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Operation Compass
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==Pursuit== ===Sollum, Halfaya and Fort Capuzzo=== {{Main|Fort Capuzzo}} [[File:Rolls-Royce Armoured Car Bardia 1940.jpg|thumb|left|{{centre|A 1924 [[Rolls-Royce Armoured Car]] with modified turret, in the [[Bardia]] area of the Western Desert, 1940.}}]] Exploitation continued by the two armoured brigades and the 7th Support Group, with the infantry of 16th Infantry Brigade (which had been detached from the 4th Indian Division) following up. By 15 December, Sollum and the Halfaya Pass had been captured and the British by-passed Italian garrisons further south in the desert. Fort Capuzzo, {{cvt|40|mi}} inland at the end of the frontier wire, was captured {{lang|fr|en passant}} by 7th Armoured Division in December 1940, as it advanced westwards to Bardia. The 7th Armoured Division concentrated south-west of Bardia, waiting for the arrival of 6th Australian Division. By this time the WDF had taken {{nowrap|38,300 prisoners}} and captured {{nowrap|237 guns}} and {{nowrap|73 tanks,}} while suffering casualties of {{nowrap|133 killed,}} {{nowrap|387 wounded}} and eight missing.{{sfn|Playfair|1957|p=273}} ===Bardia=== {{Main|Battle of Bardia}} The 6th Australian Division ([[Major General (Australia)|Major General]] [[Iven Mackay]]) attacked the Italian XXIII Corps (Lieutenant-General [{{lang|it|[[Generale di Corpo d'Armata]]}}] [[Annibale Bergonzoli]]) at Bardia from 3 to 5 January 1941, assisted by air support, naval gunfire and artillery. The [[16th Australian Infantry Brigade]] attacked at dawn from the west, where the defences were known to be weak. [[Sapper]]s blew gaps in the [[barbed wire]] with [[Bangalore torpedo]]es, then filled in and broke down the sides of the anti-tank ditch with [[Pickaxe|picks]] and [[shovel]]s. The Australian infantry and 23 [[Matilda II (tank)|Matilda II tanks]] of the 7th RTR, overran the Italian defences and took {{nowrap|8,000 prisoners.}} The [[17th Australian Infantry Brigade]] exploited the breach made in the perimeter and pressed south, as far as a secondary line of defences known as the Switch Line. On the second day, the 16th Australian Infantry Brigade captured Bardia, cutting the fortress in two. Thousands of prisoners were taken and the remnants of the Italian garrison held only the northern and southernmost parts of the fortress. On the third day, the [[19th Australian Infantry Brigade]] advanced south from Bardia, supported by artillery and the remaining six Matilda tanks. The 17th Australian Infantry Brigade attacked and the two brigades reduced the southern sector of the fortress. The Italian garrisons in the north surrendered to the 16th Australian Infantry Brigade and the 7th Support Group outside the fortress; about {{nowrap|25,000 prisoners}} were taken, along with {{nowrap|400 guns,}} {{nowrap|130 light}} and medium tanks and hundreds of motor vehicles.{{sfn|Playfair|1957|pp=282–287}} Italian casualties also included {{nowrap|1,703 killed}} and {{nowrap|3,740 men}} wounded.{{sfn|IOH|1979|p=374}} ===Capture of Tobruk=== {{Main|British capture of Tobruk}} On 6 January [[XIII Corps (United Kingdom)|XIII corps]] surrounded Tobruk, defended by [[XXII Army Corps (Italy)|XXII Corps]] ([[Enrico Pitassi Mannella|Enrico Mannella]]). After blockading the fort for a fortnight, on the night of 20/21 January, British ships led by ''Terror'' (Captain [[Hector Waller]]), bombarded Tobruk. Further out, destroyers set a trap for ''San Giorgio'' in case it tried to break out but the ship was kept in the port. On the morning of 21 January between {{nowrap|5:00 a.m.}} and {{nowrap|7:00 a.m.}} the British artillery bombarded the town. At {{nowrap|7:00 a.m.}} the [[2/3rd Battalion (Australia)|2/3rd Australian Battalion]] attacked, quickly created a breach in the Italian defences and by the evening had captured half of Tobruk, On 22 January the naval command surrendered and by {{nowrap|4.00 p.m.}} Generale {{ill|Vincenzo Della Mura|it}} the garrison commander had also surrendered after Mannella had been captured earlier in the day.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ww2 jan 1941 |url=http://ww2timelines.com/1941/january/01121941.htm}}</ref> === Derna–Mechili === {{Main|Babini Group|Action at Mechili, 24 January 1941}} [[File:Tobruk Agedabia road2.jpg|thumb|{{centre|Tobruk–Agedabia, 1940–1941}}]] The area east of the [[Jebel Akhdar (Libya)|Jebel Akhdar]] mountains was garrisoned by XX Corps (Lieutenant-General Annibale Bergonzoli) with the 60th Infantry Division "Sabratha" and the Babini Group, which had {{nowrap|120 tanks.}} The tank force included {{nowrap|82 new}} M.13/40 tanks, which needed ten days to be made battle-worthy but had been rushed forward anyway. The ''Sabratha'' Division held a line from Derna, along Wadi Derna to Mechili, with the Babini Group at Mechili, Giovanni Berta and Chaulan, guarding the flank and rear of the infantry.{{sfn|Macksey|1972|pp=121–123}}{{sfn|Playfair|1957|p=353}} On 23 January, the 10th Army commander, General [[Giuseppe Tellera]] ordered a counter-attack against the British, to avoid an envelopment of XX Corps from the south. Next day, the Babini Group, with ten to fifteen of the new M.13/40s, attacked the 7th Hussars as they headed west to cut the Derna–Mechili track north of Mechili. The British swiftly retired, calling for help from the 2nd RTR, which complacently ignored the signals. The British lost several tanks and knocked out two M.13s, until eventually, the 2nd RTR mobilised, caught the Italian tanks sky-lined on a ridge and knocked out seven M.13s, for the loss of a cruiser and six light tanks.{{sfn|Long|1952|p=242}}{{sfn|Macksey|1972|p=123}} To the north, the 2/11th Australian Battalion engaged the ''Sabratha'' Division and ''Bersaglieri'' companies of the Babini Group at Derna airfield, making slow progress against determined resistance. The 19th Australian Brigade began to arrive in the morning and Italian bombers and fighters attacked the Australians. The Italians swept the flat ground with field artillery and machine-guns, stopping the Australian advance {{cvt|3000|yd|mi+km}} short of the objective.{{sfn|Long|1952|pp=242–245}} On 26 January, the 2/4th Australian Battalion cut the Derna–Mechili road and a company crossed Wadi Derna during the night against bold Italian counter-attacks.{{sfn|Macksey|1972|pp=124–127}} The Italians disengaged on the night of {{nowrap|28/29 January,}} before the garrison was trapped and rearguards of the Babini Group cratered roads, planted mines and booby-traps and managed to conduct several skilful ambushes, which slowed the British pursuit.{{sfn|Long|1952|pp=250–253, 255–256}} Derna was occupied unopposed on 29 January and the Australians began a pursuit along the {{lang|it|Via Balbia}}, closing on Giovanni Berta during 31 January.{{sfn|Macksey|1972|pp=127–129}} ===Battle of Beda Fomm=== {{Main|Battle of Beda Fomm}} [[File:The British Army in North Africa 1940 E443.2.jpg|thumb|British [[Light Tank Mk VI|Light Tanks Mk VI]] on patrol, 2 August 1940]] In late January, the British learned that the Italians were retreating along the {{lang|it|Litoranea Balbo}} ({{lang|it|Via Balbia}}) from Benghazi. The 7th Armoured Division was dispatched to intercept the remnants of the 10th Army by moving through the desert, south of the [[Jebel Akhdar, Libya|Jebel Akhdar]] (Green Mountain) via [[Msus]] and [[Antelat]], as the 6th Australian Division pursued the Italians along the coast road, north of the jebel. The terrain slowed the British tanks and Combe Force (Lieutenant-Colonel [[John Frederick Boyce Combe|John Combe]]), a flying column of wheeled vehicles, was sent ahead across the chord of the jebel. Late on 5 February, Combe Force arrived at the {{lang|it|Via Balbia}} south of Benghazi and set up road blocks near Sidi Saleh, about {{cvt|32|km|order=flip}} north of Ajedabia and {{cvt|48|km|order=flip}} south-west of Antelat; the leading elements of the 10th Army arrived thirty minutes later. Next day, the Italians attacked to break through the roadblock and continued to attack into 7 February. With British reinforcements arriving and the Australians pressing down the road from Benghazi, the remnants of the 10th Army surrendered. From Benghazi to Agedabia, the British took {{nowrap|25,000 prisoners,}} captured {{nowrap|107 tanks}} and {{nowrap|93 guns.}}{{sfn|Playfair|1957|pp=351–362}}
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