North African Campaign timeline
Encyclopedia
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 CapuzzoFort CapuzzoFort Capuzzo was a fort in the Italiancolony of Libya, near the Libyan-Egyptian border. It is famous for its role during the World War II.Within a week of Italy's 10 June 1940 declaration of war upon Britain, the British Army's 11th Hussars captured Fort Capuzzo...
- 16 June: The first tank battle of the North African Campaign takes place, the "Battle of Girba"
- 13 September: Italian forces invade EgyptItalian invasion of EgyptThe Italian Invasion of Egypt was an Italian offensive action against British, Commonwealth and Free French forces during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. Initially, the goal of the offensive was to seize the Suez Canal. To accomplish this, Italian forces from Libya would have...
from LibyaLibyaLibya 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.... - 16 September: Italian forces establish front east of Sidi BarraniSidi BarraniSidi Barrani is a town in Egypt, near the Mediterranean Sea, about east of the border with Libya, and around from Tobruk, Libya.Probably named after Sidi Mohammed el Barrani, a Senussi fighter in the early 1900s, the village is mainly a Bedouin community...
- 9 December: British and Indian forces launch Operation CompassOperation CompassOperation Compass was the first major Allied military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during World War II. British and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces in western Egypt and eastern Libya in December 1940 to February 1941. The attack was a complete success...
with the Battle of Marmarica (Battle of the camps) - 9 December: Indian forces capture Nibeiwa with cover from British artillery
- 9 December: British tanks and Indian troops overrun Tummar West followed by Tummar East
- 10 December: Indian forces capture Sidi BarraniSidi BarraniSidi Barrani is a town in Egypt, near the Mediterranean Sea, about east of the border with Libya, and around from Tobruk, Libya.Probably named after Sidi Mohammed el Barrani, a Senussi fighter in the early 1900s, the village is mainly a Bedouin community...
with support from British artillery - 11 December: British armored forces arrived in Sofafi, but Libyan and Italian divisions had escaped
- 16 December: Sollum captured by Allies
1941
- 5 January: BardiaBardiaBardia is a geographic region in the Democratic Republic of Nepal.Bardia comprises a portion of the Terai, or lowland hills and valleys of southern Nepal. The Terai is over 1,000 feet in elevation, and extends all along the Indian border...
captured by British and Australian force - 22 January: TobrukTobrukTobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
captured by British and Australian force - 30 January: Australians capture Derna, LibyaLibyaLibya 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....
- 5 February: Beda FommBeda FommBeda Fomm is a small coastal town in southwestern Cyrenaica, Libya located between the much larger port city Benghazi to its north and the larger town of El Agheila further to the southwest...
captured by British - 6 February;
- Fall of BenghaziBenghaziBenghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
to the Western Desert ForceWestern Desert ForceThe Western Desert Force, during World War II, was a British Commonwealth army formation stationed in Egypt.On 17 June 1940, the headquarters of the British 6th Infantry Division was designated as the Western Desert Force. The unit consisted of the 7th Armoured Division and the Indian 4th Infantry...
. - Lieutenant-General Erwin RommelErwin RommelErwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
is appointed commander of Afrika KorpsAfrika KorpsThe German Africa Corps , or the Afrika Korps as it was popularly called, was the German expeditionary force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II...
.
- Fall of Benghazi
- 7 February: Italian Tenth ArmyItalian Tenth ArmyThe Italian Tenth Army was one of two Italian armies in Italian North Africa during World War II. The Tenth Army in Cyrenaica faced the British in the neutral Kingdom of Egypt...
surrenders - 9 February: ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
orders halt to British and Australian advance at El AgheilaEl AgheilaEl Agheila is a coastal city at the bottom of the Gulf of Sidra in far western Cyrenaica, Libya. In 1988 it was placed in Ajdabiya District; between 1995 and 2001 the district name is not known; however, it was again placed into Ajdabiya District in 2001...
to allow withdrawal of troops to GreeceBattle of GreeceThe Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles... - 14 February: First units of the Afrika KorpsAfrika KorpsThe German Africa Corps , or the Afrika Korps as it was popularly called, was the German expeditionary force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II...
under Erwin RommelErwin RommelErwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
start to arrive in LibyaLibyaLibya 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....
during Operation SonnenblumeOperation SonnenblumeOperation Sonnenblume was the deployment of German troops to North Africa in February 1941, during the Second World War... - 24 March: Allied forces at El Agheila defeated; Erwin RommelErwin RommelErwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
starts his advance - 3 April: BenghaziBenghaziBenghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
captured by Axis - 6 April: British 3rd Armored Brigade is captured in Derna
- 8 April: British, Indian and Australian forces captured at Mechili
- 10 April: Siege of TobrukSiege of TobrukThe siege of Tobruk was a confrontation that lasted 240 days between Axis and Allied forces in North Africa during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War...
begins with Australian, British and Indian forces defending - 15 April: British forces are pushed back to Sollum on Egyptian border with Libya
- 30 April: Australian forces lose a small part of their positions in Tobruk during the Battle of Salient, roughly a 6th of Tobruk is now held by Germans
- 3 May: Australian forces counter attack in Tobruk unsuccessfully
- 15 May: British troops launch Operation BrevityOperation BrevityOperation Brevity was a limited offensive conducted in mid-May 1941, during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. Conceived by the commander-in-chief of the British Middle East Command, General Archibald Wavell, Brevity was intended to be a rapid blow against weak Axis front-line...
to gain more territory from which to launch Operation BattleaxeOperation BattleaxeOperation Battleaxe was a British Army operation during the Second World War in June 1941 with the goal of clearing eastern Cyrenaica of German and Italian forces; one of the main benefits of this would have been the lifting of the Siege of Tobruk....
later in the year - 16 May: Italian forces attack Australian forces in Tobruk forcing them to withdraw
- 16 May: Operation Brevity called off. Allied forces fall back onto the Halfaya Pass, captured the previous day
- 26 May: German forces launch Operation SkorpionOperation SkorpionAfter a small lull in the fighting following Operation Brevity, the Germans deployed three assault groups up in front of Halfaya Pass during the evening of 26 May and attacked the next morning. The Coldstream Guards and supporting units fought well but could not stop the Germans from securing a...
and move up to Halfaya Pass - 27 May: German forces recapture Halfaya Pass; British troops are forced to withdraw
- 15 June: British and Indian troops launch unsuccessful Operation BattleaxeOperation BattleaxeOperation Battleaxe was a British Army operation during the Second World War in June 1941 with the goal of clearing eastern Cyrenaica of German and Italian forces; one of the main benefits of this would have been the lifting of the Siege of Tobruk....
- 5 July: AuchinleckClaude AuchinleckField Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE , nicknamed "The Auk", was a British army commander during World War II. He was a career soldier who spent much of his military career in India, where he developed a love of the country and a lasting affinity for the soldiers...
replaces Wavell as C-in-C Middle East CommandMiddle East CommandThe Middle East Command was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to defend British interests in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean region.The... - 15 August: German Panzer Group Afrika activated with RommelErwin RommelErwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
in Command - 1 October: 5th Light Division redesignated 21st Panzer Division
- 18 November: Auchinleck'sClaude AuchinleckField Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE , nicknamed "The Auk", was a British army commander during World War II. He was a career soldier who spent much of his military career in India, where he developed a love of the country and a lasting affinity for the soldiers...
offensive (Operation CrusaderOperation CrusaderOperation Crusader was a military operation by the British Eighth Army between 18 November–30 December 1941. The operation successfully relieved the 1941 Siege of Tobruk....
) begins with British, Indian, South African and New Zealander forces - 21 November: British armored division defeated at Sidi Rezegh and withdraws
- 22 November;
- New Zealand forces attack Bir Ghirba but are unsuccessful
- Indian forces capture Sidi Omar
- 23 November: New Zealand forces capitalize on Indian advances to wreck Afrika Korps HQ at Bir el Chleta
- 23 November:
- Rommell launches Panzer attacks on the British XXX Corps, but face resistance from SA, NZ and British forces
- British and NZ forces withdraw towards Bir el Gubi
- 25 November:
- Panzer attack on Indian forces at Sidi Omar is repulsed
- In the second attack in the evening, Indian forces destroy the 5th Panzer Division
- 26 November: RitchieNeil RitchieGeneral Sir Neil Methuen Ritchie GBE, KCB, DSO, MC, KStJ was a senior British army officer during the Second World War.-Military career:...
replaces CunninghamAlan Gordon CunninghamGeneral Sir Alan Gordon Cunningham GCMG, KCB, DSO, MC was a British Army officer, noted for victories over Italian forces in the East African Campaign during the Second World War. Later he was the seventh and last High Commissioner of Palestine...
as commander Eighth Army - 27 November: New Zealand troops at Sidi Azeiz defeated by overwhelming advance of Panzers and German infantry
- 28 November: 15th Panzer despite being outnumbered 2:1 force British tanks to retreat exposing the New Zealand forces at Ed Duda on the Tobruk by-pass
- 1 December: New Zealand troops in Sidi Rezegh suffer heavy casualties by Panzers
- 3 December:
- German infantry suffers heavy defeat at the hand of New Zealand forces on the Bardia road near Menastir
- German forces suffer losses against Indian forces and forced to withdraw at Capuzzo (Trigh Capuzzo)
- 4 December:
- NZ forces repulse German attack on Ed Duda
- Indian forces face attrition in an uphill attempt to capture Point 174 against entrenched Italian forces without artillery support
- 7 December: Tobruk siege relieved by 8th Army consisting of British, Indian, New Zealander and South African forces
- 13 December;
- 8th Army attacks Gazala line
- NZ forces stopped at Alem Hamza
- Indian forces take Point 204
- Indian infantry face Afrika Korps and against heavy odds destroy 15 of 39 Panzers
- 14 December: Indian troops repel repeated Panzer attacks on Point 204
- 15 December: German advance overruns British forces en route to Point 204, but Indian forces at Point 204 hold on
- 16 December: Rommel facing reduced Panzer numbers orders withdrawal from the Gazala line
- 24 December: British forces capture BenghaziBenghaziBenghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
- 25 December: Agedabia reached by the Allies
- 27 December: Rommel inflicts heavy damage on British armour who have to withdraw allowing Rommel to fall back to El Agheila
- 31 December: Front lines return to El Agheila
1942
- 21 January;
- Rommel's second offensive begins
- A lone He 111 of the Sonderkommando BlaichSonderkommando BlaichThe Sonderkommando Blaich was a German air raid carried out by a lone Heinkel He 111 medium bomber against Free French–controlled Fort Lamy in the Chad region of French Equatorial Africa....
successfully bombs the Fort Lamy air field
- 23 January: Agedabia captured by Axis forces
- 29 January: Benghazi captured by Axis forces
- 4 February: Front line established between GazalaGazalaGazala, or Ain el Gazala , is a small Libyan village near the coast in the northeastern portion of the country. It is located west of Tobruk....
and Bir Hakeim - 26 May: Axis forces assault the Gazala line, the Battle of GazalaBattle of GazalaThe Battle of Gazala was an important battle of the Second World War Western Desert Campaign, fought around the port of Tobruk in Libya from 26 May-21 June 1942...
and Battle of Bir HakeimBattle of Bir HakeimBir Hakeim is a remote oasis in the Libyan desert, and the former site of a Turkish fort. During the Battle of Gazala, the 1st Free French Division of General Marie Pierre Kœnig defended the site from 26 May-11 June 1942 against attacking German and Italian forces directed by Lieutenant-General ...
begins - 11 June: Axis forces begin offensive from "the Cauldron" position
- 13 June: "Black Sunday". Axis inflicts heavy defeat on British armoured divisions
- 21 June: TobrukTobrukTobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
captured by Axis forces - 30 June: Axis reaches El AlameinEl AlameinEl Alamein is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. As of 2007, it has a local population of 7,397 inhabitants.- Climate :...
and attack, the First Battle of El AlameinFirst Battle of El AlameinThe First Battle of El Alamein was a battle of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, fought between Axis forces of the Panzer Army Africa commanded by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, and Allied forces The First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942) was a battle of the Western Desert...
begins - 4 July: First Battle of El Alamein continues as Axis digs in and Eighth Army launch series of attacks
- 31 July: Auchinleck calls off offensive activities to allow Eighth Army to regroup and resupply
- 13 August: Alexander and Montgomery take command respectively of Middle East CommandMiddle East CommandThe Middle East Command was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to defend British interests in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean region.The...
and Eighth ArmyEighth Army (United Kingdom)The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns.... - 30 August: Rommel launches unsuccessful Battle of Alam el Halfa
- 23 October: Montgomery launches Operation Lightfoot starting the Second Battle of El AlameinSecond Battle of El AlameinThe Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
- 5 November: Axis lines at El Alamein broken
- 8 November: Operation TorchOperation TorchOperation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
is launched under the command of General EisenhowerDwight D. EisenhowerDwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, Allied forces land in MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. - 9 November: Sidi Barani captured by Eighth Army
- 13 November: TobrukTobrukTobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
captured by Eighth Army - 15 November: British forces capture Derna.
- 17 November: First Army (Operation Torch's Eastern Task Force) and Axis meet at Djebel Abiod in TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
- 20 November: Benghazi captured by Eighth Army
- 27 November: First Army advance halted between Terbourba and Djedeida, 12 miles from TunisTunisTunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
, by Axis counterattack - 10 December: First Army front line pushed back to defensive positions east of Medjez el Bab
- 22 December: First Army starts three day offensive towards Tebourba which fails
- 25 December: SirteSirteSirte is a city in LibyaSirte may also refer to:* Sirte Declaration, a 1999 resolution to create the African Union* Sirte Oil Company, a Libyan oil companyIn geography:* Gulf of Sirte, alias for Gulf of Sidra on Libya's coast...
captured by Eighth Army
1943
- 23 January: TripoliTripoliTripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
captured by British Eighth Army - 30 January: Axis forces capture Faïd pass in central Tunisia
- 4 February: Axis forces in LibyaLibyaLibya 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....
retreat to TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
n border south of the Mareth LineMareth LineThe Mareth Line was a system of fortifications built by the French between the towns of Medenine and Gabès in southern Tunisia, prior to World War II... - 14 February: Axis advance from Faïd to launch Battle of Sidi Bou ZidBattle of Sidi Bou ZidThe Battle of Sidi Bou Zid was a World War II battle that took place during the Tunisia Campaign. The battle was fought between forces of Nazi Germany and forces of the United States. The German forces included the 10th Panzer Division and the 21st Panzer Division of the Fifth Panzer Army...
and enter Sbeitla two days later - 19 February: Battle of Kasserine Pass launched by Axis forces
- 6 March: Axis launch Operation CapriOperation CapriThe Battle of Medenine, also known as Operation Capri, was a German counter-attack at Medenine, Tunisia, intended to disrupt and delay the 8th Army's attack on the Mareth Line. The German attack started on 6 March 1943, failed to make much impression and was abandoned at dusk on the same day...
against Eighth Army at Medenine but lose 55 tanks - 19 March: Eighth Army launches Operation PugilistOperation PugilistOperation Pugilist was an Allied operation in Tunisia during the Second World War. In his General Plan, General Bernard Montgomery stated "...the object of operation Pugilist is to destroy the enemy now opposing Eighth Army in the Mareth position, and to advance and capture Sfax." Pugilist itself...
- 16 March: Battle of Mareth begins
- 23 March: U.S. II Corps emerge from Kasserine to match the Axis at Battle of El GuettarBattle of El GuettarThe Battle of El Guettar was a World War II battle that took place during the Tunisia Campaign, fought between elements of the Army Group Afrika under Jürgen von Arnim and U.S. II Corps under Lieutenant General George Patton in south-central Tunisia. It was the first battle in which U.S...
. Battle of Mareth ends. - 26 March: Eighth Army launch Operation Supercharge II outflanking and making the Axis position at Mareth untenable. Battle of Tebaga Gap takes place.
- 6 April: Right wing of First Army links with Eighth Army. Battle of Wadi Akarit takes place.
- 22 April: Allied forces launch Operation VulcanOperation VulcanDuring the Second World War, Operation Vulcan was the final ground attack against German forces in Tunis, Cap Bon, and Bizerte, Tunisia, the last Axis toeholds in North Africa. German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel believed that the Axis position in Tunisia was untenable, and he had recommended the...
- 6 May: Allied forces launch Operation Strike
- 7 May: British enter TunisTunisTunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
, Americans enter BizerteBizerteBizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:... - 13 May: Axis PowersAxis PowersThe Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
surrender in Tunisia.