Operation Compass

E10520

World War II battle military operation

Operation Compass was a major early World War II British-led offensive in North Africa that resulted in a decisive defeat of Italian forces in Egypt and eastern Libya.

Aliases (1)

British Operation Compass ×1

Statements (47)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	World War II battle → military operation →
alsoKnownAs	First British offensive in the Western Desert →
battle	Battle of Bardia → Battle of Beda Fomm → Battle of Nibeiwa → Battle of Sidi Barrani → Battle of Tobruk (1941) →
belligerent	British Empire → Commonwealth forces → Italy → United Kingdom →
campaign	Cyrenaica campaign →
capturedEquipment	large quantities of Italian tanks and guns →
casualtiesInflicted	tens of thousands of Italian prisoners →
codeName	Compass →
commander	Archibald Wavell → Richard O'Connor →
conflict	Western Desert Campaign →
country	United Kingdom →
endDate	1941-02-09 →
followedBy	Operation Sonnenblume → arrival of Afrika Korps in North Africa →
front	North African front →
historicalPeriod	World War II →
location	Egypt → Western Desert → eastern Libya →
militaryUnit	10th Army (Italy) → Western Desert Force →
notableFor	outnumbered British force defeating larger Italian army → use of mobile desert warfare tactics →
objective	destroy Italian Tenth Army in Cyrenaica → drive Italian forces out of Egypt →
opposingCommander	Italo Gariboldi → Rodolfo Graziani →
opposingCountry	Kingdom of Italy →
partOf	North African Campaign →
precededBy	Italian invasion of Egypt →
result	decisive British victory → defeat of Italian Tenth Army →
startDate	1940-12-09 →
strategicConsequence	collapse of Italian position in Cyrenaica → prompted German intervention in North Africa →
theatre	Mediterranean theatre of World War II →
year	1940 → 1941 →

Referenced by (12)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
Cyrenaica campaign → Middle East theatre of World War II → North African campaign →	hasPart
7th Armoured Division → Western Desert →	notableBattle
Battle of Bardia →	campaign
Operation Sonnenblume ("British Operation Compass") →	followed
Italian invasion of Egypt →	followedBy
Battle of Sidi Barrani →	hasOperationName
Battle of Sidi Barrani →	isPhaseOf
10th Army (Italy) →	notableEngagement
Battle of Nibeiwa →	operation