Key Facts
- British force size
- ~36,000 men (Western Desert Force)
- Italian force size
- ~150,000 troops (10th Army)
- Prisoners taken
- Over 138,000 Italian and Libyan
- British casualties
- ~1,900 killed and wounded
- Duration
- December 1940 – February 1941
Strategic Narrative Overview
The Western Desert Force under Lieutenant-General Richard O'Connor launched its offensive in December 1940, rapidly overrunning Italian fortified posts and routing forces at Sidi Barrani. Exploiting success, British and Commonwealth troops pushed west into Cyrenaica, capturing the coastal ports of Bardia and Tobruk. The retreating 10th Army was encircled and destroyed at the Battle of Beda Fomm in February 1941, with remnants pursued to El Agheila.
01 / The Origins
Following Italy's entry into the Second World War in June 1940, the Italian 10th Army under Marshal Rodolfo Graziani advanced into western Egypt and established fortified positions around Sidi Barrani. British Commonwealth forces, significantly outnumbered, planned a limited five-day raid to disrupt the Italian forward positions and relieve pressure on Egypt, which served as a vital strategic base protecting the Suez Canal.
03 / The Outcome
Operation Compass ended when worn-out vehicles and the diversion of elite units to Greece halted the British advance at El Agheila. Italy's 10th Army had been effectively annihilated. Germany responded by deploying the Deutsches Afrikakorps and Luftwaffe to Libya to prevent total Italian collapse, setting the stage for Rommel's counteroffensive and prolonged desert warfare through 1943.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Richard O'Connor.
Side B
1 belligerent
Rodolfo Graziani.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.