Acroma (also Akramah and Ikrimah) is a town in northeastern
Libya
Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...
in
Butnan District
Butnan ( ') sometimes called ''Tubruq District'' or ''Tobruk District'' from the former name, occasionally ''Marmarica'', is an administrative district (shabiyah) in eastern Libya. Its capital city is Tobruk.
In the north, Butnan has a shoreli ...
, about 28 km west of
Tobruk
Tobruk ( ; ; ) is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District (formerly Tobruk District) and has a population of 120,000 (2011 est.)."Tobruk" (history), ''Encyclop� ...
.
On April 17, 1917, the
Treaty of Acroma
The ''modus vivendi'' of Acroma was a pair of agreements signed by the Sanūsī Order with Britain and Italy on 16 April 1917 at Acroma (ʿAkrama). E. E. Evans-Pritchard (1945), "The Sanusi of Cyrenaica", ''Africa'' 15(2): 61–79, esp. at 69.
...
, was signed by the Italian government (as occupying, colonial power) and
Mohammed Idris (head of
Senussi
The Senusiyya, Senussi or Sanusi () are a Muslim political-religious Sufi order and clan in Libya and surrounding regions founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Grand Sanussi ( ''as-Sanūssiyy al-Kabīr''), the Algerian Muhammad ibn Ali al-Sanusi.
...
). The pact was an ambiguous ceasefire recognizing a de facto authority for Idris in
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, als ...
, while not excluding the overall Italian territorial sovereignty.
World War II
During the
North African Campaign
The North African campaign of World War II took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943, fought between the Allies and the Axis Powers. It included campaigns in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts (Western Desert campaign, Desert Wa ...
of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the area was the scene of heavy fighting on several separate occasions. Acroma was captured from
Axis forces
The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies of World War II, Allies. Its principal members were Nazi Ge ...
on December 10, 1941, by the
Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade.
Later, an intersection of two
Bedouin
The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu ( ; , singular ) are pastorally nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia (Iraq). The Bedouin originated in the Sy ...
paths south of Acroma, assumed strategic importance, and became known by the
Allied codename
A code name, codename, call sign, or cryptonym is a code word or name used, sometimes clandestinely, to refer to another name, word, project, or person. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage. They may also be used in ...
''Knightsbridge''. The area was the focus of the
Battle of Knightsbridge, during June 1942.
Following the war's end,
Knightsbridge War Cemetery, containing Allied war dead, was built north of Acroma, near the main road linking Tobruk and Gazala.
Notes
External links
"Acroma, Libya. 1941-25. British Tanks of the 4th Brigade, 7th Armoured Division, Advancing Towards Enemy Positions in the Desert" photograph ''Australian War Memorial Collection'' #022438
Satellite map at Maplandia.com
{{Al Butnan
Populated places in Butnan District