Battle of Bir Hakeim

Battle Of Bir Hakeim

Bir Hakeim (sometimes written Bir Hacheim) is a remote oasis in the Libyan desert, and the former site of a Turkish fort. During the Battle of Gazala, the 1st Free French Division of Général de brigade Marie Pierre Kœnig defended the site from 26 May-11 June 1942 against attacking German and Italian forces directed by Generaloberst Erwin Rommel. Resisting the much larger Axis forces for 16 days was certainly an enormous achievement of Kœnig and his men. The battle was later greatly used for propaganda purposes by all involved parties which explains the mystification of it. Tobruk was taken 10 days later by Rommel's troops. Rommel continued to advance against delaying actions by the British until halted at First Battle of El Alamein in July.

Général Bernard Saint-Hillier said in an October 1991 interview: "A grain of sand had curbed the Axis advance, which reached Al-Alamein only after the arrival of the rested British divisions: this grain of sand was Bir Hakeim."