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→Battle of Beda Fomm
On 5 February, Combe Force arrived at the Benghazi–Tripoli road and set up road blocks near Sidi Saleh, some 20 miles (32 km) north of Ajedabia and 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Antelat. The leading elements of the Italian Tenth Army arrived some 30 minutes later and were forced to come to a halt. On the evening, 4th Armoured Brigade had reached Beda Fomm, overlooking the coastal road some 10 miles (16 km) to the north of them, while 7th Armoured Support Group took a more northerly route to threaten the retreating Italian Tenth Army's flank and rear and prevent a breakout across the desert. Under the cover of darkness, the Italian force regrouped and counter-attacked. The fighting was intense and at times threatened to break through the British lines.
On 5 February, Combe Force arrived at the Benghazi–Tripoli road and set up road blocks near Sidi Saleh, some 20 miles (32 km) north of Ajedabia and 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Antelat. The leading elements of the Italian Tenth Army arrived some 30 minutes later and were forced to come to a halt. On the evening, 4th Armoured Brigade had reached Beda Fomm, overlooking the coastal road some 10 miles (16 km) to the north of them, while 7th Armoured Support Group took a more northerly route to threaten the retreating Italian Tenth Army's flank and rear and prevent a breakout across the desert. Under the cover of darkness, the Italian force regrouped and counter-attacked. The fighting was intense and at times threatened to break through the British lines.
The fighting lasted 30 hours, and Combe Force managed to hold off about 15,000 or 25,000 (depending on the source) Italian soldiers supported by 120 medium tanks, 75 field guns and 50 anti-tank guns. In this engagement, the 10th Bersaglieri Regiment nearly overruns the British infantry headquarters in a counterattack. ("...the Italians mounted a series of fierce night attacks against the 2nd Rifle Brigade's positions at Sidi Saleh. Although the first attack penetrated the Rifle Brigade's defences the onslaught was held, the combination of mines anti-tank fire and the 25-pounders of the RHA proving too strong even for the gallant Bersaglieri. The attacks continued, accompanied by heavy Italian shellfire, on the morning of 7 February, and once again the Rifle Brigade positions were penetrated. this time by M13 tanks, one of which was only halted outside battalion headquarters." The Longest Siege: Tobruk, The Battle That Saved North Africa, Robert Lyman, p. 73, Pan Australia, 2009)
==Battle of Giarabub==
==Battle of Giarabub==