Bardia البردية | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 The Port of Bardia | |
  Bardia Location in Libya | |
| Coordinates:31°45′36″N25°04′30″E / 31.76000°N 25.07500°E /31.76000; 25.07500 | |
| Country | Libya |
| Region | Cyrenaica |
| District | Butnan |
| Elevation | 85 ft (26 m) |
| Population (2004)[citation needed] | |
• Total | 9,149 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
Bardia,[1] alsoEl Burdi orBardiyah[2] (Arabic:البردية,romanized: al-Bardiyya orArabic:البردي,romanized: al-Burdiyy) is aMediterraneanseaport in theButnan District of easternLibya, located near theborder withEgypt. It is also occasionally calledBórdi Slemán.[3]
In Roman times the town was known asPetras Maior.[4]
DuringWorld War I, GermanU-boats made several landings in the port of Bardia in support of theSenussi order during theSenussi Campaign.[5]
DuringWorld War II, it was the site of a majorItalianfortification, invested by theXXIII Corps under the command of GeneralAnnibale Bergonzoli.[6] On 21 June 1940, the town was bombarded by the7th Cruiser Squadron of theMediterranean Fleet. The bombardment force consisted of theFrench battleship Lorraine, British cruisersHMS Orion andHMS Neptune, the Australian cruiserHMAS Sydney, and the destroyers HMSDainty,Decoy,Hasty, andHMAS Stuart.[7][8]: 29 The bombardment caused minimal damage. The townwas taken duringOperation Compass byCommonwealth forces consisting mainly of theAustralian 6th Division in fighting over 3–5 January 1941 at theBattle of Bardia.
TheAxis later reoccupied the town and set up aprisoner of war camp there. On 2 January 1942, Bardia was re-taken by theSouth African 2nd Infantry Division, led by 1st Battalion,Royal Durban Light Infantry,[9] supported by theNew Zealand Divisional Cavalry Regiment[10] and also the South African 2nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade (Light Anti-Aircraft).[11] The South Africans lost approximately 160 men,[9] and the operation freed about 1,150[9]Allied prisoners of war (including 650New Zealanders) and took some 8,500 Axis prisoners (German and Italian).[12]: 149–168 [9]
Bardia again changed hands in June 1942, being re-occupied by Axis forces for a third time, but was abandoned without contest in November following the Alliedvictory at El Alamein.[10]
Bardia is the location of theBardia Mural, finished in 1942.[13]
Media related toBardia at Wikimedia Commons
