ABSTRACT
As a lieutenant general in command of the Western Desert Force, O’Connor was responsible for countering the Italian invasion of Egypt in 1940. When the Italian advance bogged down, O’Connor used his time well in preparing a counterstroke. On 9 December 1940, O’Connor opened Operation COMPASS. Within two days, O’Connor’s forces smashed Italian resistance at the battle of Sidi Barrani (q.v.). In spite of the with drawal of the Indian 4th Division by the British high command, O’Connor pushed the Italians back into Libya. In January 1941, O’Connor re organized the Western Desert Force and launched a sharp blow on the Italian fortress of Bardia (q.v.). The fortress fell in two days. Next, O’Connor cap tured Tobruk (q.v.) on 21 January 1941. Finally, O’Connor’s forces captured some 20,000 Italians at Beda Fomm (q.v.) in February 1941. The Brit ish and Australians suffered only nine killed and fifteen wounded in that battle. In a period of ten weeks O’Connor’s forces captured some 130,000 Italian and Libyan troops, and nearly 400 tanks.
