Atlas of Battles

battle, major, interwar and Second World War

Battle of Bir Hakeim

Battle of Bir Hakeim was a battle fought on 26 May 1942 at Bir Hakeim, in what is now Libya; it lasted 16 days. It was part of the Mediterranean and Middle East Theater of World War II, which ran from 1940 to 1945. The recorded result: See Aftermath section.

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Free French Foreign Legionnaires "leap up from the desert to rush an enemy strong point", Bir Hacheim, 12 June 1942.
Free French Foreign Legionnaires "leap up from the desert to rush an enemy strong point", Bir Hacheim, 12 June 1942.. Len Chetwyn, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought26 May 1942lasted 16 days
WhereBir Hakeim, Libya31.594N, 23.480E
OutcomeSee Aftermath section
Part ofMediterranean and Middle East Theater of World War II1940 to 1945

Where it sits in the Mediterranean and Middle East Theater of World War II

Battle of the Espero Convoy, 1940Battle of Cape Spada, 1940Battle of Cape Passero, 1940Battle of Sidi Barrani, 1940Siege of Giarabub, 1940Battle of Kufra, 1941Operation Sonnenblume, 1941Battle of Cape Matapan, 1941Siege of Tobruk, 1941Battle of the Tarigo Convoy, 1941Battle of the Duisburg Convoy, 1941Battle of Cape Bon, 1941First Battle of Sirte, 1941Raid on Alexandria, 1941Second Battle of Sirte, 1942Battle of Gazala, 1942Battle of Bir Hakeim, 1942Axis capture of Tobruk, 1942Battle of Mersa Matruh, 1942Battle of Alam el Halfa, 1942Battle of Skerki Bank, 1942Battle of the Gulf of Gabes, 1943Battle of the Cigno Convoy, 1943Battle of Enfidaville, 1943Battle of the Campobasso Convoy, 1943Battle of Rhodes, 1943Battle of Leros, 1943Battle of Kos, 1943Action of 1 November 1944, 1944Battle of Ist, 1944Raid on Santorini, 1944Battle of Port Cros, 1944Battle of La Ciotat, 1944Battle of the Ligurian Sea, 194519401945Battle of Bir Hakeim, 1942
34 placed engagements of the Mediterranean and Middle East Theater of World War II in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date26 May 1942
to 11 June 1942
PlaceBir Hakeim, Libya
31.594N, 23.480E
KindBattle, interwar and Second World War
Battle of Bir HakeimBattle of Bir HakeimBattle at Bir el HarmatBattle of GazalaSecond Battle of Bir el GubiFirst Battle of Bir el GubiPoint 175Battle of GazalaSecond Battle of Bir el GubiTubruqDarnahAl Bayda100 km31.594N, 23.480E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Bir Hakeim
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 5 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Bir Hakeim today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2023-07-31. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2023.

The recorded site stands at about 171 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 159 to 187 m, 29 m of relief, flat country and today it is 100% bare ground.

bare ground: 100%bare ground 100%
west to east, 10.0 km162 to 178 mnorth to south, 10.0 km159 to 184 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1942

Battle of Bir Hakeim is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 57 in present-day Libya.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q836128, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Bir Hakeim, revision 1383545897, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.