Whirling Dervishes DTO (id:#57662)

Fanatic Enterprises (Fanatic Pack 1 ID: FE 4)   [next]   [previous]

Kufra, Libya 1941-02-17 (1 other)

Overview:

In the summer of 1940, DeGaulle’s newly formed Free French movement found itself fighting for both its survival and its existence. Through a combination of diplomacy and bod action, the French seized the French colony of Cameroon. Cameroon would be used as a jumping off point for French action against the Italians in Libya. The Italians had expended considerable resources in securing the interior of that formidable wasteland. The first logical target for the Free French was the garrison at the Kufra Oasis. The Italians had built a strong fort there named El-Taj and were able to control the surrounding desert including the only caravan route. The Free French assembled a battalion sized force to assault the fort consisting of 100 Europeans and 300 African troops. After a lengthy trek through some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world, the French arrived at Kufra on February 7, 1941. Over the next few days, the French surrounded the garrison of El-Taj. On the morning of February 17th, the Italian 19th Auto Saharan Company arrived to break the siege.

Defender: Free French (Compagnie Portee De Rennepornt, Le Clerc's Column)  

Errata (source)