Action at Bir el Gubi (November 1941)

Action at Bir el Gubi (November 1941)
Part of Operation Crusader during the Second World War
Italian M13/40 tanks in North Africa.
Date 19 November 1941 Location Biʾr al-Ġubbiyy, Italian Libya 31°32′15″N 24°01′51″E / 31.5374°N 24.0307°E / 31.5374; 24.0307 Result Italian victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Italy
Commanders and leaders
John Scott-Cockburn	Mario Balotta
Strength
22nd Armoured Brigade[1] 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars 158 tanks: A15 Crusaders 3rd County of London Yeomanry 4th County of London Yeomanry	132nd Armoured Division Ariete[1] 132nd Tank Regiment 146 tanks: M13/40s 8th Bersaglieri Regiment 132nd Motorised Artillery Regiment
Casualties and losses
100 killed and wounded 32 captured 52 tanks destroyed [1][2]	95 killed and wounded 82 missing 12 guns lost 14 tankettes destroyed [1]

The Action at Bir el Gubi (November 1941) (Arabic: بئر الغبي, romanized: Biʾr al-Ġubbiyy, lit. 'Well of the Depressed Terrain') took place on 19 November 1941 near Biʾr al-Ġubbiyy, Libya. It was one of the opening engagements of Operation Crusader in North Africa and resulted in a success for the Italian armoured forces.