Mechili ( ar, المخيلي) is a small village in
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika ( ar, برقة, Barqah, grc-koi, Κυρηναϊκή ��παρχίαKurēnaïkḗ parkhíā}, after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between ...
,
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Su ...
and the site of a former Turkish fort. It is nearly east of
Benghazi
Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη ('' Berenice'') and '' Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Gha ...
and west of
Timimi.
Geography
Because of its location in the desert, Mechili suffered in the past from isolation. However, its isolation ended after paving the
Charruba–Timimi desert road between the years 1975–1985, and this road became the preferred route for travel between
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near t ...
to
Benghazi
Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη ('' Berenice'') and '' Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Gha ...
. The village sits at an elevation of 196 meters (643 feet).
World War II
*In January 1941, the British force named “Western Desert Force” under command of General
Richard O’Connor (after taking Tobruk on 22 January) executed a daring outflanking movement and took Mechili from Italian forces on 27 January.
*On 7 April the same year, the Italian armoured division
''Ariete'' captured the British garrison at Mechili
as a part of German Lieutenant General
Erwin Rommel’s first offensive through
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika ( ar, برقة, Barqah, grc-koi, Κυρηναϊκή ��παρχίαKurēnaïkḗ parkhíā}, after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between ...
with the goal of encircling the British forces, and this helped in capturing O’Connor near
Derna the same month.
*On 18 December 1941, British forces re-took Mechili as a part of
Operation Crusader
Operation Crusader (18 November – 30 December 1941) was a military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during the Second World War by the British Eighth Army (with Commonwealth, Indian and Allied contingents) against the Axis forces (Ge ...
.
*In early February 1942, Rommel’s forces again took Mechili as a part of his second offensive through Cyrenaica.
*In November 1942, the British forces occupied Mechili for the last time.
Citations
References
*Kenneth Macksey, "Beda Fomm : The Classic Victory",Ballantine Books, New York, 1971.
*Peter Young(ed.), "The History of World War II", vols. no.4 & 8, Orbis Publication,1984.
*Derek Jewell (ed.), “Alamein and the Desert War”, Times Newspapers, Sphere Books, 1967.
{{coord, 32, 10, N, 22, 17, E, display=title, region:LY_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki
Populated places in Derna District
Cyrenaica