Today is the 85th anniversary of the Capture of Koufra. While it is normally an afterthought in the grand scheme of World War II history, it was an important battle for then Colonel Philippe Leclerc and the Free French overall.
Koufra was a small outpost in southern Libya and had been under control of the Italians since 1931. The battle began in early 1941 with assistance from the British Long Range Desert Group and the Free French, but it was the Free French under Leclerc which laid siege to the fort at the end of February.
With several trucks broken down and destroyed on the way to the fort, they used their one 75mm gun to shell the fort, and moved it and the trucks around to give the appearance of a much larger force attacking the fort. This led to the inexperienced Italian commander surrendering to Leclerc.
This battle is significant due to the oath taken afterwards. Since this was one of the first major victories of the Free French, it led to a significant boost in morale with the troops and led to Leclerc being promoted to Brigadier General. He also had his men take the Oath of Koufra, swearing to never stop fighting until the French flag flies over the Strasbourg cathedral, and in 1944, Leclerc's division would be the one to liberate Strasbourg and fulfill the oath.
