Changes

Italian armored divisions fought well despite having few tanks, and those aptly described as 'steel coffins' by Germans soldiers. During [[Operation Crusader]] in late 1941, a US Army report to Washington noted the defiance of the ''Savona'' Division:{{cquote|All Italians captured on November 22 and 23 in the Omars belonged to the Savona Division and were reported to be tougher on the whole and better disciplined than the Italians of the Trento Division captured in December 1940 and June 1941. The prisoners were a well-clothed, well-disciplined group, who had put up a good fight and knew it. The 6 German and 52 Italian officers, as well as the 37 German technicians, were very bitter about their capture and would not speak.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/BattleOmars/BattleOmars_djvu.txt THE BATTLE OF THE OMARS]</ref>}}

Italian armored divisions fought well despite having few tanks, and those aptly described as 'steel coffins' by Germans soldiers. During [[Operation Crusader]] in late 1941, a US Army report to Washington noted the defiance of the ''Savona'' Division:{{cquote|All Italians captured on November 22 and 23 in the Omars belonged to the Savona Division and were reported to be tougher on the whole and better disciplined than the Italians of the Trento Division captured in December 1940 and June 1941. The prisoners were a well-clothed, well-disciplined group, who had put up a good fight and knew it. The 6 German and 52 Italian officers, as well as the 37 German technicians, were very bitter about their capture and would not speak.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/BattleOmars/BattleOmars_djvu.txt THE BATTLE OF THE OMARS]</ref>}}

The defeat of the British commando raid on Tobruk on September 14, 1942 (Operation ''Agreement''), was an Italian victory. It was their marines from the 1st ''San Marco'' Regiment, coastal artillery and Italian fighter-bombers that did the most damage to the supporting [[Tribal Class Destroyer HMS Sikh (F82)]], her sister ship HMS ''Zulu'' and Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs) involved, yet still today you can find countless fictional accounts of how it was a couple of German 88mm anti-aircraft guns and Luftwaffe aircraft that won the battle and sank the destroyers ''Sikh'', ''Zulu'' and MTBs.

[[Operation Agreement]], the defeat of the British commando raid on Tobruk on September 14, 1942, was an Italian victory. It was their marines from the 1st ''San Marco'' Regiment, coastal artillery and Italian fighter-bombers that did the most damage to the supporting [[Tribal Class Destroyer HMS Sikh (F82)]], her sister ship HMS ''Zulu'' and Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs) involved, yet still today you can find countless fictional accounts of how it was a couple of German 88mm anti-aircraft guns and Luftwaffe aircraft that won the battle and sank the destroyers ''Sikh'', ''Zulu'' and MTBs.

Despite the often heroic efforts by the Italian Navy described by Professor James  Sadkovich, fuel and other vital supplies were gradually denied to the Axis troops. Half of the convoys to North Africa were sunk by the Allies.

Despite the often heroic efforts by the Italian Navy and Merchant Marine, described by Professor James  Sadkovich, fuel and other vital supplies were gradually denied to the Axis troops. Half of the convoys to North Africa were sunk by the Allies.

The fall of the Tunis and Bizerte ports in Tunisia was inevitable, but [[US Army]] General [[Omar Bradley]] admitted that the American formations encountered serious opposition in the advance, writing that the Axis defenders were, ''"the elite of the German and Italian armies, desert hardened young men."''<ref>"Allied victory was inevitable, General Omar Bradley said, but it was not an easy victory. "The trapped enemy was the elite of the German and Italian armies, desert hardened young men who, "as the official British historian wrote, "fought with desperation of men who knew they could not retreat."  Forgotten Battles: Italy's War of Liberation, 1943-1945, Charles T. O'Reilly, p. 31, Lexington Books, 2001</ref>As a junior officer in the final stages of the North African fighting, future Deputy Director of the [[Central Intelligence Agency General]] (CIA) [[Vernon Walters]] interrogated captured Germans and Italians and concluded after one battle, ''"The Italians were from the Wolves of Tuscany Division, very tough."''<ref>"As an officer in North Africa, Vernon Walters interrogated captured Germans and Italians and concluded, "The Italians were from the Wolves of Tuscany Division, very tough." Forgotten Battles: Italy's War of Liberation, 1943-1945, Charles T. O'Reilly, p. 31, Lexington Books, 2001</ref>  

The fall of the Tunis and Bizerte ports in Tunisia was inevitable, but [[US Army]] General [[Omar Bradley]] admitted that the American formations encountered serious opposition in the advance, writing that the Axis defenders were, ''"the elite of the German and Italian armies, desert hardened young men."''<ref>"Allied victory was inevitable, General Omar Bradley said, but it was not an easy victory. "The trapped enemy was the elite of the German and Italian armies, desert hardened young men who, "as the official British historian wrote, "fought with desperation of men who knew they could not retreat."  Forgotten Battles: Italy's War of Liberation, 1943-1945, Charles T. O'Reilly, p. 31, Lexington Books, 2001</ref>As a junior officer in the final stages of the North African fighting, future Deputy Director of the [[Central Intelligence Agency General]] (CIA) [[Vernon Walters]] interrogated captured Germans and Italians and concluded after one battle, ''"The Italians were from the Wolves of Tuscany Division, very tough."''<ref>"As an officer in North Africa, Vernon Walters interrogated captured Germans and Italians and concluded, "The Italians were from the Wolves of Tuscany Division, very tough." Forgotten Battles: Italy's War of Liberation, 1943-1945, Charles T. O'Reilly, p. 31, Lexington Books, 2001</ref>