Combe Force
Encyclopedia
Combe Force, or Combeforce, was an ad hoc
flying column
formed by the British Army
for a specific purpose during the latter stages of Operation Compass
. Combe Force was formed to cut across the open desert of Cyrenaica
and cut off the retreating Italian Army
which was traveling along the coastal road, the Via Balbia
. Combe Force was formed for this one purpose during the early stages of the North African Campaign
in World War II
.
Michael O'Moore Creagh
towards the end of Operation Compass
.
In early December 1940, the British
launched the Operation Compass counterattack
against the Italian forces which had invaded Egypt in September
. At that time, the Italians advanced only as far as Sidi Barrani
and established defensive positions there in a series of fortified camps. These camps were overrun during the initial stages of Operation Compass. As Operation Compass progressed, Italian garrisons in Bardia
and then Tobruk
were isolated and captured. By February 1941, the remaining Italian forces in Cyrenaica
were withdrawing down the Via Balbia
with the British 7th Armored Division and the Australian 6th Infantry Division close behind.
Combe Force was created to cut across the open desert and block the escape route of the slow moving Italian columns as they traveled down the coastal highway from Benghazi
. Combe Force was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel John Combe
.
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
flying column
Flying column
A flying column is a small, independent, military land unit capable of rapid mobility and usually composed of all arms. It is often an ad hoc unit, formed during the course of operations....
formed by the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
for a specific purpose during the latter stages of Operation Compass
Operation Compass
Operation Compass was the first major Allied military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during World War II. British and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces in western Egypt and eastern Libya in December 1940 to February 1941. The attack was a complete success...
. Combe Force was formed to cut across the open desert of Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.Also known as Pentapolis in antiquity, it was part of the Creta et Cyrenaica province during the Roman period, later divided in Libia Pentapolis and Libia Sicca...
and cut off the retreating Italian Army
Royal Italian Army (1940–1946)
This article is about the Italian Royal Army which participated in World War II.The Italian Royal Army was reformed in 1861 and lasted until 1946. The Royal Army started with the unification of Italy and the formation of the Kingdom of Italy . It ended with the dissolution of the monarchy...
which was traveling along the coastal road, the Via Balbia
Via Balbia
The Libyan Coastal Highway is a highway that is the only major road that runs along the entire east-west length of the Libyan Mediterranean coastline...
. Combe Force was formed for this one purpose during the early stages of the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Creation
Combe Force was created by Major GeneralMajor General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Michael O'Moore Creagh
Michael O'Moore Creagh
Major-General Sir Michael O'Moore Creagh KBE MC, was a British soldier who served in both the First and Second World Wars. He commanded the 7th Armoured Division, the Desert Rats, between 1939 and 1941.-Early life:...
towards the end of Operation Compass
Operation Compass
Operation Compass was the first major Allied military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during World War II. British and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces in western Egypt and eastern Libya in December 1940 to February 1941. The attack was a complete success...
.
In early December 1940, the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
launched the Operation Compass counterattack
Counterattack
A counterattack is a tactic used in response against an attack. The term originates in military strategy. The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy in attack and the specific objectives are usually to regain lost ground or to destroy attacking enemy units.It is...
against the Italian forces which had invaded Egypt in September
Italian invasion of Egypt
The Italian Invasion of Egypt was an Italian offensive action against British, Commonwealth and Free French forces during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. Initially, the goal of the offensive was to seize the Suez Canal. To accomplish this, Italian forces from Libya would have...
. At that time, the Italians advanced only as far as Sidi Barrani
Sidi Barrani
Sidi Barrani is a town in Egypt, near the Mediterranean Sea, about east of the border with Libya, and around from Tobruk, Libya.Probably named after Sidi Mohammed el Barrani, a Senussi fighter in the early 1900s, the village is mainly a Bedouin community...
and established defensive positions there in a series of fortified camps. These camps were overrun during the initial stages of Operation Compass. As Operation Compass progressed, Italian garrisons in Bardia
Bardia
Bardia is a geographic region in the Democratic Republic of Nepal.Bardia comprises a portion of the Terai, or lowland hills and valleys of southern Nepal. The Terai is over 1,000 feet in elevation, and extends all along the Indian border...
and then Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
were isolated and captured. By February 1941, the remaining Italian forces in Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.Also known as Pentapolis in antiquity, it was part of the Creta et Cyrenaica province during the Roman period, later divided in Libia Pentapolis and Libia Sicca...
were withdrawing down the Via Balbia
Via Balbia
The Libyan Coastal Highway is a highway that is the only major road that runs along the entire east-west length of the Libyan Mediterranean coastline...
with the British 7th Armored Division and the Australian 6th Infantry Division close behind.
Combe Force was created to cut across the open desert and block the escape route of the slow moving Italian columns as they traveled down the coastal highway from Benghazi
Benghazi
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
. Combe Force was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel John Combe
John Frederick Boyce Combe
Major-General John Frederick Boyce Combe CB DSO & Bar was a British Army officer before and during World War II. He was twice awarded the DSO for his service in the Western Desert Campaign before being captured in April 1941 and spending nearly two and a half years as a prisoner of war in Italy...
.
Composition
Because speed was of the essence and because the available British tanks needed more time for replenishment, Combe Force was to consist of formations which utlilized wheeled vehicles. The composition of Combe Force was as follows:- 11th Hussars11th HussarsThe 11th Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army.-History:The regiment was founded in 1715 as Colonel Philip Honeywood's Regiment of Dragoons and was known by the name of its Colonel until 1751 when it became the 11th Regiment of Dragoons...
- 2nd Rifle Brigade - From the 7th Support Group7th Support Group (United Kingdom).The 7th Support Group was a brigade size formation within the British 7th Armoured Division.-History:The 7th Support Group provided whatever support the division's armoured brigades needed for the operation in hand...
- C Battery 4th Royal Horse ArtilleryRoyal Horse ArtilleryThe regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
(RHA) with 25-pounder gunsOrdnance QF 25 pounderThe Ordnance QF 25 pounder, or more simply, 25-pounder or 25-pdr, was introduced into service just before World War II, during which it served as the major British field gun/howitzer. It was considered by many to be the best field artillery piece of the war, combining high rates of fire with a...
- From the 7th Support Group - 106th Battery RHA with nine 37 mm anti-tank guns porteePorteeA portee is a truck that carries a gun on its bed, such that the gun is not affixed permanently to the vehicle, can be quickly unloaded, and can be fired from the truck....
mounted on trucks
See also
- Italian Tenth Army
- British 7th Armoured Division