Action at Bir el Gubi (December 1941)

Action at Bir el Gubi (December 1941)
	Part of Operation Crusader during the Second World War
	; Members of the Battalion Group "Giovani Fascisti" operating a Mod. 35 (81 mm) mortar in North Africa.
Date	4–6 December 1941
Location	Bir el Gubi, Italian Libya31°32′15″N 24°01′51″E / 31.5374°N 24.0307°E
Result	Axis victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Italy; Germany
Commanders and leaders
Willoughby Norrie; Andrew Anderson	Ferdinando Tanucci (WIA); Ludwig Crüwell; Walter Neumann (DOW)
Strength
11th Indian Infantry Brigade; 16 Valentine tanks; 1 battery of field guns; 1 battery of anti-tank guns; 2 troops of Bofors AA guns; Artillery support from 7th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery	Battalion Group "Giovani Fascisti"; 1,454 men; 10 guns; 2 tanks and 12 tankettes; Later reinforced by 49 Panzers
Casualties and losses
300 killed; 250 wounded; 71 prisoners; 10 tanks	60 killed; 117 wounded; 31 missing and prisoners 10 tankettes

The Action at Bir el Gubi (December 1941) was fought in World War II in Libya, between 4 and 6 December 1941, by the Battalion Group "Giovani Fascisti", a unit of the Royal Italian Army, and the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade, part of the British Indian Army. Fighting centred on two positions, Point 174 and Point 182, which were being held by the Giovani Fascisti. The attacking 11th Indian Brigade quickly overran Point 182, but the defenders of Point 174 successfully fought off a series of assaults, inflicting heavy casualties. The Italian position was later re-enforced by German armour. While the action is viewed as a success for the defending Italians, it was a relatively small engagement within a much larger battle, Operation Crusader, which was a major Allied victory.