Editing Operation Compass (section)

==Background==

===10th Army===

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-783-0107-27, Nordafrika, italienischer Panzer L3-33.jpg|thumb|{{centre|Italian [[L3/33]] tankettes in North Africa, April 1941.}}]]
When war was declared, the 5th Army (General [[Italo Gariboldi]]) was in [[Tripolitania]] the western Libyan province and the 10th Army (General [[Mario Berti]]) was in [[Cyrenaica]] to the east. Once the French in Tunisia no longer posed a threat to Tripolitania, units of the 5th Army were used to reinforce the 10th Army. When the Governor-General of Libya, [[Italo Balbo]], was killed by [[friendly fire]], Marshal [[Rodolfo Graziani]] took his place. Graziani expressed doubts about the ability of the large non-mechanised Italian force to defeat the British, who, though fewer in numbers, were motorised. After being reinforced from the 5th Army, the 10th Army controlled the equivalent of four corps with {{nowrap|150,000 infantry,}} {{nowrap|1,600 guns,}} {{nowrap|600 tankettes}} and tanks and {{nowrap|331 aircraft}}.{{sfn|Playfair|1957|p=266}} The XX Corps comprised the [[60th Infantry Division "Sabratha"]] and the XXI Corps was composed of the [[1st CC.NN. Division "23 Marzo"]], the [[2nd CC.NN. Division "28 Ottobre"]] and the [[63rd Infantry Division "Cirene"]]. XXII Corps had the [[61st Infantry Division "Sirte"]] and XXIII Corps had the [[4th CC.NN. Division "3 Gennaio"]] and the [[64th Infantry Division "Catanzaro"]].{{sfnm|1a1=Macksey|1y=1972|1pp=106, 121|2a1=Hunt|2y=1990|2p=51}}

The new Libyan Divisions Group ({{lang|it|Gruppo Divisioni Libiche}}) had the part-motorised and lightly armoured [[Maletti Group]] ([[General]] [[Pietro Maletti]]), the [[1st Libyan Division (Italy)|1st Libyan Division]] ([[Major-General]] [[Luigi Sibille]]) and the [[2nd Libyan Division (Italy)|2nd Libyan Division]] (Major-General [[Armando Pescatori]]).{{sfn|Hunt|1990|p=51}} The Maletti Group had been formed at Derna on 8 July 1940 comprising seven Libyan motorised infantry battalions, a company of [[Fiat M11/39]] tanks, a company of [[L3/33|L3/33 tankettes]], motorised artillery and supply units, as the main motorised unit of the 10th Army. On 29 August, as more tanks arrived from Italy, the (Libyan Tank Command [Colonel Valentini]) was formed with three groups: 1st Tank Group (Colonel Aresca) with the I Tank Battalion "M" and the XXI, LXI, and LXII Tank battalion "L", 2nd Tank Group (Colonel Antonio Trivioli), with the II Tank Battalion "M", less one company and the IX, XX, and LXI Tank Battalion "L"s and Maletti Group with one company from the LX Tank Battalion "L", one company from the II Tank Battalion "M", and three Libyan infantry battalions.{{sfn|Christie|1999|pp=32, 48}} {{lang|it|Raggruppamento Maletti}} became part of the {{lang|it|Regio Corpo Truppe Coloniali della Libia}} (Royal Corps of Libyan Colonial Troops), with the 1st Libyan Division and the 2nd Libyan Division.{{sfn|Walker|2003|p=61}}

===Western Desert Force===

[[File:Mk1CruiserTank.jpg|thumb|{{centre|[[Cruiser Mk I|Cruiser Tank Mk I (A9)]]}}]]
[[Middle East Command]] (General [[Archibald Wavell]]) had about {{nowrap|36,000 soldiers,}} some outside Egypt, {{nowrap|120 guns}} and {{nowrap|275 tanks}}. The RAF had {{nowrap|162 aircraft}} composed of two squadrons of [[Hawker Hurricanes|Hurricanes]], one of [[Gloster Gladiators]], three of [[Bristol Blenheim]]s, three of [[Vickers Wellington]]s and one of [[Bristol Bombay]]s, about {{nowrap|46 fighters}} and {{nowrap|116 bombers.}}{{sfn|Playfair|1957|p=262}} The [[Western Desert Force]] (WDF) was commanded by [[Lieutenant-General]] [[Richard O'Connor]] with the [[4th Indian Infantry Division]] (Major-General [[Noel Beresford-Peirse]]) and the 7th Armoured Division (Major-General Sir [[Michael O'Moore Creagh]]). From 14 December, troops of the [[6th Division (Australia)|6th Australian Infantry Division]] (Major-General [[Iven Giffard Mackay]]), replaced the 4th Indian Division, which was sent to East Africa, less one brigade. The British had some fast [[Cruiser Mk I]], [[Cruiser Mk II]] and [[Cruiser Mk III]] tanks with [[Ordnance QF 2-pounder]] guns, which were superior to Fiat M11/39 tanks. The British also had a battalion of [[Matilda II]] [[infantry tank]]s that while slow, were also equipped with the 2-pounder; the armour of the Matildas could not be penetrated by Italian [[anti-tank gun]]s or field guns.{{sfn|Pitt|2001|p=102}}

===Border skirmishes===
{{Main|Fort Capuzzo|Frontier Wire (Libya)}}

[[File:WesternDesertBattle Area1941 en.svg|thumb|{{centre|Area of operations December 1940 to February 1941 (enlargeable)}}]]
Italy declared war on Britain and [[French Third Republic|France]] on 10 June 1940. During the next few months there were raids and skirmishes between Italian forces in Libya and British and Commonwealth forces in Egypt. On 12 June 1940, the [[Mediterranean Fleet]] bombarded Tobruk. The force included the cruisers {{HMS|Liverpool|C11|6}} and {{HMS|Gloucester|62|6}} and exchanged fire with the Italian cruiser {{lang|it|[[Italian cruiser San Giorgio|San Giorgio]]}}. Royal Air Force Blenheim bombers from 45, 55 and 211 squadrons, hit {{lang|it|San Giorgio}} with one bomb.{{sfn|Playfair|1957|pp=112–113}} On 19 June, the British submarine {{HMS|Parthian|N75|6}} fired two torpedoes at {{lang|it|San Giorgio}} but missed. The gunners on {{lang|it|San Giorgio}} then supported the local land-based anti-aircraft units and claimed 47 British aircraft shot down or damaged. The naval gunners also shot down a [[Savoia-Marchetti SM.79]] aircraft and killed Italo Balbo, the Governor-General of Libya and Commander-in-chief of Italian forces in North Africa.{{sfn|Hunt|1990|p=21}}