Changes in early 1942

A feature of early 1942 was that the Axis made a great air effort to neutralize Malta, and it started to have a visible effect. One of the benefits was that the Italians were able to ship 2,300 tons of aviation fuel to Tripoli on 5 January 1942. Meanwhile, the British were forced to rely primarily on road transport to bring supplies to the front in far western Cyrenaica. The continued air offensive against the Axis supply lines, now mainly by Wellingtons, could do little to change that situation. The Desert Air Force aided the offensive by 30th Corps to eliminate Axis forces trapped in the frontier area. They lay primarily at Bardia and Halfaya. The army had the 2nd South African Division, the 1st Army Tank Brigade, and part of the 1st South African Division. This is based on the account in Vol.III of the Official History.