Across the Wire

On the afternoon of June 10th, Italy declared war upon France and England. At a single stroke, the fight had leapt beyond the confines of Europe to become a "world" conflict. On the 16th, two troops of B Squadron, 11th Hussars, were patrolling the frontier when one of …

1940-06-16

A061

On the afternoon of June 10th, Italy declared war upon France and England. At a single stroke, the fight had leapt beyond the confines of Europe to become a "world" conflict. On the 16th, two troops of B Squadron, 11th Hussars, were patrolling the frontier when one of the drivers spotted an Italian column of tanks and trucks, loaded with infantry, moving north along the track on the Libyan side toward Fort Capuzzo. This was reported by radio to the Squadron HQ, even as the leader of the second troop spotted another column eastbound on a converging course. Altogether, the British now had 29 Italian tanks and 70 trucks in view. The Squadron CO ordered an immediate withdrawal. But the first troop had already moved through a gap in the frontier wire and opened fire on the Italians.

Nezvet Ghirba, Libya

Fort Capuzzo was a fort in the colony of Italian Libya, near the Libyan-Egyptian border, next to the Italian Frontier Wire. The Litoranea Balbo (Via Balbia) ran south from Bardia to Fort Capuzzo, 13 km (8 mi) inland, west of Sollum, then east across the Egyptian frontier to the port, over the coastal escarpment. The fort was built during Italian colonial repression of Senussi resistance in the Second Italo-Senussi War (1923–1931), as part of a barrier on the Libya-Egypt and Libya-Sudan borders. The Frontier Wire and a series of forts including Fort Capuzzo, were used to stop the Senussi from moving freely across the border. The fort had four crenellated walls enclosing a yard. Living quarters had been built around the edges and provided the base for border guards and Italian army armoured car patrols. A track ran south from the fort, just west of the frontier wire and the border, to Sidi Omar, Fort Maddalena and Giarabub. The fort changed hands several times during the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) of the Second World War.

British

Italian

Scenario Type = Standard