Italienische Invasion Ägyptens

Vorlage:Infobox Military Conflict Vorlage:Campaignbox Western Desert The Italian Invasion of Egypt was a campaign during World War II in which Italy attempted to seize the Suez Canal by advancing across northern Egypt from Libya.

Background

On 10 June 1940, Italy declared war upon Britain and France and aligned itself with Germany. In response, the Egyptian parliament announced on 13 June that they would not enter the war unless attacked. But Egypt did brake off diplomatic relations with Italy. In September 1939, the Egyptians had done the same with Germany.

Almost from the start, things did not go well for the Italian forces in North Africa. Within a week of Italy's declaration of war on , the British 11th Hussars had seized Fort Capuzzo in Libya. In an ambush east of Bardia, the British captured the Italian 10th Army's Engineer-in-Chief, General Lastucci.

On 28 June, Marshal Italo Balbo, the Governor-General of Libya, was killed by "friendly fire" while landing in Tobruk.

Italian dictator Benito Mussolini ordered Balbo's replacement as Governor-General, Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, to launch an attack into Egypt by 8 August. Graziani had been the commander of the 10th Army in Cyrenaica. Graziani complained to Mussolini that his army was not properly equipped for such an operation. Graziani further complained that an attack into Egypt could not possibly succeed. Mussolini ordered Graziani to attack anyway.

At the time, British General Archibald Wavell's Middle East Command included some 36,000 troops (including support and administration units) based within Egypt to defend against the estimated 250,000 Italian troops in Libya. However, the forces involved on both sides during the Italian invasion of Egypt were relatively small.

In the end, the elements of the Italian 10th Army, now under General Mario Berti, that advanced into Egypt were the Libyan Corps and the XXIII Corps. The Libyan Corps consisted of two Libyan divisions and the "Maletti Group" (Raggruppamento Maletti). The latter was an ad hoc unit comprised of six Libyan battalions transported in trucks and was commanded by General Pietro Maletti. This group included much of the armor available to the Italians and all of the M11/39 medium tanks. The XXIII Corps was commanded by Lieutenant General (Tenente Generale) Annibale Bergonzoli. While Maletti advanced with his troops, Graziani commanded the Italian invasion with the rest of his staff located in Tobruk.

The British plan of defense was simplicity itself. General Richard O'Connor planned to retire behind light covering forces to Mersa Mutrah. There he would await the Italian attack with a strong infantry force while the 7th Armored Division conterattacked from the escarpment deep on the desert flank. The object of the covering force was to seem larger than it was.

The Invasion

Vorlage:Expand On 8 September 1940, Graziani agreed to start the advance into Egypt the following day. His plan of advance was modified to work around a shortage of transport. A flank move through the desert was cancelled and the Libyan divisions were brought closer to the coast road to act as a spearhead for the Bergonzoli's XXIII Corps. The "Maletti Group" would operate as a flank guard. In essence, Berti was to use his artillery and tanks as escorts to his infantry as it advanced through hostile territory.

On 9 September, aircraft of the Italian Royal Air Force (Regia Aeronautica) started the battle against aircraft of the British Royal Air Force. Fiats fought Gladiators in the air over eastern Libya and western Egypt. Bombers struck on both sides. The British bombed Tobruk and other staging areas in the Italian rear. The Italians softened up the invasion rout.

The Italian advance proved to be a struggle. One division got lost and many engines over-heated. On the opening day of the offensive, the Italians dropped paratroopers into Sollum. The British, being greatly outnumbered, left mines and retreated.

Unfortunately, the "Maletti Group" had gotten lost moving up to its pre-battle staging position at Sidi Omar, Libya. As a result, the Italian invasion on the ground got off to a slow start. The Italians themselves -- by intercepted radio broadcasts -- provided this information to the rest of the world. It was not until 10 September that the 11th Hussars spotted the "Maletti Group" making its way through the desert.

By 13 September, the 23rd March Blackshirt Divistion (1st Blackshirt Division) re-took Fort Capuzzo in Libya. The Italians then crossed the border between Libya and Egypt.. On the same day, a single platoon of the 3rd Coldstream Guards at Sollum in Egypt found themselves to be the solitary object of the entire 1st Libyan Division.

Graziani ultimately halted the advance citing supply problems. During this time the Italians captured a number of British airfields. Despite Mussolini urging Graziani to continue the advance, the Italians dug in at Sidi Barrani and established several fortified camps. Graziani was now 80 miles west of the British defences at Mersa Matruh and he planned to return to the offensive only after his troops had been resupplied.

The Italian invasion and British counter-attack.

Aftermath

On 8 December 1940, the British launched a raid called Operation Compass against the fortified Italian camps set up in a defensive line outside of Sidi Barrani. The raid was a complete success and the few units of the Italian Army not destroyed in Egypt were driven out. By 11 December, the raid became a full scale counter attack and the Italians were forced back again and again further into Libya.

References

• Major Kenneth Macksey: Beda Fomm: Classic Victory) (= Ballentine's Illustrated History of the Violent Century, Battle Book Number 22). Ballantine Books, 1971. 
• Major General I.S.O. Playfair, and others: Mediterranean and Middle East Volume I: The Early Successes Against Italy (to May 1941) (= History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series). Naval & Military Press, 2006, ISBN 1-84734-426-7.