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Operation Compass 1940-1941

The Battle for Bardia - Western Desert 1941

Operation Compass ran from December 1940 to February 1941. The Battle for Bardia saw the British defeat a numerically superior Axis force in a strongly fortified position with a combined infantry and tank force supported by the Royal Artillery and Royal Navy. The battle lasted from the 3rd to the 5th January 1941. Approximately 40,000 prisoners were captured.

Operation Compass went on to be a complete success seeing the British advance from inside Egypt up through eastern Libya. Approximately 115,000 Italian prisoners were taken and a massive amount of Axis equipment captured or destroyed. Most importantly the port of Tobruk was captured on 22nd January 1941.

The kit is the Resicast 6 inch Howitzer, 26cwt on the MkIP carriage, that came out last year and the seated figure is from Sovereign and the standing chap from Resicast, who also helped out with the ammo stowage. The base is a re-cycled job that once held an SAS jeep.

The kit represents a 6 inch howitzer of 234 Battery, 68 Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA) just arrived on the gun line on a cold desert morning prior to the start of the battle.

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