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Action At Mechili
The action at Mechili was an engagement between units of the British 7th Armoured Division of the Western Desert Force and Italian forces of the 10th Army during Operation Compass. The Italian Army redeemed itself from the campaign's previous disastrous fiascoes. The previous British advantages in reconnaissance, maneuver, and artillery support were greatly reduced due to the British supply shortages in fuel and artillery ammunition, the battle field was now hilly and broken terrain, and they had not yet set up forward air fields. The Italian army positioned well, set up effective fields of fire, maneuvered well, had successful local counter-attacks, and inflicted casualties commensurate with what they received. They delayed the British for days, and retreated in good order with lively and effective rearguard actions. At the coast the British pursued West along the and inland pursued WSW to cut the Italian retreat at the Battle of Beda Fomm. Background After the fall of Ba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Operation Compass
Operation Compass (also ) was the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) during the Second World War. British metropolitan, Imperial and Commonwealth forces attacked the Italian and Libyan forces of the 10th Army (Marshal Rodolfo Graziani) in western Egypt and Cyrenaica, the eastern province of Libya, from December 1940 to February 1941. The Western Desert Force (WDF) (Lieutenant-General Richard O'Connor) with about advanced from Mersa Matruh in Egypt on a five-day raid against the Italian positions of the 10th Army, which had about in fortified posts around Sidi Barrani in Egypt and in Cyrenaica to the west. The WDF swiftly defeated the Italians in their fortified posts and at Sidi Barrani, forced the rest of the 10th Army out of Egypt and captured the ports along the Cyrenaican coast in Libya. The 10th Army was cut off as it retreated towards Tripolitania at the Battle of Beda Fomm, the remnants being pursued to El Agheil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika (, , after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between the 16th and 25th meridians east, including the Kufra District. The coastal region, also known as ''Pentapolis'' ("Five Cities") in antiquity, was part of the Roman province of Crete and Cyrenaica, later divided into ''Libya Pentapolis'' and ''Libya Sicca''. During the Islamic period, the area came to be known as ''Barqa'', after the city of Barca. Cyrenaica became an Italian colony in 1911. After the 1934 formation of Italian Libya, the Cyrenaica province was designated as one of the three primary provinces of the country. During World War II, it fell under British military and civil administration from 1943 until 1951, and finally in the Kingdom of Libya from 1951 until 1963. The region that used to be Cyrenaica officially until 1963 has formed several shabiyat, the administrative divisions of Libya, since 1995. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tankette
A tankette is a tracked armoured fighting vehicle that resembles a small tank, roughly the size of a car. It is mainly intended for light infantry support and scouting.T-27 Tankette (from the 'battlefield.ru' website, with further references cited. Accessed 2008-02-21.) Colloquially it may also simply mean a small tank. Several countries built tankettes between the 1920s and 1940s, and some saw limited combat in the early phases of . The vulnerability of their light armour, however, eventually led armies to abandon the concept with some exceptions such as the more modern German Wiesel (Weasel) series.
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L3/35
The L3/35, also known as the Carro Veloce CV-35, was an Italian tankette that saw combat before and during World War II. It was one of the smallest tanks that faced combat. Although designated a light tank by the Italian Army, its turretless configuration, weight and firepower make it closer to contemporary tankettes. It was the most numerous Italian armoured fighting vehicle and saw service almost everywhere the Italians fought in the Second World War but proved inadequate for modern warfare, having too thin armour and weak armament of only machine guns. It was cheaply produced but because of its light armaments and armour it was reserved to mostly colonial, policing, reconnaissance, and supply duties. However, given its low production costs, proved to be efficient in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, Spanish Civil War and the Greco-Italian War where it provided reliable support to Italian infantry and disrupted enemy lines. Development The L3/35 was developed from the Carden Lo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Medium Tank
A medium tank is a classification of tanks, particularly prevalent during World War II, which represented a compromise between the mobility oriented light tanks and the armour and armament oriented heavy tanks. A medium tank's classification is not actually based on weight, but on tactical usage and intended purpose; for instance the German Panzerkampfwagen V Panther medium tank has a mass similar to contemporary Allied heavy tanks. The most widely produced, cost effective and successful tanks of World War II (the German Panzer IV, the Soviet T-34, and the American M4 Sherman) were all medium tank designs. Many of the medium tank lines became what are called main battle tanks in most countries. History The first tanks to carry the name "Medium" appeared in the First World War with the British Medium Mark A Whippet. It was smaller, lighter and faster than the British heavy tanks of the time and only carried machine guns. The medium tank doctrine came into use in the interwa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
M13/40
The Carro Armato M13/40 was an Italian World War II tank designed to replace the M11/39 in the Royal Italian Army at the start of World War II. It was the primary tank used by the Italians throughout the war. The design was influenced by the British Vickers 6-Ton and was based on the modified chassis of the earlier M11/39. Production of the M11/39 was cut short in order to get the M13/40 into production. The name refers to "M" for ''Medio'' (medium) according to the Italian tank weight standards at the time, 13 tonnes was the scheduled weight and 1940 the initial year of production. Specifications The M13 was constructed of riveted steel plates as follows: 30 mm front (as the M11), 42 mm on turret front (30 mm for the M11), 25 mm on the sides (the M11 had only 15 mm), 6 mm bottom (making it very vulnerable to mines) and 15 mm on top. The crew of four were housed in a forward fighting compartment, with the engine at the rear and transmission at th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
10th Bersaglieri Regiment
The 10th Bersaglieri Regiment () is an inactive unit of the Italian Army last based in Palermo in Sicily. The regiment is part of the Italian Army's infantry corps' Bersaglieri speciality. The regiment was formed in 1871 by the Royal Italian Army with preexisting battalions. In 1914 the regiment was sent to Albania, where it remained for the duration of World War I. During World War II the regiment was sent to Libya in December 1940, where it fought in the Western Desert campaign. Soon after arriving in North Africa the regiment was overcome during Operation Compass. The regiment was reformed in Italy and sent in November 1942 to Tunisia, where it fought in the Tunisian campaign and was overcome in May 1943. In June 1943 the regiment was reformed once more and fought the following month against allied forces landing in Sicily. By the end of July, the regiment was overcome for a third time and disbanded. The regiment's anniversary falls, as for all Bersaglieri units, on 18 June 18 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Babini Group
The Babini Group (, also known as the Special Armoured Brigade/) was an armoured unit. The group was formed by the Italian Royal Army () in Italian North Africa (Libya) at the start of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The group was formed in Libya, to be part of an armoured division assembled from tanks in the colony and from units sent from Italy. The new division was incomplete when the British began Operation Compass in December but the Babini Group fought in defence of the area between Mechili and Derna in late January. On 23 January, the group managed to inflict tank losses during a counter-attack on the 11th Hussars and force a delay in the Australian advance on Derna. The group then formed a rearguard for the 10th Army as it retreated from Derna and Mechili round the Jebel Akhdar towards the port of Benghazi. The Babini Group was destroyed south of the port at the Battle of Beda Fomm when the () was cut by Combeforce. The Italians failed to c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Junction (road)
A junction is where two or more roads meet. History Roads are a means of transport, historically linking locations such as towns, fortification, forts and geographic features such as river ford (river), fords. Where roads met outside of an existing settlement, these junctions often led to a new settlement. Scotch Corner is an example of such a location. In the United Kingdom and other countries, the practice of giving names to junctions emerged, to help travellers find their way. Junctions often took the name of a prominent nearby business or a point of interest. As road networks and traffic flows increased in density, managing the flow of traffic through junctions became of increasing importance, to minimize delays and improve safety. The first innovation was to add traffic control devices, such as stop signs and traffic lights that regulated traffic flow. Next came lane controls that limited what each lane of traffic was allowed to do while crossing. Turns across oncoming tra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ascari Del Cielo
The ''Ascari del Cielo'' were the first paratroopers of the Italian Armed Forces. They all were born in Libya and with Arab-Berber ethnicity. They constituted the majority of the troops of the Battalion (later regiment) "Fanti dell'Aria", created in 1938, that fought in the Desert War during World War II. History In spring 1938 the royal colonial troops in Libya created two battalions of Ascari paratroopers, who, together with a battalion of Italian paratroopers, formed shortly after the 1st Paratroopers Regiment "Fanti dell'Aria". The word "ascari" indicated that they were colonial (and not Italian) troops. On March 22, 1938, the Paratroopers Battalion was formed. The battalion consisted of about 300 native Libyans and thirty Italian officers and NCOs. They were under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Goffredo Tonini and stationed at the airport of Castel Benito near Tripoli. After four weeks of training was launched simultaneously the entire battalion outside "Castel Benit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
60th Infantry Division "Sabratha"
The 60th Infantry Division "Sabratha" () was an infantry Division (military), division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Sabratha was raised in May 1937, in Gharyan in Italian Libya and named after the nearby ancient Roman Empire, Roman city of Sabratha. The division's regimental depots were in mainland Italy in Campania and shared with the 25th Infantry Division "Bologna", with both divisions recruiting their troops from and training them there. The division was destroyed on 25 July 1942 during the First Battle of El Alamein in Egypt and its remnants used to fill up the depleted ranks of the 102nd Motorized Division "Trento". The Sabratha was classified as an auto-transportable division, meaning it had some motorized transport, but not enough to move the entire division at once. History The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Verona" established on 2 June 1883 with the 85th and 86th infantry regiments. The brigade fought on the Italian front (World War ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fort Capuzzo
Fort Capuzzo () was a fort in the colony of Italian Libya, near the Libya–Egypt border, next to the Italian Frontier Wire. The () ran south from Bardia to Fort Capuzzo, inland, west of Sollum, then east across the Egyptian frontier to the port over the coastal escarpment. The fort was built during the Italian colonial repression of Senussi resistance in the Second Italo-Senussi War (1923–1931), as part of a barrier on the Libya–Egypt and Libya–Sudan borders. The Frontier Wire and a line of forts including Fort Capuzzo were used to stop the Senussi from moving freely across the border. The fort had four crenellated walls enclosing a yard. Living quarters had been built around the edges and provided the base for border guards and Italian army armoured car patrols. A track ran south from the fort, just west of the frontier wire and the border, to Sidi Omar, Fort Maddalena and Giarabub. The fort changed hands several times during the Western Desert campaign (1940–194 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
