04365oam 2200685 a 450 991097083250332120200520144314.097982160275399786610468652978128046865012804686539780313010972031301097810.5040/9798216027539(CKB)111087027039296(OCoLC)567181964(CaPaEBR)ebrary10023120(SSID)ssj0000262312(PQKBManifestationID)11238151(PQKBTitleCode)TC0000262312(PQKBWorkID)10271277(PQKB)10718434(Au-PeEL)EBL3000813(CaPaEBR)ebr10023120(OCoLC)52740956(MiAaPQ)EBC3000813(OCoLC)1435635615(DLC)BP9798216027539BC(Perlego)4202528(EXLCZ)9911108702703929620010719e20022024 uy 0engurcn|||||||||txtccrTricolor over the Sahara the desert battles of the Free French, 1940-1942 /Edward L. Bimberg1st ed.Westport, Conn. :Praeger,2002.London :Bloomsbury Publishing,20241 online resource (143 p.)Contributions in military studies,0883-6884 ;no. 217Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph9780313316548 0313316546 Includes bibliographical references (p. [129]-130) and index.Cover -- TRICOLOR OVER THE SAHARA -- CONTENTS -- AUTHOR'S NOTE -- INTRODUCTION -- Chapter 1 THE DESERT BEFORE -- NOTES -- Chapter 2 THE STIRRINGS OF WAR -- NOTES -- Chapter 3 COMBAT-MOURZOUK AND KOUFRA -- NOTES -- Chapter 4 THE GHOST RAIDERS -- NOTES -- Chapter 5 ON TO TUNIS -- NOTES -- Chapter 6 ENTER, THE LEGION -- NOTES -- Chapter 7 THE WESTERN DESERT -- NOTES -- Chapter 8 LOOKING BACK -- NOTES -- EPILOGUE -- NOTES -- APPENDIX: UNIFORMS -- GLOSSARY -- SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY -- INDEX -- About the Author -- Recent Titles in Contributions in Military Studies.This is the story of the early struggles of an ill-equipped ragtag French force, among the first to pledge its loyalty to General de Gaulle. It fought a lonely, almost secret war against the numerically superior Italian troops deep in the wildest parts of the Sahara, hundreds of miles from the main campaigns along the African coast. These daring Free French raids with their long thirsty treks and small-scale oasis battles have been nearly forgotten, although their path is marked by the graves of many hundreds of French, Italian, and native soldiers. Bimberg details the exotic units that participated in this struggle, including the Tirailleurs Sénégalaise du T'chad (African Infantry), the Compagnies Sahariennes (Saharan Camel Companies), and the Groupe Nomade du Tibesti (a tribal militia recruited in the Tibesti Mountain region of the great desert). Despite antiquated equipment and some of the world's worst terrain, the Free French were among the most dedicated soldiers in the Allied camp. The backdrop to their fierce fighting includes the barely surveyed Tibesti Mountains with their 10, 000 foot volcanic peaks, interspersed with treacherous shifting sands-terrain which would prove to be an enormous challenge to the worn out, patched-together motor vehicles of the Free French. Much of the action takes place in the most remote areas of Italian Libya, the desert province of Fezzan with its fortified oases of Mourzouk and Koufra, each strongly defended by the Italians. While these skirmishes were a sideshow to the epic battles of North Africa, they were immortalized by heroic acts by the French and African troops alike, efforts that ultimately led to success in this far corner of the world. Contributions in military studies ;no. 217.World War, 1939-1945CampaignsAfrica, NorthWorld War, 1939-1945Campaigns940.54/23Bimberg Edward L.1919-1795531DLCDLCDLCBOOK9910970832503321Tricolor over the Sahara4336901UNINA