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The Battle of Bardia was fought for three days in the beginning of January of the year 1941 and ended in an Allied victory over Italian forces. The whole fo the battle lasted a total of two days. It was the first battle in which the Australian Army took part. The battle was part of Operation Compass and was important because it if the Allies were to win against the large odds against them, it would mean capturing the stretegically important practical fortress that was made out of the town of Bardia. After the battle, large numbers of Italian prisoners were taken, Aproximately 40,000 to be exact which took a toll on Italian forces all over North Africa, for this battle would be one of the ones that crippled them. 

Additionally, huge amounts of supplies like rations, ammunition, clothing, vehicles even where looted and captured by Australian forces. In comparison, the Australian forces only suffered the lose of about 130 men along with 326 wounded.^[1]

Planning and PreparationEdit

The town of Bardia had been previously taken by Italian colonial forces had been made an outpost before hostilities began. Even the a majority of the defensive positions around the town and harbor where made prior to the war. The town itself was located in Libya but lied only 30 kilometers from the border with Egypt.^[2]

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ http://www.awm.gov.au/units/event_222.asp
2. ↑ http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/scrapiron/bardia.html