About: Operation Compass

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On 19 June 1940, in the first recorded dogfight over North Africa, five CR.42s from 84a Squadriglia of the Tobruk-based 10° Gruppo that were escorting Breda Ba.65 light-bombers encountered four Gladiators from No. 33 Squadron and a Hurricane from No. 80 Squadron. In the encounter that followed, Sergeant Giuseppe Scaglione successfully attacked the Gladiator of Sergeant Roy Leslie who is lost with the aircraft, but the Italians lose two CR.42s and their pilots (Lieutenant-Colonel Armando Piragino and Sergeant-Major Ugo Corsi).

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rdfs:label	Operation Compass
rdfs:comment	On 19 June 1940, in the first recorded dogfight over North Africa, five CR.42s from 84a Squadriglia of the Tobruk-based 10° Gruppo that were escorting Breda Ba.65 light-bombers encountered four Gladiators from No. 33 Squadron and a Hurricane from No. 80 Squadron. In the encounter that followed, Sergeant Giuseppe Scaglione successfully attacked the Gladiator of Sergeant Roy Leslie who is lost with the aircraft, but the Italians lose two CR.42s and their pilots (Lieutenant-Colonel Armando Piragino and Sergeant-Major Ugo Corsi).
sameAs	dbr:Operation_Compass
dcterms:subject	1941 1940 North African Campaign
abstract	On 19 June 1940, in the first recorded dogfight over North Africa, five CR.42s from 84a Squadriglia of the Tobruk-based 10° Gruppo that were escorting Breda Ba.65 light-bombers encountered four Gladiators from No. 33 Squadron and a Hurricane from No. 80 Squadron. In the encounter that followed, Sergeant Giuseppe Scaglione successfully attacked the Gladiator of Sergeant Roy Leslie who is lost with the aircraft, but the Italians lose two CR.42s and their pilots (Lieutenant-Colonel Armando Piragino and Sergeant-Major Ugo Corsi). In the last week of June 1940, the pilots of the Aeronautica della Libia 2° Stormo report having shot down six Royal Air Force (RAF) Blenheim bombers, losing one CR.42 when Second Lieutenant Gianmario Zuccarini was forced to make a forced landing. The British admit the loss of two Blenheims near Tobruk (L5850 and L8522), lost on 21 and 29 June along with their crews (Sergeant B. T. M. Baker, Corporal W. C. Royle, Leading Aircraftman A. F. Crohill and Flight Lieutenant J. B. W. Smith in the first aircraft and Sergeant R. H. Knott, Sergeant J. D. Barber and Leading Aircraftman J. P. Toner in the second aircraft). During July 1940, the RAF admits the loss of another three Blenheims, L8529 (Flight Lieutenant A. M. Bentley injured, Sergeant J. F. Taylor killed) on 5 July, L1491 (Pilot Officer E. Garrad-Cole, Leading Aircraftman W. B. Smith and Aircraftman 2nd Class E. P. Doolin, all captured) on 15 July, and L6661 (Sergeant G. B. Smith, Sergeant R. A. Steele and Sergeant G. A. Sewell, all killed) on 23 July. On 13 September 1940, the Italian 10th Army attacked Egypt with over five divisions. The original plan was for Libya's governor Marshal Italo Balbo to capture the Suez Canal although Balbo hesitated. Balbo was shot down and killed on 28 September, when the S.79 that he was flying from Derna was hit by the battle-cruiser RM San Giorgio immediately after a British air raid. His replacement, Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, followed the orders Benito Mussolini gave, and attacked with the new mission to capture Mersa Matruh. They met mixed resistance and in only three days, the advance stopped to await reinforcements. To counter the Italian gains, the British then launched compass on 8 December, and subsequently won the every engagement. In total, some 500 British Commonwealth troops were killed, 1,300 wounded and 50 reported missing or captured. The Italians and Libyans on the other hand were dealt a crippling blow, losing 3,000 killed, 100,000or 150,000 captured (depending on the source), 700 or 1,200 aircraft, 845 or 1,290 field guns and 200 or 400 tanks.

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