Atlas of Battles

siege, interwar and Second World War

Siege of Giarabub

Siege of Giarabub was a siege conducted on 25 December 1940 at Jaghbub, in what is now Libya; it lasted 3 months. It was part of the Mediterranean and Middle East Theater of World War II, which ran from 1940 to 1945. The recorded result: Commonwealth victory. Recorded strength: 2 mechanised cavalry squadrons; 1 augmented infantry battalion against 2,100 (1,350 Italian & 750 Libyan troops).

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Fought25 December 1940lasted 3 months
WhereJaghbub, Libya29.742N, 24.517E
OutcomeCommonwealth victory
BelligerentsAustralia; United KingdomagainstKingdom of Italy
Casualties and losses17 killed, 77 wounded (final assault only)and250 killed; 1,300 prisoners; 26 field guns
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, 194519401945Siege of Giarabub, 1940
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

Date25 December 1940
to 21 March 1941
PlaceJaghbub, Libya
29.742N, 24.517E
KindSiege, interwar and Second World War
Strength2 mechanised cavalry squadrons; 1 augmented infantry battalion2,100 (1,350 Italian & 750 Libyan troops)
Casualties and losses17 killed, 77 wounded (final assault only)250 killed; 1,300 prisoners; 26 field guns
Commanders
  • George Wootten
  • Salvatore Castagna
Siege of GiarabubSiege of GiarabubSiwa100 km29.742N, 24.517E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1940

Siege of Giarabub 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 Q18216807, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Siege of Giarabub, revision 1370741504, 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.