Home > North African Campaign

The fighting in this region began with Italian attacks on British occupied areas. Following the terrible reverses suffered by the Italians, the German Afrika Korps came to their assistance. Following a back-and-forth control of Libya and parts of Egypt, British Commonwealth forces eventually pushed the Axis back to Tunisia. Anglo-American landings in North West Africa eventually pincered the Axis forces and drove them out.

During the period from 1940-1943 this was the only theatre in which the Western Allies were able to engage German and Italian ground forces.

1 East African Campaign

Main article East African Campaign

On August 4th, Italian forces stationed in Italian East Africa invaded British SomalilandThe British Somaliland Protectorate was a British protectorate in the north part of the Horn of Africa, later part of Somalia. Egypt dominated the area in the 1870s, but withdrew in 1884, upon which the British established a protectorate and garrisoned it, taking the capital BerberaBerbera is capital of Saaxil. Berbera is seaport in Somaliland, with the only sheltered harbour on the south side of the Gulf of Aden; population (2000) 300,000. It is in a strategic position on the oil route and has a deep-sea port, completed in 1969. on the 19th.

The success was short-lived however, as British forces counter-attacked from SudanAs distinct from the African region of the same name (usually shortened to the Sudan the Republic of the Sudan (or just Sudan is the largest country in Africa, situated in the northeast part of the continent. The capital is Khartoum. It borders Egypt to t in the north and KenyaKenya (pronounced KEN-ya; the pronunciation KEEN-ya is archaic) is a country of eastern Africa, bordering Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and the Indian Ocean. Nairobi is its capital and largest city. Republic of Kenya ( In Detail) (Full size) in the south. The attacks were of great success and resulted in total Italian defeat only 94 days after the initial invasion.

2 Western Desert Campaign

Main article Western Desert CampaignThe Western Desert Campaign was the primary early theatre of the North African Campaign of World War II. It is sometimes referred to as the Libya-Egypt Campaign''. On entering World War II the United States supplied a small USAAF contingent to support the

On September 13th, Italian forces stationed in Libya launched a small invasion into British held Egypt and set up defensive forts at Sidi BarraniSidi Barrani is a village in Egypt, ~95 km from the border with Libya, and ~240km from Tobruk. Sidi Barrani is often mentioned to denote the extent of the initial Italian invasion into Egypt, from Libya, and the Italian Tenth Army would build a series of.

Allied forces, though greatly outnumbered, launched the counter-attack Operation CompassOperation Compass was a World War II British military operation in the Western Desert Campaign. Italian troops had attacked from their colony of Libya into Egypt, which was under British protection, and occupied Sidi Barrani. On December 8 1940 British, a. It was more successful then planned and resulted in massive amounts of Italian prisoners and the advance of the Allied forces up to El Agheila . This stunning defeat of Italian forces did not go unnoticed and soon the Deutsches AfrikakorpsThe Deutsches Afrikakorps (often just Afrika Korps or DAK was the corps-level headquarters controlling the German Panzer divisions in Libya and Egypt's Western Desert during the North African Campaign of World War II. Since there was little turnover in th, commanded by Erwin Rommel were sent in to reinforce them.

Although ordered to simply hold the line, Rommel launched an offensive from El Agheila which, with the exception of Tobruk, managed to press the Allies beyond Salum , effectively putting both sides back at their approximate original positions.

During the following stalemate, the Allied forces reorganised as the British Eighth Army, which was, in fact, largely comprised of units from many countries, especially from the Australian Army and the Indian Army, but including divisions of South Africans and a brigade of Free French under Marie-Pierre Koenig . The new formation launched a new offensive and recaptured almost all of the territory recently aquired by Rommel, failing only to take the garrison forces at Bardia and Salum. Once again, the frontline was at El Agheila.

After receiving supplies from Tripoli, Rommel again attacked. Defeating the Allies at Gazala and capturing Tobruk, he drove them back to the border of Egypt where he was stopped by the First Battle of El Alamein.

At this point General Bernard Montgomery took over as commander of Allied forces in North Africa and, after victory in the battles of Alam Halfa and Second El Alamein, began to the push the Axis forces back, going as far as capturing Tripoli.