Editing Operation Compass (section)

===Exploitation===

[[File:MatildaII.jpg|thumb|left|{{centre|Matilda tank with crew displaying a captured Italian flag}}]]
Over the next few days the [[4th Mechanized Brigade (United Kingdom)|4th Armoured Brigade]], on top of the escarpment and the [[7th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)|7th Armoured Brigade]] on the coast, attempted a pursuit but supply problems and the large number of prisoners (twenty times the number planned for) impeded the advance. Italian forces crowded along the coast road and retreating from Sidi Barrani and Buq Buq, were bombarded by ''Terror'' and the two gunboats, which fired on the Sollum area all day and most of the night of 11 December. Late on 12 December, the only Italian positions left in Egypt were the approaches to Sollum and the area of Sidi Omar.{{sfn|Playfair|1957|pp=271–273}}

The Italians had lost {{nowrap|38,289 Italian}} and Libyan casualties, most taken prisoner, {{nowrap|73 tanks}} and {{nowrap|237 guns,}} against {{nowrap|634 British}} casualties.{{sfn|Playfair|1957|pp=271–273}} The WDF paused to reorganise and then moved quickly west along the {{lang|it|Via della Vittoria}}, through [[Halfaya Pass]] and re-captured Fort Capuzzo in [[Libya]].{{sfn|Bierman|Smith|2002|p=46}} On 7 December, Wellington bombers from Malta and Blenheim bombers from Egypt carried out raids on the Italian air bases at [[Castel Benito]], [[Benina]] and [[El Adem]], the attack on Castel Benito being particularly successful, with hits on five hangars and strafing runs which hit many Italian aircraft; the attacks continued until the end of the year.{{sfn|Richards|1974|pp=270, 273}}