Battle of Kufra (1941)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Kufra (also spelled Koufra, or Cufra) was part of the World War II
Allies Western Desert Campaign
in the colony of Italian Libya
, in the Libyan Desert
of present day southeastern Libya
. The battle resulted in the 1941 capture of the important but isolated oasis
of Kufra
by Free French Forces and the British Long Range Desert Group
from Italian Fascist
Axis forces.
subregion of the Sahara
, was an important trade and travel center for the nomadic desert peoples of the region, including the Berbers and Senussi
. The Senussi made the oasis their capital at one point in response to British
, Italian, and French
designs on the region. In 1931, the Kingdom of Italy captured Kufra and incorporated it into their Italian North Africa
(Africa Settentrionale Italiana) colonization of the Maghreb
.
The Italian post at Kufra included: the Buma airfield
and a radio station, which were used for air resupply and communications with Italian East Africa
; and a fort at the nearby village of El Tag
.
in 1940, the colony of French Equatorial Africa
(FEA) declared its allegiance to the Free French Forces
(Forces Français Libres), the exile army headed by Charles de Gaulle
. Chad
, the northern part of FEA, borders Libya. De Gaulle ordered the Free French in Chad to attack Italian positions in Libya. Kufra was the obvious target.
The Free French commander in Chad was Lieutenant-Colonel Jean Colonna d'Ornano. The troops available were 5,000 tirailleur
s (riflemen) of the Senegal
ese Light Infantry Regiment of Chad (Régiment de Tirailleurs Sénégalais du Tchad; RTST) in 20 companies in different garrisons; also three detachments of méhariste
s (camel cavalry
), in Borkou, Tibesti, and Ennedi.
Attacking Kufra would be very difficult for this motley force. The Free French had very little motor transport and needed to cross over 400 km (248.5 mi) of desert, much of which was sand dunes or the fine, powdery soil called Fech fech
. The area was considered by some to be impassable to vehicles.
However, the French received assistance from the British Long Range Desert Group
(LRDG), a reconnaissance and raiding unit formed to operate reconnaissance patrols and intelligence missions behind the Italian lines; they were experts in desert navigation. Major
Pat Clayton
of LRDG was keen to join with the Free French to test the Italians. Clayton commanded G (Guards
) and T (New Zealand
) patrols of LRDG, a total of 76 men in 26 vehicles.
To prepare for the attack on Kufra, the LRDG and Free French first raided the Italian airfield at Murzuk
, in the Territorio Sahara Libico - Fezzan
region in southwestern Libya. D'Ornano and 10 Free French (three officers, two sergeants, and five native soldiers) met Clayton′s LRDG patrols on 6 January 1941 at Kayouge. The combined force reached Murzuk on 11 January. In a daring daylight raid, they surprised the sentries and devastated the base. Most of the force attacked the main fort; a troop from T patrol under Lieutenant Ballantyne attacked the airfield, destroying three Caproni
aircraft and capturing some prisoners.
D'Ornano was killed in this raid along with one trooper of T Patrol. A French officer cauterized his leg wound with a cigarette, much to the admiration of the LRDG. A diversionary raid by French camel cavalry failed after it was betrayed by local guides. These troops were therefore relegated to reconnaissance duties only.
Philippe Leclerc
assumed overall command in place of d'Ornano. After the success of the Murzuk raid, Leclerc marshalled his forces to take on Kufra itself. The attacking column included about 400 men in 60 trucks, two Laffly S15
TOE armored cars, four Laffly S15
all-terrain carriers and two 75 mm (2.95 in) mountain gun
s.
Kufra was protected by two defensive lines around the El Tag
fort: barbed wire, trenches, machine guns and light AA guns. The Regio Esercito forces in the fort were two machine gun companies (the 59th and 60th) with a total of 280 "askari
" colonial infantry and an Auto-Saharan Company
: the Compagnia Sahariana di Cufra. The Saharan companies were a mixed force of motorized infantry with well-armed off-road vehicles (SPA AS37), which could also call on the Italian Air Force
for support. The "Compagnia Sahariana" in Kufra was around 120-men strong (45 Italians and 75 Libyans).
Leclerc asked the LRDG to deal with the Saharan company based in El Tag fort in Kufra oasis. The LRDG was detected by a radio intercept unit at Kufra and the Italians organized a mobile column of 40 men, one AS37 and four FIAT 634
lorries to intercept them. G Patrol had been kept in reserve. On 31 January, Major Clayton was at Bishara (130 km (80.8 mi) SSW of Kufra) with T Patrol (30 men in 11 trucks). The patrol was spotted by an Italian plane in the morning. T Patrol took cover in a small wadi
at Gebel Sherif
, a few kilometers north. The plane directed the Saharan patrol to attack the LRDG force.
Due to superior Italian firepower–the Italian vehicles were armed with 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) cannons–and constant air attack, T Patrol was driven off, losing four trucks and Major Clayton, who was captured with several others. Trooper Ronald Moore
led other survivors to safety after a long foot march. The remaining LRDG force withdrew to Egypt for refitting, except for one vehicle of T Patrol, equipped for desert navigation. During the fight, the Italian Officer (1st Lt Caputo) in command of the Saharan company was killed, as were two Libyan soldiers.
Leclerc pressed on with his attack, even though the enemy had a copy of his plan which they had captured with Major Clayton. After conducting further reconnaissance, Leclerc reorganized his forces on 16 February. He abandoned his two armored cars and took with him the remaining serviceable artillery piece, a crucial decision. Only about 350 men reached Kufra, due to breakdowns of trucks on the march.
Aware of the advancing enemies, the Italians organized once more a strong mobile column from the Saharan company (70 men, 10 AS37 and 5 trucks). On 17 February, Leclerc's forces met the "Sahariana" north of Kufra. Despite losing many trucks to the 20 mm guns of the Italian AS37 cars, the French drove the Saharianas off, as the Kufra garrison failed to intervene.
The French surrounded El Tag and laid siege to the fort, despite another attack by the Saharianas and harassment from the air. Their single 75 mm gun was placed 3000 m (3,280.8 yd) from the fort, beyond range of the defenders, and accurately delivered 20 shells per day at regular intervals. Some 81 mm (3.2 in) motar
s were placed at 1500 m (1,640.4 yd) from the fort and shelled the Italian positions in order to add pressure on the defenders.
The Italian garrison was permitted to withdraw to the northwest. French forces captured in Kufra a goodly amount of vehicles, ammunitions and weapons: eight Sahariana AS37 cars, six lorries, four 20 mm cannons and 53 machine guns. Everything that was captured was immediately used by the French forces.
for the French force in the battle of Kufra.
The order of battle for the Italian forces in the battle of Kufra.
":
Jurez de ne déposer les armes que lorsque nos couleurs, nos belles couleurs, flotteront sur la cathédrale de Strasbourg.
(translating literally as, "Swear not to lay down arms until our colors, our beautiful colors, float on the Strasbourg Cathedral
."
The oath was fulfilled on 23 November 1944, when the 2nd French Armored Division under Leclerc′s command liberated Strasbourg.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Allies Western Desert Campaign
Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
in the colony of Italian Libya
Italian Libya
Italian Libya was a unified colony of Italian North Africa established in 1934 in what represents present-day Libya...
, in the Libyan Desert
Libyan Desert
The Libyan Desert covers an area of approximately 1,100,000 km2, it extends approximately 1100 km from east to west, and 1,000 km from north to south, in about the shape of a rectangle...
of present day southeastern Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. The battle resulted in the 1941 capture of the important but isolated oasis
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
of Kufra
Kufra
Kufra is a basin and oasis group in Al Kufrah District, southeastern Cyrenaica in Libya. Kufra is historically important above all because at the end of nineteenth century it became the center and holy place of the Senussi order...
by Free French Forces and the British Long Range Desert Group
Long Range Desert Group
The Long Range Desert Group was a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The commander of the German Afrika Corps, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, admitted that the LRDG "caused us more damage than any other British unit of equal strength".Originally called...
from Italian Fascist
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
Axis forces.
Between the World Wars
Kufra, in the Libyan DesertLibyan Desert
The Libyan Desert covers an area of approximately 1,100,000 km2, it extends approximately 1100 km from east to west, and 1,000 km from north to south, in about the shape of a rectangle...
subregion of the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
, was an important trade and travel center for the nomadic desert peoples of the region, including the Berbers and Senussi
Senussi
The Senussi or Sanussi refers to a Muslim political-religious order in Libya and the Sudan region founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Grand Senussi, Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi. Senussi was concerned with both the decline of Islamic thought and spirituality and the weakening of Muslim political...
. The Senussi made the oasis their capital at one point in response to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Italian, and French
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France...
designs on the region. In 1931, the Kingdom of Italy captured Kufra and incorporated it into their Italian North Africa
Italian North Africa
Italian North Africa was the aggregate of territories and colonies controlled by Italy in North Africa from 1911 until World War II...
(Africa Settentrionale Italiana) colonization of the Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
.
The Italian post at Kufra included: the Buma airfield
Kufra Airport
Kufra Airport is an airport in Kufra, southeastern Libya - .- History :Kufra Airport began as Buma Airfield, built in the 1930s as a minor facility by the Italians. In early World War II, it provided an air link to Italian East Africa...
and a radio station, which were used for air resupply and communications with Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
; and a fort at the nearby village of El Tag
El Tag
El Tag is a village and holy site in the Kufra Oasis, within the Libyan Desert subregion of the Sahara. It is in the Kufra District in the southern Cyrenaica region of southeastern Libya. The Arabic el tag translates as "crown" in English, and derives from the position above the Kufra basin...
.
Preparation
After the defeat of FranceBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
in 1940, the colony of French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa or the AEF was the federation of French colonial possessions in Middle Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River to the Sahara Desert.-History:...
(FEA) declared its allegiance to the Free French Forces
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
(Forces Français Libres), the exile army headed by Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
. Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
, the northern part of FEA, borders Libya. De Gaulle ordered the Free French in Chad to attack Italian positions in Libya. Kufra was the obvious target.
The Free French commander in Chad was Lieutenant-Colonel Jean Colonna d'Ornano. The troops available were 5,000 tirailleur
Tirailleur
Tirailleur literally means a shooting skirmisher in French from tir—shot. The term dates back to the Napoleonic period where it was used to designate light infantry trained to skirmish ahead of the main columns...
s (riflemen) of the Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
ese Light Infantry Regiment of Chad (Régiment de Tirailleurs Sénégalais du Tchad; RTST) in 20 companies in different garrisons; also three detachments of méhariste
Mehariste
Méhariste is a French word that roughly translates to camel cavalry. The word is most commonly used as a designation of military units.-Origins of French Camel Corps:...
s (camel cavalry
Camel cavalry
Camel cavalry, or camelry, is a generic designation for armed forces using camels as a means of transportation. Sometimes warriors or soldiers of this type also fought from camel-back with spears, bows or rifles....
), in Borkou, Tibesti, and Ennedi.
Attacking Kufra would be very difficult for this motley force. The Free French had very little motor transport and needed to cross over 400 km (248.5 mi) of desert, much of which was sand dunes or the fine, powdery soil called Fech fech
Fech Fech
Fech fech is a very fine powder caused by the erosion of clay-limestone terrain. This pulverized soil is common under a thin crust in deserts. It is not determinable from the surface and can therefore pose a significant transportation hazard acting as a surprise "trap" as the ground collapses...
. The area was considered by some to be impassable to vehicles.
However, the French received assistance from the British Long Range Desert Group
Long Range Desert Group
The Long Range Desert Group was a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The commander of the German Afrika Corps, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, admitted that the LRDG "caused us more damage than any other British unit of equal strength".Originally called...
(LRDG), a reconnaissance and raiding unit formed to operate reconnaissance patrols and intelligence missions behind the Italian lines; they were experts in desert navigation. Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Pat Clayton
Pat Clayton
Patrick Andrew Clayton DSO MBE was a British surveyor and soldier. He was the basis for the character of Peter Madox in The English Patient....
of LRDG was keen to join with the Free French to test the Italians. Clayton commanded G (Guards
Brigade of Guards
The Brigade of Guards is a historical elite unit of the British Army, which has existed sporadically since the 17th century....
) and T (New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
) patrols of LRDG, a total of 76 men in 26 vehicles.
To prepare for the attack on Kufra, the LRDG and Free French first raided the Italian airfield at Murzuk
Murzuk
Murzuk is an oasis town and the capital of the Murzuq District in the Fezzan region of southwest Libya. Murzuk lies on the northern edge of the Murzuq Desert, a desert of ergs or great sand dunes, and section of the Sahara Desert.-History:...
, in the Territorio Sahara Libico - Fezzan
Fezzan
Fezzan is a south western region of modern Libya. It is largely desert but broken by mountains, uplands, and dry river valleys in the north, where oases enable ancient towns and villages to survive deep in the otherwise inhospitable Sahara.-Name:...
region in southwestern Libya. D'Ornano and 10 Free French (three officers, two sergeants, and five native soldiers) met Clayton′s LRDG patrols on 6 January 1941 at Kayouge. The combined force reached Murzuk on 11 January. In a daring daylight raid, they surprised the sentries and devastated the base. Most of the force attacked the main fort; a troop from T patrol under Lieutenant Ballantyne attacked the airfield, destroying three Caproni
Caproni
thumb|right|300px|[[Caproni Ca.316]] seaplane at its moorings.Caproni was an Italian aircraft manufacturer founded in 1908 by Giovanni Battista "Gianni" Caproni....
aircraft and capturing some prisoners.
D'Ornano was killed in this raid along with one trooper of T Patrol. A French officer cauterized his leg wound with a cigarette, much to the admiration of the LRDG. A diversionary raid by French camel cavalry failed after it was betrayed by local guides. These troops were therefore relegated to reconnaissance duties only.
Battles
ColonelColonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Philippe Leclerc
Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
Philippe François Marie, comte de Hauteclocque, then Leclerc de Hauteclocque, by a 1945 decree that incorporated his French Resistance alias Jacques-Philippe Leclerc to his name, , was a French general during World War II...
assumed overall command in place of d'Ornano. After the success of the Murzuk raid, Leclerc marshalled his forces to take on Kufra itself. The attacking column included about 400 men in 60 trucks, two Laffly S15
Laffly S15
The Laffly S15 was a familty of all-terrain military vehicles from French manufacturer Laffly that shared the same six-wheel drive chassis. They were used by French forces during World War II.-Variants:...
TOE armored cars, four Laffly S15
Laffly S15
The Laffly S15 was a familty of all-terrain military vehicles from French manufacturer Laffly that shared the same six-wheel drive chassis. They were used by French forces during World War II.-Variants:...
all-terrain carriers and two 75 mm (2.95 in) mountain gun
Mountain gun
Mountain guns are artillery pieces designed for use in mountain warfare and areas where usual wheeled transport is not possible. They are similar to infantry support guns, and are generally capable of being broken down into smaller loads .Due to their ability to be broken down into smaller...
s.
Kufra was protected by two defensive lines around the El Tag
El Tag
El Tag is a village and holy site in the Kufra Oasis, within the Libyan Desert subregion of the Sahara. It is in the Kufra District in the southern Cyrenaica region of southeastern Libya. The Arabic el tag translates as "crown" in English, and derives from the position above the Kufra basin...
fort: barbed wire, trenches, machine guns and light AA guns. The Regio Esercito forces in the fort were two machine gun companies (the 59th and 60th) with a total of 280 "askari
Askari
Askari is an Arabic, Bosnian, Urdu, Turkish, Somali, Persian, Amharic and Swahili word meaning "soldier" . It was normally used to describe local troops in East Africa, Northeast Africa, and Central Africa serving in the armies of European colonial powers...
" colonial infantry and an Auto-Saharan Company
Auto-Saharan Company
The Auto-Saharan Companies were Italian military units specialised in long range patrols of the Sahara Desert. The units operated from the late 1930s to the Italian surrender in 1943.-History:...
: the Compagnia Sahariana di Cufra. The Saharan companies were a mixed force of motorized infantry with well-armed off-road vehicles (SPA AS37), which could also call on the Italian Air Force
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
for support. The "Compagnia Sahariana" in Kufra was around 120-men strong (45 Italians and 75 Libyans).
Leclerc asked the LRDG to deal with the Saharan company based in El Tag fort in Kufra oasis. The LRDG was detected by a radio intercept unit at Kufra and the Italians organized a mobile column of 40 men, one AS37 and four FIAT 634
FIAT 634
The FIAT 634N is the military variant of the civilian FIAT 632 heavy truck manufactured by Italian manufacturer FIAT V.I from 1933 to 1939...
lorries to intercept them. G Patrol had been kept in reserve. On 31 January, Major Clayton was at Bishara (130 km (80.8 mi) SSW of Kufra) with T Patrol (30 men in 11 trucks). The patrol was spotted by an Italian plane in the morning. T Patrol took cover in a small wadi
Wadi
Wadi is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some cases, it may refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain or simply an intermittent stream.-Variant names:...
at Gebel Sherif
Gebel Sherif
Jebel Sherif is a mountain in southeastern Libya, about 130 km southwest of Kufra. It was the site of an action during the Battle of Kufra.-References:*http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/WH2-1Epi-fig-WH2-1Epi-e017a.html...
, a few kilometers north. The plane directed the Saharan patrol to attack the LRDG force.
Due to superior Italian firepower–the Italian vehicles were armed with 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) cannons–and constant air attack, T Patrol was driven off, losing four trucks and Major Clayton, who was captured with several others. Trooper Ronald Moore
Ronald Moore (Trooper)
Trooper Ronald Moore was the leader of 'Moore's March', a forced march through the Libyan Desert by survivors of a Long Range Desert Group patrol. This followed the Battle of Kufra in February 1941 during which Moore's patrol was ambushed by the Italian Auto-Saharan Company. Moore was awarded the...
led other survivors to safety after a long foot march. The remaining LRDG force withdrew to Egypt for refitting, except for one vehicle of T Patrol, equipped for desert navigation. During the fight, the Italian Officer (1st Lt Caputo) in command of the Saharan company was killed, as were two Libyan soldiers.
Leclerc pressed on with his attack, even though the enemy had a copy of his plan which they had captured with Major Clayton. After conducting further reconnaissance, Leclerc reorganized his forces on 16 February. He abandoned his two armored cars and took with him the remaining serviceable artillery piece, a crucial decision. Only about 350 men reached Kufra, due to breakdowns of trucks on the march.
Aware of the advancing enemies, the Italians organized once more a strong mobile column from the Saharan company (70 men, 10 AS37 and 5 trucks). On 17 February, Leclerc's forces met the "Sahariana" north of Kufra. Despite losing many trucks to the 20 mm guns of the Italian AS37 cars, the French drove the Saharianas off, as the Kufra garrison failed to intervene.
The French surrounded El Tag and laid siege to the fort, despite another attack by the Saharianas and harassment from the air. Their single 75 mm gun was placed 3000 m (3,280.8 yd) from the fort, beyond range of the defenders, and accurately delivered 20 shells per day at regular intervals. Some 81 mm (3.2 in) motar
81mm Mortar
A 81mm Mortar is a medium weight mortar. It is a smooth bore, muzzle-loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon used for long-range indirect fire support to light infantry, air assault, and airborne units across the entire front of a battalion zone of influence....
s were placed at 1500 m (1,640.4 yd) from the fort and shelled the Italian positions in order to add pressure on the defenders.
Italian surrender
The fort, at that time, was under the command of an inexperienced reserve Captain who lacked the will and the determination to fight. Surrender negotiations began on 28 February. On 1 March 1941, the Italians (11 officers, 18 NCO and 273 Libyan soldiers according to Italian sources, 12, 47 and 273, according to French sources) surrendered El Tag and the Kufra oasis to the Free French. During the siege, the Italian garrison suffered only three Libyan soldiers killed and four wounded. The French had four dead and 21 wounded.The Italian garrison was permitted to withdraw to the northwest. French forces captured in Kufra a goodly amount of vehicles, ammunitions and weapons: eight Sahariana AS37 cars, six lorries, four 20 mm cannons and 53 machine guns. Everything that was captured was immediately used by the French forces.
Orders of battle
The order of battleOrder of battle
In modern use, the order of battle is the identification, command structure, strength, and disposition of personnel, equipment, and units of an armed force participating in field operations. Various abbreviations are in use, including OOB, O/B, or OB, while ORBAT remains the most common in the...
for the French force in the battle of Kufra.
- HQ: 1 MatfordMatfordMatford was a car and truck manufacturer in France from 1934 to 1940.In the 1930s, the Ford Motor Company was quickly expanding its European production. Before 1934,a front wheel drive version of Ford Model Y had been produced with an 8 hp engine under the marque Tracford...
truck, 2 ChevroletChevroletChevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
light trucks, 2 BedfordBedford VehiclesBedford Vehicles, usually shortened to just Bedford, was a subsidiary of Vauxhall Motors, itself the British subsidiary of General Motors , established in 1930; and constructing commercial vehicles. Bedford Vehicles was a leading international truck manufacturer, with substantial export sales of...
1.5 ton trucks, 1 ER26bis radio - 1 reduced infantry company (Captain Rennepont):, 23 Bedford 1.5 ton trucks
- 2 platoons, GN Ennedi (Captain Barboten): 120 men, 1 DodgeDodgeDodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
truck, 16 Matford V8 3 ton trucks - 1 platoon, 7th Company, RTST (Captain Florentin): 60 men, 1 Dodge truck, 2 Matford V8 3 ton trucks
- Artillery platoon (Lieutenant Ceccaldi): 2 75 mm Mle1928 Schneider mountain guns, 4 Laffly S15 carriers, 1 Dodge truck, 2 Matford V8 3 ton trucks
- Armored car detachment (Adjudant Detouche): 2 Laffly S15TOE, 1 Matford V8 3 ton truck, 1 ER26bis/39 radio.
The order of battle for the Italian forces in the battle of Kufra.
- HQ forces Settore Cufra (Kufra sector)
- 59th "Compagnia mitraglieri": 3 officers, 1 NCO, 3 Italian enlisted, 110 colonial troops enlisted, 13 MG (8 mm Schwarzlose 07/12 or 6.5 mm FIAT mod. 14)
- 60th "Compagnia mitraglieri": 3 officers, 1 NCO, 3 Italian enlisted, 110 colonial troops enlisted, 13 MG (8 mm Schwarzlose 07/12 or 6.5 mm FIAT mod. 14)
- "Compagnia Sahariana di Cufra" (LT Caputo - KIA): 4 officers, 7 NCO, 32 Italian enlisted, 77 colonial troops enlisted, 16 AS 37 off-road vehicles, 4 FIAT 634 trucks
- "Sezione aeroplani": 4 officers, 4 NCO, 32 Italian enlisted, four aircraft
Oath of Kufra
After the fall of Kufra, Leclerc and his troops swore an oath to fight until "our flag flies over the Cathedral of StrasbourgStrasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
":
Jurez de ne déposer les armes que lorsque nos couleurs, nos belles couleurs, flotteront sur la cathédrale de Strasbourg.
(translating literally as, "Swear not to lay down arms until our colors, our beautiful colors, float on the Strasbourg Cathedral
Strasbourg Cathedral
Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Strasbourg, France. Although considerable parts of it are still in Romanesque architecture, it is widely consideredSusan Bernstein: , The Johns Hopkins University Press to be among the finest...
."
The oath was fulfilled on 23 November 1944, when the 2nd French Armored Division under Leclerc′s command liberated Strasbourg.
See also
- North African Campaign timelineNorth African Campaign timeline- 1940:* 10 June: The Kingdom of Italy declares war upon France and the United Kingdom* 14 June: British forces cross from Egypt into Libya and capture Fort Capuzzo* 16 June: The first tank battle of the North African Campaign takes place, the "Battle of Girba"...
- List of World War II Battles
- Sudan Defence ForceSudan Defence ForceThe Sudan Defence Force was a Sudanese military unit formed in 1925, as its name indicates, to maintain the borders of the Sudan under the British administration...