On June 10, 1940 Italy, under Benito Mussolini, went to war at the side of Nazi Germany, first participating in the invasion of France. However, by late June, from their colonies in Eritrea, Italian Somaliland, and Ethiopia, the Ialians had invaded Kenya, British Somaliland, and the Sudan with ten divisions. On June 28, Mussolini ordered a mass invasion of Egypt, as he said, "that great reward for which Italy is waiting." He had good reason to be over confident, as he had 250,000 troops to scarcely 36,000 defenders.
However, it wasn't until September 13 that the Italians departed, but with 5 divisions, with 80,000 men and 200 tanks(albeit outdated M11/39s and M13/40s), and then the Italians only advanced to Sidi Barrani, where, in spite of success, they were turning the place into a defensive fortress. They left a spot unguarded, about a 15 mile strip of land. It was here the British decided to test Italian strength.
Sidi Barrani
Shortly After 7:00am, December 9, 1940, as the Italians brewed coffee and made breakfast, the first Matilda II tanks of the British 7th Armoured Division bursted into the camp. Shells from the Matilda IIs flattened scores of M13/40s parked outside the main compound, and Italian antitank gun shells bounced off the British armour. At the small village of Matika, which was in the 15 mile area, the camp commander, surrendering, said, "Sir, we have fired our last cartridge." He was standing right next to a huge supply of ammunition. The British commander, who planned this as a 5 day raid, as so many Italians were surrendering, turned it into a major offensive.
The survivors withdrew to Bardia, a coastal stronghold. Its garrison comprised 45,000 men and 400 guns. The Commander Liet. General Annibale Bergonzoli, nicknamed "Electric Whiskers," radioed Mussolini, "In Bardia we are, and here we stay." On January 3, 1941 now with the Australian 6th Division, after an all night aerial bombardment by the RAF, The Australians attacked as three battleships bombarded. 40,000 prisoners were taken, out of the garrisons 45,000. Now the Italians retreated to Tobruk, a vital coastal port. But they surrendered on the 22nd, 25,000 more Italians surrendering. The italians continued to retreat, to Derna, Mechilli, and finally to Tripoli, where Erwin Rommel's offensive would begin.
In the campaign the Italians suffred 130,000 men, 1300 guns captured and ? killed.
Hitler's first choice to command the DAK(Deutcshes Afrika Korps-German Afrika Korps) was Maj. General Hans von Funk, a Prussian aristocrat, whos negative report that Libya was lost led him to be dissmissed. Next Hitler thought of Lt. General Erich von Manstein, who deviesed the invasion of France, but he was a too valuable componet of Operation Barbarossa, the in vasion of Russia. Hitler thus settled for Erwin Rommel(see Erwin Rommel in WWII).
The beging of the DAK was simply the 5th Light Division, but was doubled when a full panzer division arrived. Rommel arrived in Tripoli on February 12, 1941. "Something had to be done to bring the British offensive to a halt," he wrote. By now the British had moved as far as El Ageila, 400 miles from Tripoli. To decieve British spies, he had his troos parade in Tripoli. But, he had them march around the same block over and over, aswell as with both real and dummy tanks, thus making his forces appear larger.
Hitler's orders were simple: hold a defensive line. Rommel's own orders were: take the offensive.
El Agheila, Mersa Brega, and Tobruk
On March 24, 1941 against Hitler's explicit orders, Rommel attacked and captured El Agheila with components of the 3rd Reconnaissancee Detachment. They enemy quickly withdrew to Mers Brega, 30 miles to the northeast. This led Rommel to wonder if the Tommies(British equivelent to US GIs) were as formidable as thought.
