Italian invasion of Egypt

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Italian Invasion of Egypt
Part of the World War II
Date September 13-September 16, 1940
Location Egypt
Result Italian victory
Belligerents
Flag of Italy Italy Flag of the United Kingdom British Empire
Commanders
Rodolfo Graziani General O'Connor
Strength
215,000 [1]
200 Tanks [2]
400 Guns[3]
190 Fighters[3]		 31,000 [4]
150 Tanks [3]
150 Guns [3]
48 Fighters [3]
Casualties and losses
120 Killed
410 Wounded [3]		 40 Killed [3]
v • d • e
Western Desert Campaign
Invasion of Egypt – Compass – Sonnenblume – Tobruk – Brevity – Skorpion – Battleaxe – Flipper – Crusader – Gazala – Bir Hakeim – Bir-el Harmat – 1st Alamein – Alam Halfa – Agreement – 2nd Alamein

The Italian Invasion of Egypt was a campaign in World War II in which Italy attempted to sieze the Suez Canal.

Contents

[edit] Prelude

Things did not go well for the Italians in North Africa almost from the start. Within a week of Italy's declaration of war on June 10, 1940, the British 11th Hussars had seized Fort Capuzzo in Libya. In an ambush east of Bardia, the British captured the Italian Tenth Army's Engineer-in-Chief, General Lastucci. On June 28, Marshal Italo Balbo, the Governor-General of Libya was killed by friendly fire while landing in Tobruk.

[edit] The Invasion

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Benito Mussolini ordered Balbo's replacement, Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, to launch an attack into Egypt immediately, on August 8. Graziani was the commander of the Italian Tenth Army in Libya. He complained to Mussolini that his forces were not properly equipped for such an operation. Graziani further complained that an attack into Egypt could not possibly succeed. Mussolini ordered Graziani to attack anyway.

At the time there were only 30,000 British or Egyption troops to defend against 250,000 Italian Invaders. On September 13, a large element of Graziani's Italian Tenth Army re-took Fort Capuzzo and crossed the border between Libya and Egypt.[5] Over the next four days, the Italian Army pushed into Egypt, as far as Sidi Barrani, which lies 60 miles into Egypt. During this time the Italians captured a number of British Airfields.[6]. After four days, Graziani halted the advance, citing supply problems. Despite Mussolini urging Graziani to continue the advance, the Italians dug in at Sidi Barrani and established several fortified camps. Graziani was now 80 miles west of the British defences at Mersa Matruh and he planned to return to the offensive after his troops had been resupplied.

The Italian invasion and British counter-attack.
The Italian invasion and British counter-attack.

[edit] Aftermath

On December 8, 1940, the British launched a counter attack called Operation Compass. The Italian army was driven out of Egypt and forced to retreat deep back into Libya.

[edit] References

  1. ^ World War Two: A Military History By Jeremy Black pg 57
  2. ^ The Italian Army 1940-45 (2): Africa 1940-43 By Philip S. Jowett, Stephen Andrew pg 9
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Operation Compass
  4. ^ World War Two: A Military History By Jeremy Black pg 57
  5. ^ Martin Gilbert, The Second World War, pg 125
  6. ^ The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean By G. A. Titterton, David Brown, Great Britain Admiralty pg xx