The 164th Light Afrika Division, commanded by Josef Folttmann, arrived from Crete, together with the Italian Pistoia Infantry Division, commanded by Giuseppe Falugi.

And since the Axis had listened to Rommel’s “siren song” and canceled the attack on Malta, the airborne troops assigned that task were now free. The new field marshal received the crack Ramcke Parachute Brigade, commanded by Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke, and the tough, highly trained, Italian Folgore Parachute Division commanded by Enrico Fratinni.

Field Marshal Rommel ascribed Panzerarmee Afrika’s failure to the collapse of the power of resistance of many Italian formations.

“The duties of comradeship, for me particularly as their commanderin-chief, compel me to say unequivocally, that the defeats that the Italian formations suffered at El Alamein in early July, were not the fault of the Italian soldier. The Italian was willing, unselfish and a good soldier, and, considering the conditions under which he served, had always given better than average.

“There is no doubt that the achievement of every Italian unit, especially of the motorized forces, far surpassed anything that the Italian Army had done for a hundred years. Many Italian generals and officers won our admiration, both as men and as soldiers.

“The cause of the Italian defeat had its roots in the whole Italian Military State and system, in their poor armament and in the general lack of interest in the war by many Italians, both officers and statesmen. This Italian failure frequently prevented the realization of my plans.”

The toll for the month of July, for each side, was 13,000 casualties.

Next week: Death Match

Mr. Wimbrow writes from Ocean City, 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@gmail.com