Tricolor Over the Sahara: The Desert Battles of the Free French, 1940-1942This is the story of the early struggles of an ill-equipped ragtag French force, among the first to pledge its loyalty to General de Gaulle. It fought a lonely, almost secret war against the numerically superior Italian troops deep in the wildest parts of the Sahara, hundreds of miles from the main campaigns along the African coast. These daring Free French raids with their long thirsty treks and small-scale oasis battles have been nearly forgotten, although their path is marked by the graves of many hundreds of French, Italian, and native soldiers. Bimberg details the exotic units that participated in this struggle, including the Tirailleurs Sénégalaise du T'chad (African Infantry), the Compagnies Sahariennes (Saharan Camel Companies), and the Groupe Nomade du Tibesti (a tribal militia recruited in the Tibesti Mountain region of the great desert). Despite antiquated equipment and some of the world's worst terrain, the Free French were among the most dedicated soldiers in the Allied camp. The backdrop to their fierce fighting includes the barely surveyed Tibesti Mountains with their 10,000 foot volcanic peaks, interspersed with treacherous shifting sands—terrain which would prove to be an enormous challenge to the worn out, patched-together motor vehicles of the Free French. Much of the action takes place in the most remote areas of Italian Libya, the desert province of Fezzan with its fortified oases of Mourzouk and Koufra, each strongly defended by the Italians. While these skirmishes were a sideshow to the epic battles of North Africa, they were immortalized by heroic acts by the French and African troops alike, efforts that ultimately led to success in this far corner of the world. |
Contents
| 1 | |
Chapter 2 THE STIRRINGS OF WAR | 17 |
Chapter 3 COMBATMOURZOUK AND KOUFRA | 27 |
Chapter 4 THE GHOST RAIDERS | 45 |
Chapter 5 ON TO TUNIS | 57 |
Chapter 6 ENTER THE LEGION | 79 |
Chapter 7 THE WESTERN DESERT | 95 |
Chapter 8 LOOKING BACK | 109 |
Other editions - View all
Tricolor Over the Sahara: The Desert Battles of the Free French, 1940-1942 Edward L. Bimberg No preview available - 2002 |
Common terms and phrases
13th DBLE Afrika Korps airfield Allied armistice arrived artillery attack battle Bir Hakeim Brazzaville Brigade British Captain captured Chaamba Chad Colonel colony column command Cross of Lorraine DC platoon defense desert Dronne Eighth Army enemy equatorial Africa equipment Eritrea expedition Faya-Largeau Fezzan fighting fire Flatters fought France Free French forces Free French troops French army French Foreign Legion French marines Frenchmen garrison Gatroun Gaulle German ghibli goumier Groupe Nomade Hakeim Hautecloque Hoggar Ibid infantry Ingold Italian planes Kebir Koenig Koufra Lamy Laperrine Leclerc legionnaires Libya Lieutenant LRDG machine guns March Massu méharistes miles military mission Mizda mountain Mourzouk native night North Africa oasis ordered Ouargla Oum el Araneb patrol piste raiders raids Rommel Sahara Sahariana sand sandstorms Senegalese sent Senussi soldiers spahis surrender Syria Tedjéré territory Tibbou Tibesti tirailleurs Touareg tracks tribesmen trucks Tunisia units vehicles Vichy Wavell World wounded Zouar