Fighting in the Mediterranean
and in North Africa
June 1940 – September 1941

Since the beginning of the 20th century, nothing has threatened the sea route from England to India and other English colonies. The British had a system of bases in the Mediterranean Sea, in Egypt and the Indian Ocean, guarding the shipping route to India and the oil-bearing areas of the Middle East (oil production developed in Iran and Iraq in the 1930s).

In 1935-36 Italy took over Ethiopia using its bases in Eritrea and Italian Somalia. Great Britain's sea routes came under attack from the Italian navy and air force over a considerable distance. Italy also had naval and air bases in Libya, in the south of the Apennine Peninsula, on the Dodecanese Islands, and since 1936, during civil war in Spain 1936-1939, on the Balearic Islands.

By 1940, armed conflict was brewing in Northeast Africa.

Strengths of the parties

British troops

By the summer of 1940, British troops were located over a large territory: 66 thousand in Egypt (of which 30 thousand were Egyptians); 2.5 thousand - in Aden; 1.5 thousand - in British Somalia; 27.5 thousand - in Kenya; a small amount is in Sudan. Only in Egypt did the British have tanks and anti-tank artillery. The British Air Force was significantly inferior to Italian aviation. In Egypt and Palestine the British had 168 aircraft, in Aden, Kenya and Sudan - 85 aircraft. The commander in chief of British forces in the Middle East was General Archibald Percival Wavell.

Italian troops

In the summer of 1940, there were two Italian armies in Libya: the 5th Army (commanded by General Italo Garibaldi; eight Italian divisions and one Libyan division) and the 10th Army (commanded by General Guidi; four Italian divisions, two of them Blackshirts) , and one Libyan), which was stationed in Eastern Cyrenaica. A total of 236 thousand people, 1800 guns and 315 aircraft. The commander-in-chief of this group was the Governor-General of Libya, Marshal Italo Balbo. Italian tanks and armored vehicles were inferior to similar British armored vehicles in armament, armor protection and speed.

Fighting in North Africa
from June to November 1940

On June 10, 1940, a month after the German offensive began in France, Italy declared war on Great Britain and France. On June 11, Italian aircraft carried out their first raid on the British naval base on the island of Malta.

After the surrender of France, the creation of the Vichy puppet government in the unoccupied part of it and the signing of an alliance with Germany, a real threat arose that the ships of the French fleet would be used by the fleets of Germany and Italy. Therefore, on July 3, 1940, the British attacked the French fleet, which was located in the Algerian port of Mers-El-Kebir and other ports (Operation Catapult). The British sank or captured almost all of France's warships.

In Northeast Africa, the commander-in-chief of the British forces, General Wavell, used counterattacks to harass the enemy. During the first three months of the war, the Italians lost 3.5 thousand people killed, wounded and captured in border skirmishes, the British lost only 150 soldiers. On June 28, the commander-in-chief of the Italian troops in Libya, Marshal Balbo, died: his plane was mistakenly shot down by Italian anti-aircraft gunners while landing in Tobruk. Marshal Rodolfo Graziani became the new commander-in-chief.

On September 13, 1940, the Italian 10th Army (commanded by Marshal Rodolfo) crossed the Libyan-Egyptian border and invaded Egyptian territory. British troops under the command of General O'Connor, together with parts of Australia, British India and the military contingents of the Free French, were significantly inferior to the Italian troops in manpower and equipment. The British had 36 thousand people, 275 tanks, 120 guns and 142 aircraft against the Italian 150 thousand soldiers and officers, 600 tanks, 1600 guns and 331 aircraft. The British did not offer serious resistance, limiting themselves to individual counterattacks by mobile units. They avoided open combat and retreated, trying to inflict as much damage as possible on the enemy with artillery fire.

After a short offensive that lasted only 4 days, Italian troops occupied Sidi Barrani on September 16 and completed their advance. They took up defensive positions and began to build fortified camps.

The British troops continued their retreat and stopped at Mersa Matruh. A no-man's land 30 kilometers wide formed between the warring parties, and the situation stabilized.

Italian troops suspended their offensive in anticipation of the outbreak of the Italo-Greek War, only to then resume it with the aim of capturing Alexandria and the Suez Canal. Marshal Graziani believed that the British leadership would be distracted by events in Greece, transfer most of its troops there and weaken its attention to Egypt, and this would allow Italian troops to seize the Suez Canal.

On October 28, 1940, Italy attacked Greece from Albania. The Greek army not only stopped the Italian offensive, but also launched a counteroffensive. The Greeks inflicted a crushing defeat on the Italians, drove them out of their territory and occupied Southern Albania.

The failure of the Italian offensive against Greece had a negative impact on Italy's position in North and East Africa and the situation in the Mediterranean.

On November 11, 1940, the British inflicted a significant defeat on the Italian fleet at naval base in Taranto. Most of the Italian battleships were damaged. From this time on, sea transport from Italy to Africa became difficult.

First British offensive - Libyan operation
(December 8, 1940 – February 9, 1941)

After the Italians captured Sidi Barrani, there was no active hostilities in North Africa for almost three months. Italian troops made no attempts to resume the offensive.

Meanwhile, British troops in Egypt were replenished by two divisions. Under these conditions, the English General Wavell decided to launch an offensive in order to secure the Suez Canal, calling in his order this offensive “a raid by large forces with a limited purpose.” British troops were given the task of pushing Italian troops back beyond Egypt and, if successful, reaching Es-Sallum. No further advance of British troops was planned.

According to the British offensive plan (Libyan offensive, code name - “Compass”), it was planned to deliver a cutting blow between the most distant Italian camps in Nibeiva and Bir Sofari, and then turn north to the rear of the main group of Italian troops.

On the night of December 7-8, 1940, the British made a forced march from Mersa Matruh 45 km to the west, approaching the Italian positions. Remaining undetected, the leading British units rested all day on December 8, and turned around to attack on the night of December 9.

Early on the morning of 9 December, British troops attacked the Italian camp at Nibeiwa. At the same time, the British fleet began shelling Sidi Barrani, Maktila and the road along the coast, and aircraft bombed Italian airfields. Small British units, supported by 72 guns, attacked the Italian camp at Nibeiva from the front, thereby diverting the attention of the Italians. The main body of the British 7th Armored Division had meanwhile passed through the exposed area between Bir Safafi and Nibeiwa and attacked the Italian garrison at Nibeiwa from the rear. This attack took the Italians by surprise and panic arose.

After capturing the camp at Nibeiwe, British tanks turned north. They managed to capture 2 more Italian camps near Sidi Barrani. By the end of the day the British had captured most of the Italian positions. The morale of the Italian troops was broken. On December 16, the Italians left Es-Salloum, Halfaya, and the chain of forts they had built on the border of the Libyan plateau without a fight. However, British losses were insignificant.

The remnants of the 10th Italian Army retreated to the fortress of Bardia, which was surrounded and besieged by the British. The advance at Bardia stopped temporarily because the only infantry division was transferred to Sudan. When troops from Palestine arrived to replace her, the attacks continued.

Operation Compass, beginning of the offensive against Bardia

Source: bg.wikipedia (Bulgarian)

Operation Compass, completion of the offensive against Bardia

On January 3, 1941, the assault on Bardiya began. On January 6, the Bardia garrison capitulated. On January 21, the British began their assault on Tobruk.

Beginning of the assault on Tobruk, January 21, 1941

Assault on Tobruk, second half of January 21, 1941

Capture of Tobruk, January 22, 1941

On January 22, 1941, Tobruk was captured. Here the offensive stopped again. At this time, the issue of landing English troops in Greece, which was at war with Italy, was being decided. However, the Greek government considered the landing of British troops in Greece undesirable due to fears of possible German intervention in the Italo-Greek War. Thus, the British offensive in Libya continued.

The British received information that Italian troops were preparing to leave Benghazi and retreat to El Agheila. On February 4, 1941, a British group under the command of General O'Connor made a rush to Benghazi to prevent the Italians from withdrawing. On February 5, British tanks and armored vehicles, having defeated several retreating Italian columns, took up positions at Beda Fomma, on the retreat route of the main enemy forces.

Since February 6, as a result of the ensuing tank battles with the retreating Italian troops, the British managed to destroy and damage up to 100 Italian tanks. After this, the Italian infantry began to surrender. About 20 thousand people were captured, 120 tanks and more than 200 guns were captured.

Italian troops in Libya were defeated, the way to Tripoli was opened, but the British government again demanded to stop the offensive. By this time, the Greek army had defeated the Italian troops, and the new Greek prime minister agreed to the landing of British troops. The British government wanted to create a springboard in Greece for the subsequent seizure of the entire Balkan Peninsula. However, as the previous Greek government had foreseen, the British landing in Greece was followed by a German invasion of the Balkans.

On February 10, 1941, British troops stopped their advance at El Agheila, occupying all of Cyrenaica. They then began transferring a significant portion of their troops to Greece.

As a result, the danger of complete ousting from North Africa passed for Italy. But she lost all her colonies in East Africa.

During Libyan operation From December 1940 to February 1941, Great Britain and its allies lost 500 people killed, 1,373 wounded, 55 missing, and 15 aircraft. The Italians lost 3 thousand killed; 115 thousand people were captured; 400 tanks, of which 120 were captured; 1292 guns, of which 200 were captured; 1249 aircraft.

Rommel's first offensive (March–April 1941)

The plight of the Italians in North Africa forced them to ask Germany for help. Germany wanted to take advantage of the deterioration of the Italian position in Libya in order, by providing military assistance to Italy, to create its own strategic bridgehead in North Africa, which was necessary to capture Egypt and the Suez Canal, and subsequently all of Africa. In addition, the capture of Suez provided an opportunity to develop success in the direction of the Middle East. A German corps was transferred to Libya during February 1941.

In mid-February 1941, the disorderly retreat of Italian troops was stopped, and the Italian-German joint force began to advance back to El Agheila. On February 22, they came into combat contact with British troops located in El Agheil and on the eastern border of the Sirte Desert. The British command initially did not pay much attention to the transfer of a large German military contingent to Libya.

According to German intelligence, the British had only two armored brigades of the 2nd Armored Division at El Ageila, which were scattered along a wide front in small groups, and the 9th Australian Division was stationed in the Benghazi area.

The German command considered the situation favorable, and on March 31, 1941, the German Afrika Korps, led by Rommel, went on the offensive, which was unexpected for the British. At the same time, one British armored brigade was completely destroyed.

On the night of April 4, German and Italian troops occupied Benghazi without a fight. Already on April 10, advanced German units approached Tobruk, and on April 11, Tobruk was surrounded. It was not possible to take Tobruk on the move, and the main forces of the Italian-German group were sent to Egypt. On April 12, they occupied Bardia, and on April 15, Sidi Omar, Es-Salloum, the Halfaya Pass and the Jarabub Oasis, driving British troops out of Libya. The British retreated to the Egyptian border, losing all their strongholds except the fortress of Tobruk. Further advance of the Italian-German troops was stopped.

The Afrika Korps offensive on Egypt until April 25, 1941.

German Pz.Kpfw III tanks crossing the desert, April 1941.

Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-783-0109-11, Nordafrika, Panzer III in Fahrt.jpg‎ Photo: Dörner.

L3/33 Carro Veloce 33 Tankette and a convoy in the desert,
Tank Corps "Africa", April 1941

Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-783-0107-27. Photo: Dorsen.

On April 6, 1941, troops from Germany, Italy, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria began invading Yugoslavia and Greece. On April 11, the Nazis declared independence in Croatia. Croats in en masse began to leave the ranks of the Yugoslav army, which undermined its combat effectiveness. On April 13, Belgrade was captured, and on April 18, Yugoslavia capitulated.

Before April 27, the Italo-German troops in Greece defeated Greek army and forced the British Expeditionary Force to evacuate. In total, about 70 thousand British, Australian and Greek soldiers and officers were evacuated to the island of Crete and Egypt.

From April 18 to May 30, 1941 British troops occupied Iraq. In June, British troops, supported by French units of the Fighting France movement, occupied Syria and Lebanon. In August-September 1941, Great Britain and the USSR occupied Iran, which then joined the Anti-Hitler coalition.

In June 1941 The British attempted to relieve Tobruk with large forces. However, their plans became known to the enemy. On June 15, 1941, British troops launched an offensive in the area of Es Salloum and Fort Ridotta Capuzzo. They were able to occupy several settlements. Using intelligence data, German tank units launched a counterattack on the night of June 18 and reoccupied Sidi Omar, where their advance was stopped.

To continue the offensive in North Africa, the Italian-German command did not have reserves, since the main German forces were concentrating for the invasion of the Soviet Union.

Summer 1941 The British fleet and air force, located in the Mediterranean Sea and using the island of Malta as their main base, seized supremacy at sea and in the air. In August 1941, the British sank 33%, and in November - over 70% of the cargo that was sent from Italy to North Africa.

Italian M13/40 tanks in the Libyan desert, 1941.

The North African Campaign, in which Allied and Axis forces launched a series of attacks and counter-offensives in the deserts of North Africa, lasted from 1940 to 1943. Libya had been an Italian colony for decades, and neighboring Egypt had been under British control since 1882. When Italy declared war on the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition in 1940, hostilities immediately began between the two states. In September 1940, Italy invaded Egypt, but in December of the same year a counter-offensive took place, as a result of which British and Indian troops captured about 130 thousand Italians. In response to the defeat, Hitler sent the newly formed Afrika Korps to the front under the command of General Erwin Rommel. Several protracted and fierce battles took place on the territory of Libya and Egypt. The turning point in the war was the Second Battle of El Alamein in late 1942, during which Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery's 8th Army defeated and drove the Nazi coalition forces from Egypt to Tunisia. In November 1942, as part of Operation Torch, Britain and the United States landed thousands of troops on the west coast of North Africa. As a result of the operation, by May 1943, the forces of the anti-Hitler coalition finally defeated the army of the Nazi bloc in Tunisia, putting an end to the War in North Africa. (45 photos) (See all parts of the series “Chronicles of the Second World War”)

British pilot with great experience flying in desert conditions, landing a Kittyhawk fighter from Sharknose Squadron during a sandstorm in the Libyan Desert, April 2, 1942. A mechanic who sits on the wing of an airplane gives the pilot directions. (AP Photo)

Australian troops advance on a German stronghold under cover of smoke in the Western Desert of northern Africa, November 27, 1942. (AP Photo)

German General Erwin Rommel rides at the head of the 15th Panzer Division between Tobruk and Sidi Omar, Libya, 1941. (NARA)

Australian soldiers march behind tanks during an offensive rehearsal in the sands of North Africa, January 3, 1941. Infantry accompanied the tanks as a precaution in case of an air raid. (AP Photo)

A German Junkers Ju-87 Stuka dive bomber attacks a British base near Tobruk, Libya, October 1941. (AP Photo)

An RAF pilot places a cross of debris at the grave of Italian pilots whose planes crashed during the Battle of the Western Desert at Mersa Matruh, October 31, 1940. (AP Photo)

The Bren Carrier armored personnel carrier was in service with the Australian Mounted Forces in North Africa, January 7, 1941. (AP Photo)

British tank crews laugh at comic strips in an Italian newspaper in the North African war zone, January 28, 1941. One of them holds a puppy found during the capture of Sidi Barrani, one of the first Italian strongholds to capitulate during the North African War. (AP Photo)

An Italian flying boat, attacked by Royal Air Force fighters, burns off the coast of Tripoli. The body of the Italian pilot floats in the water near the left wing. (AP Photo)

British sources claim that the photograph shows Italian soldiers killed by British artillery fire southwest of Ghazala during one of the Libyan battles in January 1942. (AP Photo)

One of the Italian prisoners of war captured in Libya and sent to London, wearing an Afrika Korps cap, 2 January 1942. (AP Photo)

British Bristol Blenheim bombers take off on a raid into Cyrenaica, Libya, accompanied by fighters, 26 February 1942. (AP Photo)

British intelligence officers monitor enemy movements in the Western Desert near the Egyptian-Libyan border in Egypt, February 1942. (AP Photo)

The RAF Libya squadron mascot, a monkey named Bass, plays with a Tomahawk fighter pilot in the Western Desert, February 15, 1942. (AP Photo)

This seaplane was in service with the Royal Air Force rescue service in the Middle East. He patrolled the lakes in the Nile Delta and assisted pilots who made emergency landings on the water. The photo was taken on March 11, 1942. (AP Photo)

A British soldier, wounded during a battle in Libya, lies on a cot in a field hospital tent, June 18, 1942. (AP Photo/Weston Haynes)

British General Bernard Montgomery, commander of the British 8th Army, observes the Battle of the Western Desert from the gun turret of an M3 Grant tank, Egypt, 1942. (AP Photo)

Anti-tank guns on wheels were highly mobile and could quickly move across the desert, inflicting unexpected blows on the enemy. Photo: A mobile anti-tank gun of the 8th Army fires in the desert in Libya, July 26, 1942. (AP Photo)

This image of an air raid on the Axis air base of Martuba, near the city of Derna in Libya, was taken from a South African aircraft taking part in the raid on July 6, 1942. The four pairs of white stripes at the bottom are dust kicked up by Nazi coalition planes that are trying to avoid bombing. (AP Photo)

During his stay in the Middle East, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited El Alamein, where he met with brigade and division commanders and inspected Australian and South American military personnel in the Western Desert, 19 August 1942. (AP Photo)

A low-altitude Royal Air Force aircraft escorts New Zealand vehicles en route to Egypt, August 3, 1942. (AP Photo)

British troops patrol the Western Desert in Egypt with an American M3 Stuart tank, September 1942. (AP Photo)

A guard guards a wounded German officer found in the Egyptian desert during the early days of the British offensive, November 13, 1942. (AP Photo)

Some of the 97 German prisoners of war captured by the British Army during the attack on Tel el-Eisa in Egypt, 1 September 1942. (AP Photo)

Allied convoy escorted by aircraft and by sea vessels, sailing towards French North Africa near Casablanca in French Morocco during Operation Torch, the major British-American invasion of North Africa, November 1942. (AP Photo)

American landing barges head towards the shores of Fedala in French Morocco during an amphibious operation in early November 1942. Fedala was located 25 km north of Casablanca, French Morocco. (AP Photo)

Anti-Hitler coalition forces land near Casablanca in French Morocco and follow the tracks left by the previous detachment, November 1942. (AP Photo)

American soldiers with bayonets escort representatives of the Italo-German Armistice Commission in Morocco to their assembly point for departure to Fedala, north of Casablanca, November 18, 1942. The members of the commission were unexpectedly attacked by American troops. (AP Photo)

French soldiers heading to the front lines in Tunisia shake hands with American soldiers at a train station in Oran, Algeria, North Africa, December 2. (AP Photo)

American army soldiers (in a jeep and with a submachine gun) guard the capsized ship "S. S. Partos, which was damaged when Allied troops landed in a North African port, 1942. (AP Photo)

A German soldier tried to hide in a bomb shelter during an attack by anti-Hitler coalition forces in the Libyan Desert, but did not have time, December 1, 1942. (AP Photo)

A US Navy dive bomber takes off from a road near Safi, French Morocco, December 11, 1942. (AP Photo)

B-17 Flying Fortress bombers drop fragmentation bombs on the strategic El Aouina airfield in Tunis, Tunisia, February 14, 1943. (AP Photo)

An American soldier with a submachine gun carefully approaches a German tank to stop the crew's attempts to escape after a battle with American and British anti-tank units in the town of Medjez al Bab, Tunisia, January 12, 1943. (AP Photo)

German prisoners of war captured during the attack of the anti-Hitler coalition forces on German-Italian positions in the city of Sened, Tunisia, February 27, 1943. A soldier without a cap is only 20 years old. (AP Photo)

Two thousand Italian prisoners of war march behind a Bren Carrier armored personnel carrier through the desert in Tunisia, March 1943. Italian soldiers were captured near Al Hamma as their German allies fled the city. (AP Photo)

Anti-aircraft fire forms a protective screen over Algeria in North Africa, April 13, 1943. Artillery fire was photographed during the defense of Algeria from Nazi aircraft. (AP Photo)

Italian machine gunners sit near a field gun among thickets of cacti in Tunisia, March 31, 1943. (AP Photo)

General Dwight D. Eisenhower (right), Supreme Allied Commander in North Africa, jokes with American soldiers as he inspects the battle front in Tunisia, March 18, 1943. (AP Photo)

A German soldier lies bayoneted and leans against a mortar in the city of Tunis, Tunisia, May 17, 1943. (AP Photo)

Joyful Tunisians greet the Allied troops who liberated the city. In the photo: a Tunisian woman hugs a British tankman, May 19, 1943. (AP Photo)

After the surrender of the Axis countries in Tunisia in May 1943, the Allied forces captured more than 275 thousand soldiers. The photo, taken from an airplane on June 11, 1943, shows thousands of German and Italian soldiers. (AP Photo)

Comedy actress Martha Ray entertains members of the US 12th Air Force on the outskirts of the Sahara Desert in North Africa, 1943. (AP Photo)

After the victory over the Axis countries in North Africa, the Allied forces began preparations for an attack on Italy from the territory of the liberated states. Photo: American transport plane flies over the pyramids at Giza near Cairo, Egypt, 1943. (AP Photo/U.S. Army)

Meanwhile, fighting was also unfolding in northern Africa. On June 12, 1940, the 11th Hussars of the British Army crossed the Egyptian border and rushed into Libya, crossing a “labyrinth” of barbed wire 650 km long. This meant the start of the war in North Africa. Already on June 16, the first battle between the opponents took place. An Italian motorized column, accompanied by 29 L3/33 tankettes, was attacked by British tanks and armored vehicles. On the British side, A9 cruiser tanks and Rolls-Royce armored cars took part in the clash. They were supported by 2-pounder anti-tank guns. The battle ended in complete defeat for the Italians. They lost 17 tankettes, more than a hundred soldiers were captured.

This caused the Italians to panic. The Governor of Libya, Marshal Balbo, wrote to the head of the Italian General Staff, Badoglio: the British division has 360 modern armored vehicles and tanks. We can only oppose them with rifles and machine guns. However, we do not intend to stop fighting, and we will work miracles. But if I were the British generals, I would already be in Tobruk.

Already on June 20, the governor sent a new message to the General Staff. “Our tanks are outdated. British machine guns easily penetrate their armor. We have practically no armored vehicles. Anti-tank weapons are also outdated, however, there is no ammunition for them. Thus, the fights turn into battles of the “meat versus iron” type., wrote Balbo.

However, at first the Italians still performed a “miracle”. 65-mm mountain guns were mounted on trucks, and 20-mm anti-aircraft guns were mounted on captured Morris armored cars. All this made it possible, to a certain extent, to resist British superiority in technology.

It is worth noting that at that time the Italians had 339 L3 tankettes, 8 old FIAT 3000 light tanks, and only 7 armored vehicles in Africa. The British had 134 Mk VI light tanks, 110 A9 and A10 Mk II (Cruiser) cruiser tanks, 38 armored cars, mainly Lanchesters, as well as ancient machine-gun Rolls-Royces and several Morrises transferred from territorial defense units.

On June 28, 1940, Balbo’s plane was shot down by “friendly fire” - that is, by its own anti-aircraft guns near Tobruk. The marshal died, and Marshal Graziani became governor of Tripolitania on July 1. He tasked his troops to reach and hold the Marsa Matruh line. However, at the same time Graziani began the reorganization of Italian troops in Africa.

On July 8, 1940, the first tanks of the 132nd Ariete Panzer Division “set foot” on the soil of North Africa. This was the avant-garde of the 32nd regiment - parts of the 1st and 2nd battalions of medium tanks M (M11/39). The battalions consisted of 600 soldiers and officers, 72 tanks, 56 cars, 37 motorcycles. By this time, Libya already had 324 L3/35 tankettes. These vehicles, as part of battalions, were assigned to several infantry divisions. Here is their list:

XX Battalion of Tankettes "Randaccio" under the command of Captain Russo, later becoming the LX Battalions - Infantry Division "Sabratha"
LXI tankette battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Sbrocchi - Infantry Division "Sirte"
LXII Wedge Battalion – Infantry Division “Marmarica”
LXIII Wedge Battalion – Infantry Division “Cirene”

The Libyan Division (“Libica”) also received a battalion of tankettes – IX – from the 4th Tank Regiment. It was this battalion that was defeated by the British on June 16, 1940, while escorting the column of Colonel Di Avanzo. The colonel himself died in that battle.

To create four battalions, wedges that were stored in Libya were used; their commanders had never served in tank forces.

Tankers on M11/39 from the 32nd Tank Regiment received their “baptism of fire” on August 5, 1940, in Sidi El Azeiz. Medium tanks performed well against light British Mk VI tanks armed only with machine guns.

On August 29, the Italian command in Libya decides to unite all tank forces in the colony into the Tank Command Libya (“Comando Carri Armati della Libia”). It was headed by General of Tank Forces Valentino BABINI.

The command included:

I tank group (I Raggruppamento carristi) under the command of Colonel Pietro Aresca - I battalion of medium tanks M11/39, XXI, LXII and LXIII tankette battalions L 3/35.
II Panzer Group (II Raggruppamento carristi) under the command of Colonel Antonio Trivioli.

A mixed tank battalion formed as part of a company of tanks M11/39, II, V, LX tank battalions L 3/35. By the way, the V “Venezian” battalion was not formed on the spot, but arrived by sea from Verzelli - it was part of the 3rd tank regiment.

It is worth noting that the new management structure of the "carristies" in Libya turned out to be cumbersome. It existed for a very short time and did not have time to demonstrate any noticeable positive qualities.

In September 1940, the most modern Italian tanks of that period, the medium M13/40, appeared in Libya. They were part of the 3rd Medium Tank Battalion. It consisted of 37 combat vehicles. The battalion was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Carlo GHIOLDI. In total, by the beginning of September 1940, the Italians had 8 tank battalions in northern Africa.

Then the tankers of the V battalion of M tanks also landed at the port of Benghazi. It also consisted of 37 M13/40s.

Both battalions were used "in parts" - several tanks each to support infantry units. And here big problems awaited them. M tanks were not vehicles ideally suited for operation in desert conditions; frequent breakdowns, coupled with a fairly limited repair base, limited their use. Their crews were also poorly trained. The officers did not know much of their battalions either. The situation was aggravated by the absence of radio stations in most tanks. Thus, the 2nd battalion of medium tanks M out of 37 vehicles had only three “radio” ones. Italian tank crews had to communicate using flags - the commands were simple “forward”, “backward”, “right”, “left”, “slow down”, “increase speed”. The lack of radio stations and receivers backfired on the Italians already in their first collision with the Matilda infantry tanks, which were invulnerable to the British. In poor visibility conditions, the Italian tank crews were unable to recognize the “flag” signal and came under fire from the British, losing several of their tanks.

In the late summer of 1940, Mussolini authorized an Italian offensive towards Egypt. The decision, as subsequent events showed, was wrong. The Italian army was not ready for any large-scale actions. On September 8, Italian units crossed the border of Libya and Egypt, having about 230 L3 tankettes and 70 M11/39 medium tanks. On the British side they were opposed by the 7th Armored Division. However, on the first line the British had only the 11th Hussars, armed with armored vehicles, and a squadron of the 1st Tank Regiment. Because the Italian units outnumbered them, the British withdrew to a distance of 50 miles. On September 17, the Italians occupied Sidi Barrani, but due to lack of resources, they stopped further advance.

The British took advantage of the respite. In less than a month, they received 152 tanks, including 50 Matilda II infantry tanks, invulnerable to Italian anti-tank guns, Bofors cannons and anti-aircraft guns, machine guns and ammunition. The British commander, General Earl Archibald Percival Wavell, planned to launch an offensive immediately, but at this time the Italians invaded Greece and part of the Empire's air force was sent to the Balkans. However, on the other hand, this allowed the British to get two months to prepare for the attack on the Italian forces.

On October 25, a special tank brigade (brigata corazzata speciale) was created in the Marsa Lucch zone. It was supposed to include 24 tanks of the 3rd Tank Battalion and the 4th Tank Regiment. The brigade was formed by order of Marshal of Italy Rodolfo GRAZIANI, commander of the troops in North Africa. The brigade commander was General of Tank Forces Valentino Babini. True, until December 22, his duties were performed by Brigadier General Alighiero Miele.

By early December 1940, the British had achieved superiority in armored vehicles; the 7th Armored Division had 495 armored vehicles. Among them: 195 Vickers Mk VI light tanks, 114 Vickers Medium and A9 (Cruiser Mk I) medium tanks, 114 Cruiser Mk III, IV and Crusader Mk I cruiser tanks, 64 infantry tanks Matilda II, 74 armored vehicles various types(Marmont Herrington, Daimler Dingo, Morris, Humber).

The Italians had 275 tanks in the Sidi Barrani area, including 220 L3 and 55 M11/39. In addition, in the rear, in Libya, there was the III battalion of medium tanks M13/40. These vehicles arrived in Africa in early November 1940. In total, there were 37 tanks in two companies.

The British Operation Compass began on the night of December 8–9 with an attack on the town of Nibeiva, where the forces of General Maletti’s combined group were located. On the British side, the attack included the 4th Indian Infantry Division and the 7th Royal Tank Regiment (7 RTR), armed with heavy infantry Matildas. To repel the attack, the Italians used a mixed tank battalion consisting of two L3 companies and one M11/39 company. It was these vehicles that had to confront British infantry tanks, which were much better armed and protected. The result of the collision was devastating for the Italians. Italian shells only “scratched” the armor of the British Matildas, while Italian tanks were easily destroyed by them. In two battles, the battalion was completely destroyed, and the group commander, General Maletti, was killed. The British and Indians captured 35 tanks as trophies. True, the British also suffered some losses. The crews of the 75-mm field guns did not penetrate the armor of the Matildas, but their trained crews achieved hits in the chassis and turret assembly. 22 British tanks were put out of action. However, all of them were restored by repair teams within a few days. Following Nibeiwa, the Western and Eastern Thummar camps fell under the attacks of the Matildas and Indian infantry. At the same time, the 7th Panzer Division reached the rear of the Italian camps and reached the coastal highway between Sidi Barrani and Boukbouk, cutting off enemy troops located to the east. Already on December 10, the British regained control of Sidi Barrani, and parts of the Italian 10th Corps retreated to the cities of Es Sollum and Sidi Omar. On December 16, Es-Salloum was captured. 38 thousand prisoners, 400 guns and about 50 tanks fell into the hands of the British.

At the same time, on December 11, 1940, a special tank brigade (brigata corazzata speciale), without completing training and formation, having only the LI battalion of tankettes and the III battalion of M tanks, arrived at the location of the 10th Italian Army. The lack of normal crew training leads to significant wear and tear on equipment even before it begins participating in hostilities.

On December 12, two companies of the III Battalion are sent to Sollum, and then to El Ghazala, to cover the rear of the Tobruk fortress. The 1st company (12 medium tanks M13/40) of the battalion under the command of Lieutenant Elio Castellano was placed at the disposal of the garrison of the Bardia fortress. At this time, the battalion officers send reports to the military authorities with complaints about their M tanks. bad job and rapid wear diesel engine, high-pressure fuel pumps, which then had to be changed in production to German Bosch ones, a shortage of spare parts, high fuel consumption - and the most interesting thing is that it was different for tanks that were in the same conditions.

The V "Venetian" battalion of tankettes is located in Derna at this time; it will become part of General Babini's brigade only on January 16, 1941.

“Racing” through the desert, even in the absence of active combat operations for the M tanks, resulted in the failure of many combat vehicles for technical reasons. The combat readiness of the battalions armed with them was sharply reduced. On December 19, 1940, the Italian General Staff decided to send to north Africa all the M13/40s that were available in Italy at that time in order to at least temporarily replace the tanks that were out of service.

For the attack on Bardia, the British used the 6th Australian Infantry Division, 7th Royal Tank Regiment (7 RTR), as a reserve - the forces of the 7th Armored Division. And again, Italian tanks, even armed with 47-mm cannons, showed their complete incompetence compared to the infantry Matildas. Already on January 5, 1941, the British established control over Bardia, capturing 32 thousand prisoners, 450 guns, 700 trucks and 127 tanks as trophies (including 12 M13/40 and 113 L3).

The next day the British reached the Tobruk area. There were armored units armed with approximately 25 L3 tankettes and 11 M11/39 medium tanks (all under repair, no combat-ready ones), as well as 60 M13/40 medium tanks (they were assembled throughout Libya). Another 5 M11/39 defended the airport at El Ghazal.

50 miles from Tobruk, at El Mechili, there was a tank brigade with 61 M13/40s and 24 L3s.

The British began their assault on Tobruk on 21 January. The main role in the battle was played by the Australian infantry and the British Matildas. However, Italian tanks were also used - M11/39 and M13/40, which had previously become a trophy of the British, then transferred to the Australians. 16 of these vehicles, with huge white kangaroo figurines for identification, took part in the destruction of the Italian defense. The offensive ended with the capture of the fortress. There, the winners again received solid trophies in the form of tanks - the capture of 23 medium M tanks and several wedges was reported to London.

On 23 January 1941, the Special Tank Brigade was stationed in the Scebib El Chezze area, south of the transport hub of El Mechili, where it was ordered to contain the British advance into the interior of Cyrenaica. On January 24, two battalions at once - III and V - entered into combat contact with the enemy and repulsed all his attacks. In these clashes, the Italians lost eight tanks, the British 10 (all Mk VI machine guns, seven destroyed, three knocked out).

On the same day with advanced detachments The British also fought with armored vehicles in the Bir Semander area.

However, even “local” successes were the last for the special tank brigade.

Fighting also took place at the Bardiya-El-Adem road junction. There the Italian positions were attacked by the 8th Infantry Battalion of the 19th Australian Brigade. Moreover, the Italians prudently dug their wedges into the sand. However, this did not stop the Australians. With the help of anti-tank rifles and bunches of grenades, they disabled 14 vehicles, the crews of another 8 surrendered. The Italians tried to recapture a strategically important road junction - the infantrymen of the 8th battalion were attacked by 9 medium tanks and hundreds of soldiers. And again, the Australians won - after they disabled several M tanks, 2 Matildas came to the rescue. With their support, Fort Pilestrino was captured. The Australians suffered 104 killed and wounded.

The last battle in this area took place at Beda Fomm on February 5 - 7, 1941. South of Benghazi, two British tank brigades met the Italian 2nd Special Tank Brigade, which had about 100 medium M13s.

Combat composition of the Special Tank Brigade (Brigata Corazzata Speciale (Beda Fomm, February 5, 1941)):

3rd Tank Battalion - 20 M13/40 tanks
5th Tank Battalion – 30 M13/40 tanks
6th Tank Battalion – 45 M13/40 tanks
12th Artillery Regiment - 100 mm howitzers and 75 mm field guns
battery of 105 mm guns
battery of 75 mm air defense guns
61st Tankette Battalion L3 (12 tankettes, 6 on the move)
1st platoon motorcycle battalion
4 armored vehicles

During the fighting on February 6, the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment destroyed 51 Italian M13/40 medium tanks, losing only 3 infantry Matildas. Other British units knocked out another 33 Italian tanks. “The duel was unequal and bloody in the highest degree,” reports the official history of the Italian tank forces. 50% of the personnel of the III and V battalions were included in the lists of killed and wounded. The rest surrendered on 7 February to a brigade of South African infantry. “If General Babini had two battalions of M13/40 tanks, the battle could have ended differently!”, notes historian Maurizio Parri.

However, the official history of the Italian tank forces turned the defeat of the Special Tank Brigade into an act of heroism and self-sacrifice - the tankers covered the retreat of infantry and artillery units at the expense of their lives.

On January 22, 1941, transport ships with equipment and soldiers of the VI and XXI battalions of M tanks arrived in the Libyan port of Benghazi. The latter received medium tanks already in Africa, leaving their tankettes in Tobruk. The VI battalion had 37 tanks, the XXI - 36.

On February 6, at the height of the battle for Beda Fomm, Babini's brigade still had 16 officers, 2,300 soldiers, 24 tanks in the V and 12 tanks in the III battalion. There were also 24 guns, 18 anti-tank guns, and 320 trucks. At this time, the tankers of the VI battalion also entered the battle - more precisely, while moving to the aid of the Special Tank Brigade, they were ambushed by the British. The battalion was literally shot by British “Cruisers” (cruising tank Cruiser, armed with a 40 mm gun). Only 4 M13/40s were saved. Thus, the battalion was defeated 14 days after arriving in Africa.

The XXI Battalion could not help the Babini brigade in any way - its tanks ended up in a minefield at Beda Fomm and were cut off by the British. The tankers, after occasional skirmishes and the loss of several tanks, surrendered to the enemy.

Thus, in just a few days of fighting, the 10th Army lost 101 medium tanks, 39 of which ended up intact in British hands. The last ones were mainly the vehicles of the XXI battalion.

As a result of fierce three-month battles, the Italians lost all their tanks destroyed or captured - almost 400 units. The Italians were also let down by the fact that they used their tanks scatteredly, often without the support of artillery and infantry - in encounters with the British they were easily destroyed by the enemy.

By February 12, 1941, the British stopped their advance at El Agheil, driving the Italians out of Kerenaica within four months. The Italians were saved by their ally, Germany. From that moment on, their tank forces played a mainly auxiliary role in the African company, although in some operations they showed high morale and dedication.

So, from February 1941, Italians in northern Africa fought side by side with German soldiers. The main violin in the battles in the desert was played by German tank troops. Having completed their concentration in Africa, the Germans organized a counter-offensive, and by April 11 they reached Bardiya, Es-Sollum and surrounded Tobruk. Here their progress stopped. At this time, the British received reinforcements from their homeland - a naval convoy delivered 82 cruiser, 135 infantry and 21 light tanks to Egypt. They went to rebuild the British 7th Armored Division ("Desert Rats"). This allowed the British to reorganize their forces and begin preparations for a counter-offensive.

It is worth noting that at the end of January 1941, the Ariete tank division arrived in Africa. The tank division was armed with modern M13/40 and M14/41 vehicles. In April, during a joint offensive with the German forces, its soldiers, as one of the German officers (Blumm) wrote, “showed enough courage in the fight against the British”, reaching Sollum and Bardia. The Italians acted in conjunction with the 5th Light Division of the Wehrmacht.

During the first assault on Tobruk, "Ariete" fought to capture height 209 - Medauar. It was supported by the 62nd Regiment of the 102nd Motorized Division and German tanks. The Italians failed to take the height, but the TD suffered heavy losses. Of its 100 tanks, only 10 remained on the move after two days of fighting.

On June 15, the British launched an offensive aimed at liberating Tobruk and capturing eastern Cyrenaica. However, the British forces failed to achieve decisive success. The Italian tank division "Ariete" at that time was in operational reserve - the Germans managed on their own. On June 22, the fighting subsided. They cost the British 960 killed, 91 tanks, 36 aircraft. German losses were smaller - 800 soldiers, 12 tanks and 10 aircraft.

In September 1941, the Ariete division received new tanks - M13/40, which replaced almost 70% of the L3 tankettes knocked out by the British.

A little later, new reinforcements arrive - a battalion of medium tanks, a battalion of tankettes and 2 companies of armored cars. But the battalion of French tanks originally promised by Commando Supremo, including two companies of very successful S-35 medium tanks, never arrived in Africa. The “Somas” were left to rot in Sardinia - the Germans chose not to sell batches of spare parts to repair the tanks to their ally, which, however, was completely justified - the Germans themselves did not have enough of them.

In early November, the British Operation Crusader begins. Now the goals were even more ambitious - not only the liberation of Tobruk, but also the seizure of the entire territory of Cyrenaica. The British had 118 thousand soldiers, 748 tanks - 213 Matildas and Valentines, 150 Cruiser Mk II and IV cruiser tanks, 220 Crusader cruiser tanks, 165 light American Stuart tanks.

The Italian-German forces opposed them with 70 Pz. Kpfw. II, 139 Pz. Kpfw. III, 35 Pz. Kpfw. IV, 5 captured Matildas, 146 Italian M13/40 tanks.

The offensive began on November 18, 1941 and continued until January 17, 1942. The British 8th Army suffered heavy losses, but the initial objectives of the operation were never achieved. Thus, Benghazi, captured on December 24, 1941, a month later again found itself under the control of Italian-German units.

British losses amounted to 17 thousand soldiers (the Germans and Italians lost much more - 38 thousand, but mainly due to captured Italians), 726 out of 748 tanks (Axis troops - 340 out of 395), 300 aircraft (330).

It is worth noting that during this period the Ariete tank division also played a significant role in repelling the British offensive. It was in these battles that the division earned fame in its homeland and the respect of its German comrades in arms. So, on November 19, the division's units entered into battle with the 22nd British Tank Brigade. One hundred M13 tanks meet 156 Mk IV cruiser tanks. As a result of the fierce battle, both sides suffer heavy losses. Thus, the Italians lost more than 200 people killed, 49 tanks, 4 field and 8 anti-tank guns destroyed and knocked out. British damage to armored vehicles was higher - 57 tanks. These were the highest losses suffered by Imperial tank formations in battles with the Italians since the beginning of the North African campaign.

In general, the battles were very bloody. In December 1941, after bloody battles, Ariete had only 30 medium tanks, 18 field guns, 10 anti-tank guns and 700 Bersaglieri.

On December 13, the armored division fought with the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade for control of the heights in the Alam Hamza area. The clashes over height 204 were especially fierce. The Indians, with the support of British tanks, managed to occupy the height. The Italian counterattack, which involved up to 12 M13/40 tanks, was unsuccessful. On December 14, the Indian positions were already attacked by 16 tanks, this time the newest ones - M14/41 - and again to no avail. The enemy used 25-pound guns against Italian tanks. The Germans came to the rescue - with their support the height was recaptured. It is worth noting that by January 1942, the Italians had only 79 combat-ready tanks left.

In January 1942, the Axis troops received reinforcements - the Germans had 55 tanks and 20 armored vehicles, the Italians had 24 assault guns and 8 of their command variants with 20-mm automatic guns. Some of the weapons are sent to the Marsa Berg area - Wadi Fareh. The Ariete tank division was stationed there. She receives two groups of quite successful Semovente assault guns with a 75 mm short-barreled cannon.

During the January Italian-German offensive, Italian tankers occupied Solukh and Benghazi. In March, the Ariete tank division fights in the Mechili-Derna gorge.

At the beginning of May, before the breakthrough of the Line and Gazala, all Italian units numbered 228 tanks in North Africa. From that time on, in the African theater of operations, the Italians used three regimental armored cavalry groups - Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato, each of them had 30 new L6/40 light tanks. We are talking about groups III/Lancieri di Novoro, III/Nizza, III/Lodi.

On May 26, the Ariete tank division attacked the Bir Hakeim area (translated from Arabic as “Dog Well”). This sector was defended by the 1st Free French Brigade. The Italians suffered serious losses - 32 tanks were out of action in one day. Despite this, no success was achieved.

On May 27, the Afrika Korps, acting in conjunction with the Italian TD Ariete, launched a successful offensive on the Ghazala line, which culminated in the capture of Tobruk on June 21. The Italians captured a number of sectors, the 31st sapper battalion of the division especially distinguished itself. On May 28, the British launched a counterattack - units of the 2nd Tank Brigade attacked the battalion. However, the British attack was repulsed - Ariete put up fierce resistance.

Already on June 3, the division was fighting with the 10th Indian Brigade on the Aslag ridge. The Indians were supported by the 22nd Armored Brigade, which consisted of 156 Grant, Stuart and Crusader tanks. "Ariete" was dropped from the heights, but retreated, maintaining battle formation towards the German positions. By June 11, about 60 tanks remained in the tank division. On the same day, success awaited the Italians. Tanks and armored vehicles of the motorized division "Trieste", with the support of tanks of the 21st German Panzer Division, attacked the squadron of the 4th Hussars of the British Army and completely destroyed it.

On June 12, Ariete, together with the German reconnaissance battalion, fought positional battles with the 7th British Brigade. The motorized division "Trieste" was located north of Tobruk. This division had a battalion of medium tanks M - 52 units.

On June 18, the Ariete, together with the Littorio tank division that had arrived in northern Africa the day before, were in positions around the cities of Sidi Rezeh and El Adem. If necessary, they were supposed to prevent an Allied attack from the south.

On the day Tobruk fell, June 21, the motorized Trieste and the Littorio armored divisions were still south of Tobruk, having sporadic encounters with defenders breaking out of the fortress.

However, all further attempts to dislodge the British from the occupied territories east of Tobruk were unsuccessful. In these battles, the commander of the Ariete division, General Baldassare, died - he was killed during the bombing.

It is worth noting that by the end of the battle on the Gazala line, only 12 tanks remained in the Ariete. In total, the 20th Motorized Corps (divisions “Ariete”, “Trieste”, “Littorio”) has 70 tanks.

Also during that period, separate units took part in battles in northern Africa. Among them is the mixed group “Cavallegeri di Lodi”. Its second squadron had 15 L6 tanks, and its sixth squadron had 15 Semovente 47/32 tanks. It also included a number of AB 41 armored vehicles. The Cavallegheri di Monferrato group also had the same armored vehicles - 42 units in total.

On November 3, 1942, the Italians fought against the British on heights 15 km southwest of Tel El Aqqaqir. In just half a day, the British dropped more than 90 tons of air bombs on enemy positions. From lunchtime the bombing of the withdrawing Axis units on the coastal highway began. In total, 400 tons of bombs were dropped. At this time, British infantry, supported by tanks, began an assault on the Italian-German positions. At that time, the most reliable division of the 20th Motorized Corps was the Ariete Division. Less combat-ready were Trieste and Littorio. The tanks were in the second line of defense. When the British reached it, the Italians met them with Zemovente and field artillery fire. Corps commander De Stefanis threw almost 100 tanks against the British Grants. However, the Lend-Lease vehicles easily dealt with the lightly armored medium tanks M. Already on November 4, the continuous front line was broken through by the British. The result of the battle for the Tel El-Akkakir heights was two hundred damaged and burned British, Italian and German tanks. The 20th Italian Corps was defeated.

By the end of the Battle of El Alamein, only 12 medium tanks, several artillery batteries and 600 Bersaglieri remained from the Ariete tank division. By November 21, 1942, its remnants were combined with the remnants of the Littorio division into the combat group of the 20th Corps (Gruppo di combattimento del XX corpo darmato). Another name is the Ariete tactical group. It consisted of a squadron of armored vehicles, two companies of Bersaglieri, two infantry battalions and 4 field guns. Individual units of the group will fight until the very end - the surrender of the Axis troops in May 1943 in Tunisia.

Meanwhile, on November 8, 1942, the British and American armies began landing in North Africa - Operation Torch. Over the course of five days, more than 70 thousand people and 450 tanks landed on the mainland. After a pause at the end of the Battle of El Alamein, for two months only local clashes took place between the opponents. In January, the British launched an offensive towards the Tarhuna-Homs line. However, after several days of fighting, the Germans and Italians successfully retreated to the Tunisian border, 160 km west of Tripoli. Then, the retreat was continued to the position of Maret - the capital of Tripolitania was now 290 km away. Thus, the Axis forces tried to shorten the front line, mobilizing the remaining resources to resist the superior Allied forces for as long as possible.

Finally, on February 14, 1943, the Wehrmacht's 21st Panzer Division, supported by the Italian Centauro Panzer Division (which arrived in Africa in August 1942 and numbered 57 tanks in January 1943), launched an offensive in the Kasserine Passage. On February 15, Centaro tanks entered Gafsa, which the Americans had abandoned in advance. The successful actions of the Germans and Italians led to the defeat of the 1st American Armored Division, which lost almost 300 tanks and other armored vehicles. True, there are only 23 combat-ready tanks left in Centuro.

On March 21, 1943, Centauro was east of El Guettara. The division consisted of 6 thousand soldiers and 15 tanks.

On April 10, Centauro tanks covered the retreat of the German-Italian Army in the Fonduc Pass. During the rearguard battles, the Italians lost 7 M13/40 medium tanks that were burned out.

By mid-April 1943, General Messe's Italian 1st Army was in the south of the Tunisian front. The most combat-ready in its composition was the 20th Motorized Corps, and in it, respectively, the “Young Fascists” and “Trieste” divisions. It was this army that was the last to surrender to the allies. Mussolini even managed to appreciate Messe's merits - the general became a marshal. However, already on May 13-14, the last units of the 1st Army laid down their arms.

According to the most conservative estimates, in 1940-1943, the Italian army lost more than 2,000 tanks and self-propelled guns in Africa.

Sending tanks from Italy to North Africa 1940-1942 (according to Arturo Lorioli).

Convoy/regiment	Number/type	date
1/32	35-37 M11/39	July 1940
2/32	35-37 M11/39	July 1940
3/4	37 M13/40	November 7, 1940
4/31 (hereinafter – 133)	59 M13/40, M14/41	Formed in Africa 25 August 1941
5/32	37 M13/40	January 11, 1941
6/33 (hereinafter – 32)	47 M13/40	January 1941
7/32 (hereinafter – 132)	50 M13/40	March 11, 1942
8/32 (hereinafter – 132)	67 M13/40	June 22, 1941
9/3 (hereinafter 132)	90 M13/40	October 1941
10/133 (hereinafter – 132)	52 М13/40, 38 М14/41	January 22, 1942
11/4 (hereinafter - 133, at that moment 101 MD "Trieste")	26 М13/40, 66 М14/41	30 April 1942 (formed from the remnants of the 8th battalion)
12/133	52 M14/41
	52 M14/41	The first batch was sunk along with the transport on January 23, 1942, the second arrived on May 24, 1942
13/31 (hereinafter – 133)	75 M14/41	Probably August 1942
14/31	60 M14/41	August 31, 1942
15/1 (hereinafter – 31)	40 M14/41 and several Sevmovente M41 (75/18)	December 15, 1942
16/32	Several "Semovente" (for a company of self-propelled guns)	Not installed
17/32	45 M14/41 and 1 Semovente	December 1942
21/4	36 M13/40	Formed in Africa from the crews of 21 tankette squadron groups in January 1941
51/31 (hereinafter – 133)	80 M14/41	Formed in Africa from the crews of the 2nd and 4th medium tank battalions on August 25, 1941
52/?	9 medium tanks	Entered an unidentified armored group on October 22, 1941

Receipt of armored vehicles to Italian troops in North Africa in the first half of 1942 (according to Lucio Cheva)

date	Tanks	Armored cars
5 January	52
January 24	46
18th of Febuary	4
February 23	32	20
9th of March	33
18th of March	36
April, 4	32	10
April 10th	5
April 13	6
April 15	18	23
April 24	29
April 27	16
May 2	9
12 May	39
May 14	16
May 18	5
22nd of May	2
May 30	60 (including 58 L6/40)
2 June	3
12 June	27 (all - L6/40)

Other parts of issues about the Second world war can see .

(Total 45 photos)

1. Australian troops advance on a German stronghold under cover of smoke in the Western Desert in northern Africa, November 27, 1942. (AP Photo)

2. German General Erwin Rommel rides at the head of the 15th Panzer Division between Tobruk and Sidi Omar, Libya, 1941. (NARA)

3. Australian soldiers walk behind tanks during an offensive rehearsal in the sands of North Africa, January 3, 1941. Infantry accompanied the tanks as a precaution in case of an air raid. (AP Photo)

4. A German Junkers Ju-87 Stuka dive bomber attacks a British base near Tobruk, Libya, October 1941. (AP Photo)

5. An RAF pilot places a cross of debris at the grave of Italian pilots whose planes crashed during the Battle of the Western Desert at Mersa Matruh, October 31, 1940. (AP Photo)

6. The Bren Carrier armored personnel carrier was in service with the Australian mounted troops in North Africa, January 7, 1941. (AP Photo)

7. British tank crews laugh at comic strips in an Italian newspaper in the North African war zone, January 28, 1941. One of them holds a puppy found during the capture of Sidi Barrani, one of the first Italian strongholds to capitulate during the North African War. (AP Photo)

8. An Italian flying boat, attacked by Royal Air Force fighters, burns off the coast of Tripoli. The body of the Italian pilot floats in the water near the left wing. (AP Photo)

9. British sources claim that the photograph shows Italian soldiers killed by British artillery fire southwest of Ghazala during one of the Libyan battles in January 1942. (AP Photo)

10. One of the Italian prisoners of war captured in Libya and sent to London, wearing an Afrika Korps cap, January 2, 1942. (AP Photo)

12. British Bristol Blenheim bombers go on a raid into Cyrenaica, Libya, accompanied by fighters, February 26, 1942. (AP Photo)

13. British intelligence officers monitor enemy movements in the Western Desert near the Egyptian-Libyan border in Egypt, February 1942. (AP Photo)

14. The RAF Libya squadron mascot, a monkey named Bass, plays with a Tomahawk fighter pilot in the Western Desert, February 15, 1942. (AP Photo)

15. This seaplane was in service with the Royal Air Force rescue service in the Middle East. He patrolled the lakes in the Nile Delta and assisted pilots who made emergency landings on the water. The photo was taken on March 11, 1942. (AP Photo)

16. A British pilot with extensive desert flying experience lands a Sharknose Squadron Kittyhawk fighter during a sandstorm in the Libyan Desert, April 2, 1942. A mechanic who sits on the wing of an airplane gives the pilot directions. (AP Photo)

17. A British soldier, wounded during a battle in Libya, lies on a cot in a field hospital tent, June 18, 1942. (AP Photo/Weston Haynes)

18. British General Bernard Montgomery, commander of the British 8th Army, observes the Battle of the Western Desert from the gun turret of an M3 Grant tank, Egypt, 1942. (AP Photo)

19. Anti-tank guns on wheels had high mobility and could quickly move across the desert, inflicting unexpected blows on the enemy. Photo: A mobile anti-tank gun of the 8th Army fires in the desert in Libya, July 26, 1942. (AP Photo)

20. This image of an air raid on the Axis airbase at Martuba, near Derna, Libya, was taken from a South African plane taking part in the raid on July 6, 1942. The four pairs of white stripes at the bottom are dust kicked up by Nazi coalition planes that are trying to avoid bombing. (AP Photo)

21. During his stay in the Middle East, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited El Alamein, where he met with brigade and division commanders, and also inspected the personnel of Australian and South American military formations in the Western Desert, August 19, 1942. (AP Photo)

22. A low-altitude Royal Air Force aircraft escorts New Zealand vehicles en route to Egypt, August 3, 1942. (AP Photo)

23. British troops patrol the Western Desert in Egypt on an American M3 Stuart tank, September 1942. (AP Photo)

24. A guard guards a wounded German officer found in the Egyptian desert during the early days of the British offensive, November 13, 1942. (AP Photo)

25. Some of the 97 German prisoners of war captured by the British Army during the attack on Tel el-Eisa in Egypt, September 1, 1942. (AP Photo)

26. An Allied convoy, escorted by aircraft and sea vessels, sails towards French North Africa near Casablanca in French Morocco during Operation Torch, the major British-American invasion of North Africa, November 1942. (AP Photo)

27. American landing barges head to the shores of Fedala in French Morocco during an amphibious operation in early November 1942. Fedala was located 25 km north of Casablanca, French Morocco. (AP Photo)

28. Anti-Hitler coalition forces land near Casablanca in French Morocco and follow the tracks left by the previous detachment, November 1942. (AP Photo)

29. American soldiers with bayonets escort representatives of the Italian-German Armistice Commission in Morocco to the assembly point for departure to Fedala, north of Casablanca, November 18, 1942. The members of the commission were unexpectedly attacked by American troops. (AP Photo)

30. French soldiers heading to the front line in Tunisia shake hands with American soldiers at a railway station in Oran, Algeria, North Africa, December 2. (AP Photo)

31. American army soldiers (in a jeep and with a submachine gun) guard the capsized ship "S. S. Partos, which was damaged when Allied troops landed in a North African port, 1942. (AP Photo)

32. A German soldier tried to hide in a bomb shelter during an attack by anti-Hitler coalition forces in the Libyan desert, but did not have time, December 1, 1942. (AP Photo)

33. A US Navy dive bomber takes off from a road near Safi, French Morocco, December 11, 1942. (AP Photo)

34. B-17 "Flying Fortress" bombers drop fragmentation bombs on the strategic airfield "El Aouina" in the city of Tunis, Tunisia, February 14, 1943. (AP Photo)

35. An American soldier with a submachine gun carefully approaches a German tank to stop the crew's attempts to escape after a battle with American and British anti-tank units in the town of Medjez al Bab, Tunisia, January 12, 1943. (AP Photo)

36. German prisoners of war captured during the attack of the anti-Hitler coalition forces on German-Italian positions in the city of Sened, Tunisia, February 27, 1943. A soldier without a cap is only 20 years old. (AP Photo)

37. Two thousand Italian prisoners of war march behind a Bren Carrier armored personnel carrier through the desert in Tunisia, March 1943. Italian soldiers were captured near Al Hamma as their German allies fled the city. (AP Photo)

38. Anti-aircraft fire forms a protective screen over Algeria in North Africa, April 13, 1943. Artillery fire was photographed during the defense of Algeria from Nazi aircraft. (AP Photo)

39. Italian machine gunners sit near a field gun among thickets of cacti in Tunisia, March 31, 1943. (AP Photo)

40. General Dwight D. Eisenhower (right), commander in chief of allied forces in North Africa, jokes with American soldiers during an inspection on the battle front in Tunisia, March 18, 1943. (AP Photo)

41. A German soldier, bayoneted, lies leaning on a mortar in the city of Tunis, Tunisia, May 17, 1943. (AP Photo)

42. Joyful residents of Tunisia greet the allied troops who liberated the city. In the photo: a Tunisian woman hugs a British tankman, May 19, 1943. (AP Photo)

43. After the surrender of the Axis countries in Tunisia in May 1943, the Allied forces captured more than 275 thousand soldiers. The photo, taken from an airplane on June 11, 1943, shows thousands of German and Italian soldiers. (AP Photo)

44. Comedy actress Martha Ray entertains members of the US 12th Air Force on the outskirts of the Sahara Desert in North Africa, 1943. (AP Photo)

45. After the victory over the Axis countries in North Africa, the Allied forces began preparations for an attack on Italy from the territory of the liberated states. Photo: American transport plane flies over the pyramids at Giza near Cairo, Egypt, 1943. (AP Photo/U.S. Army)

Hostilities between Anglo-American and Italian-German troops in North Africa lasted a little less than three years - from June 1940 to May 1943. Erwin Rommel won a number of brilliant victories, and the campaign ended with a crushing defeat for the Axis countries.

By the 1930s, Germany did not have any interests in North Africa, which could not be said about fascist Italy. This region, although poor in mineral resources, occupied an important strategic position.

B. Mussolini, who decided to turn Italy into the dominant power in this region, invaded Ethiopia in 1935 and occupied this country in 1936. In addition, the most important bases of Italy in North Africa were Libya, the Dodecanese and Balearic Islands. The main confrontation in this region took place between the Italians and the British, whose bases controlled the shipping route to India and the Middle East. By the beginning of the war - in June 1940 - Italy had a strong 200,000-strong group of Marshal Italo Balbo (from June 1940 - Marshal Rodolfo Graziani) in Eastern Cyrenaica; the British in Egypt had only about 66 thousand.

DEFEAT OF THE ITALIANS

On September 13, 1940, the Italians went on the offensive. The British did not enter into an open clash with superior forces, but preferred to slowly retreat, inflicting heavy damage on the Italians with artillery fire. On September 16, Italian troops occupied Sidi Barrani, after which they went on the defensive. In turn, the British retreated another 30 km, to Mersa Matruh. There was a lull at the front for three months: the British did not have the strength for a counteroffensive, and Graziani was waiting for the right moment to continue the offensive.

However, after a series of Italian failures in Greece, the British commander, General Archibald Wavell, decided to launch a limited offensive. It began on the morning of December 9, 1940, and already on December 16, the Italians surrendered Es-Sallum, Halfaya and a chain of forts on the border of the Libyan plateau without a fight - which, in fact, was the final goal of the entire operation. Wavell had no choice but to develop achieved success, and on January 22, 1941, his troops took Tobruk. However, on February 10, the offensive was stopped - the British command decided to focus their attention on Greece.

The situation in North Africa was close to disaster. Under these conditions, Mussolini turned to Hitler for help.

AFRICAN CORPS

On February 8, 1941, the German Afrika Korps (DAK) was transferred to Libya under the command of Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel. He managed to restore the combat effectiveness of the Italian allies.

By February 22, the Italian-German formations had returned to El Agheila, where the British were dug in. Taking advantage of the fact that Wavell had greatly stretched his troops, Rommel struck hard on March 31, 1941. The British armored brigade, which had not expected anything, was destroyed. The demoralized British units began to retreat. On the night of April 4, Italo-German troops occupied Benghazi without a fight, and on April 10 they surrounded the British garrison settled in Tobruk. It was not possible to take the city right away, and Rommel, bypassing the city, began an offensive into Egypt. On April 12, the Germans occupied Bardia, and on April 15, the last day of the offensive, they occupied Sidi Omar, Es Salloum and the Halfaya Pass. The attempt made by the British in June 1941 to relieve Tobruk was successful, but they failed to achieve decisive success.

EL ALAMEIN

The British offensive launched in November - December 1941 (Operation Crusader) was stopped by Rommel in the El Agheila area. Gathering all his remaining forces, Rommel again went on the offensive in May 1942 and took Tobruk on June 20. Finally, on July 1, his troops reached El Alamein - the Italo-German troops were unable to advance further: all their attacks, which lasted until September, were repulsed. Having accumulated significant forces, the British troops, now commanded by B. Montgomery, went on the offensive on October 23, 1942 and on November 2 broke through the enemy’s defenses in the El Alamein area. Rommel was no longer able to contain the enemy, and a long retreat began: in mid-February 1943, Italian-German troops retreated to the “Maret Line” in Tunisia - 100 km west of the Libyan border.

DEVOTION

On November 8, 1942, American-British troops under the command of General D. Eisenhower began a large-scale landing operation in Algeria, Oran and Casablanca. Without encountering much resistance, they occupied Morocco and Algeria within a month. At the beginning of 1943, the Allies were already at Bizerte and Tunis. The Italo-German troops were doomed, Rommel's last attempt to turn the tide - a February 19 attack on American troops in the Kasserine Pass area - failed, and the Italo-German troops had to retreat. After this, Hitler ordered Rommel to fly to Germany and hand over command to Colonel General Jürgen von Arnim.

War in Africa: list, causes, history and interesting facts. Military operations in Africa

Fighting in the Mediterranean and in North Africa June 1940 – September 1941