Western Desert Force rehearses the camp assault
Western Desert Force carried out a full-scale rehearsal near Mersa Matruh against marked-out versions of the Italian camp system. The exercise exposed timing and coordination problems while secrecy remained tight enough that most troops still did not know a real offensive was being prepared. Compass was planned around a short logistical reach. Wavell expected four or five days of operations because the force could carry only a limited reserve of fuel, water and ammunition beyond the railhead. The rehearsal therefore concentrated on breaking the camp system quickly enough to stay…
Continue in Operation Compass →
.jpg){kind=link}