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==Aftermath==

==Aftermath==

After ten weeks of fighting, Graziani's 10th Army had been completely outfought and forced to relinquish most strongholds (Bardia, Tobruk, Derna, etc). The British Commonwealth and Free French forces had advanced 800 km, destroyed or captured about 400 tanks and 850 or 1,290 artillery pieces, and 100,000 or 130,000 (depending on the source) Italian and Libyan soldiers besides a vast quantity of other war material. Among the Italian captured were 22 generals. The Italian general staff and Graziani in his memoirs acknowledge 850 guns of all types lost and 100,000 captured, including 17,000 Libyan soldiers. The British and Commonwealth forces admit 494 dead and 1,225 wounded.

After ten weeks of fighting, Graziani's 10th Army had been completely outfought and forced to relinquish most strongholds (Bardia, Tobruk, Derna, etc). The British Commonwealth and Free French forces had advanced 800 km, destroyed or captured about 400 tanks and 850 or 1,290 artillery pieces, and 100,000 or 130,000 (depending on the source) Italian and Libyan soldiers besides a vast quantity of other war material. Among the Italian captured were 22 generals. The Italian general staff and Graziani in his memoirs acknowledge 960 guns of all types lost and 100,000 captured, including 17,000 Libyan soldiers. The British and Commonwealth forces admit 494 dead, 1,225 wounded and 43 captured or missing.

Contrary to expectations the British advance stopped short of capturing Tripoli and completely defeating the Italians in North Africa. As the British Commonwealth vanguards reached El Agheila, Churchill ordered that the offensive be stopped and infantry and armoured units dispatched urgently to defend northern Greece. The Greeks had most of their divisions pinned down in Albania containing Italian counteroffensives and a German invasion was soon expected to materialize through the undermanned Metaxas Line.

Contrary to expectations the British advance stopped short of capturing Tripoli and completely defeating the Italians in North Africa. As the British Commonwealth vanguards reached El Agheila, Churchill ordered that the offensive be stopped and infantry and armoured units dispatched urgently to defend northern Greece. The Greeks had most of their divisions pinned down in Albania containing Italian counteroffensives and a German invasion was soon expected to materialize through the undermanned Metaxas Line.

With the respite, the Italian Supreme Command is soon able to reinforce Italian strongholds in Libya. Among the Italian reinforcements were the 17th Pavia Infantry Division, the 25th Bologna Infantry Division and the 102nd Trento Motorised Division, making available about 150,000 Italian soldiers for the defence of Libya. The scene was set for protracted fighting. Also, on 10 January 1941, the British aircraft-carrier HMS Illustrious was disabled in a dive-bomber attack from German and Italian Stukas (with the former mainly equipped with smaller bombs) and haevy bombs from 96° Gruppo (under captain Ercolano Ercolani) hit the aft-lift, forcing the British carrier to limp back to Malta for repairs and allowing the German Afrika Korps to begin arriving in Tripoli (Operation Sonnenblume) unmolested.  

With the respite, the Italian Supreme Command is soon able to reinforce Italian strongholds in Libya. Among the Italian reinforcements were the 17th Pavia Infantry Division, the 25th Bologna Infantry Division and the 102nd Trento Motorised Division, making available about 150,000 Italian soldiers for the defence of Libya. The scene was set for protracted fighting. Also, on 10 January 1941, the British aircraft-carrier HMS Illustrious was disabled in a dive-bomber attack from German and Italian Stukas (with the former mainly equipped with smaller bombs) and heavy bombs from 96° Gruppo (under captain Ercolano Ercolani) hit the aft-lift, forcing the British carrier to limp back to Malta for repairs and allowing the German Afrika Korps (under General Erwin Rommel) to begin arriving in Tripoli (Operation Sonnenblume) unmolested.  

On 25 March 1941, General Italo Gariboldi formally replaced Marshal Rodolfo Graziani. Graziani had earlier on requested to be relieved of hsi command. In the last week of April, the Italian divisional commanders reviewed the Axis forces assembled at Benghazi with a TIME magazine correspondant reporting that a German officer harrangued the assembled officers and otsher ranks: ''"At the beginning of Italian-German cooperation on African soil, we swear to make the greatest effort for a joint victory for Great Germany and Great Italy. Long live Great Italy! Long live Great Germany!"'' The assembled troops were reported to have answered: ''"We swear it!"''

Rommel is determined to regain the intiative, and with General O'Connor stripped off air support in favour of Greece, the Regia Aeronautica plays a vital role in winning back air superiority, allowing the Afrika Korps to recover Benghazi, Derna, Mechili, Bardia, forcing the Australian 9th Division back to Tobruk where to the world's astonishment the Australians would valiantly resist and earn the nickname "Rats of Tobruk".<ref>"By the end of February 1941, 5th Squadra Aerea had more than 120 serviceable aircraft in Tripolitania, while the Luftwaffe had only 80 (20 Bf 110s and 60 Ju 87s). With this modest air support, Gen Rommel began an offensive on 24 March, and by 13 April had recaptured all of Cyrenaica with the exception of Tobruk. In the Skies of Europe: Air Forces Allied to the Luftwaffe 1939-1945, Hans Werner Neulen, p. 48, Crowood, 2000</ref><ref>"The Royal Air Force had sent the best squadrons in the Middle East to support the operations in Greece, leaving the bombers and fighters of the Regia Aeronautica a free hand to harass the retreating British mercilessly. Field Marshal: The Life and Death of Erwin Rommel, Daniel Allen Butler, p. 210, Casemate, 2015</ref>

== Notes ==

== Notes ==

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[[Category:War]] [[Category:World War II]]

[[Category:War]] [[Category:World War II]]