Bardia

Libya / al-Butnan / Bardiyah /

Bardiya, Bardia, or El Burdi (Arabic: البردية or البردي‎) is a Mediterranean seaport in Al Butnan District of eastern Libya.
During World War II, it was the site of a major Italian fortification, invested by the XXIII Corps under the command of General Annibale Bergonzoli. On 21 June 1940, the town was bombarded by the 7th Cruiser Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet. In this fleet was the cruiser HMAS Sydney. The town was taken during Operation Compass by Commonwealth forces consisting mainly of the Australian 6th Division in fighting over 3–5 January 1941.
The Axis later reoccupied the town and set up a prisoner of war camp there. On 2 January 1942, Bardia was re-taken by the South African 2nd Infantry Division, including New Zealand cavalry units. The South Africans, many of them ill-trained and ill-equipped police, lost hundreds of men, but the operation freed some 8,000 Allied prisoners of war and took some 6,000 Axis prisoners.
Bardia is the location of a unique mural created during World War II, a favorite site to visit by tourists, known as the Bardia Mural.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   31°45'39"N   25°4'53"E

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  • Mahgoub Idris Wade
This article was last modified 14 years ago