Battle of Kufra (1941)

Battle of Kufra
Part of Operation Compass, during the Second World War
Map showing Kufra in south-east Libya
Date 31 January – 1 March 1941 Location Kufra, Libya Coordinates: 24°11′N 23°17′E / 24.183°N 23.283°E / 24.183; 23.283 Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Free France  United Kingdom	Italy
Commanders and leaders
Col. Philippe Leclerc	Capt. Colonna
Strength
1 FFF Battalion (350 men) 1 LRDG (76 men) 60 trucks	2 Italian Askari Company (310 men) 1 Auto-Saharan Company (120 men) 20 trucks 4 aircraft
Casualties and losses
4 killed 21 wounded	3 killed 4 wounded 282 captured 3 aircraft destroyed

The Capture of Kufra/Prise de Koufra (Koufra, Cufra) was part of the Allied Western Desert Campaign during the Second World War. Kufra is a basin and oasis group in the Kufra District of south-eastern Cyrenaica in the Libyan Desert. In 1940, it was part of the colony of Libia Italiana. Libia Italiana was part of Africa Settentrionale Italiana (ASI), which was established in 1934. The battle (31 January – 1 March 1941), resulted in the capture of Kufra by Free French Forces and the British Long Range Desert Group from the Italian and Libyan garrison.

Kufra, in the Libyan Desert subregion of the Sahara, was an important trade and travel centre for the nomadic desert peoples of the region, including 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 the Italian North Africa (Africa Settentrionale Italiana) colonization of the Maghreb. The Italian post at Kufra included the Buma airfield and radio station, used for air supply and communications with Italian East Africa and a fort at the nearby village of El Tag.

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