Editing Baggush Box (section)

==Prelude==
On 28 June, [[Marshal of the Air Force]] ({{lang|it|Maresciallo dell'Aria}}) [[Italo Balbo]], [[Governor-General]] of [[Italian Libya|Libya]] and [[Commander-in-Chief]] of [[Italian North Africa]] ({{lang|it|Africa Settentrionale Italiana}} ASI), flew a reconnaissance sortie over Sidi Barrani and Maaten Baggush. Balbo's aircraft was shot down by the cruiser [[Italian cruiser San Giorgio|''San Giorgio'']] in Tobruk harbour and the occupants killed while coming in to land; Balbo was replaced by Marshal [[Rodolfo Graziani]].{{sfn|Pitt|2001|p=28}}

On 26 November, O'Connor held a meeting at the Baggush Box after the completion of "Training Exercise No. 1", a rehearsal for [[Operation Compass]], in which attacks on fortified positions had been practised, the troops not being told that the positions were replicas of the Italian camps at Nibeiwa and the Tummars. The officers with O'Connor reported that the method laid down in ''The Division in Attack'' was too slow and sacrificed surprise, leaving the attackers vulnerable to air attack. The [[Air officer commanding|Air Officer Commanding in Chief]], Air Marshal [[Arthur Longmore]], was being pressured from London to send formations to Greece and to provide air cover for Operation Compass, he stripped the air defences of Egypt of two squadrons and a flight, which he placed at O'Connor's disposal.{{sfn|Pitt|2001|pp=89–90}}

Before the offensive began O'Connor vacated the Baggush Box for a forward headquarters and Lieutenant-General [[Henry Maitland Wilson, 1st Baron Wilson|Henry Maitland Wilson]] the [[General Officer Commanding|General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]] of the [[British Troops in Egypt]] took over the headquarters.{{sfn|Pitt|2001|p=96}}