Italian auxiliary cruiser Ramb II significant presence of Royal Navy in the Red Sea. With the start of Operation Compass in North Africa and the defeat of the Italian troops at Sidi Barrani on 9-12 December 1940, it became clear that it would be impossible for Italian troops in Libya to reach Italian East Africa to break its isolation. The fuel supplies were dwindling and were projected to be exhausted by June 1941. In anticipation of the inevitable fall of the colony, a plan was developed to send as many ships as possible to Japan or occupied France and to destroy all other ships that
Independence Day (Bahrain) 16 December as National Day, to coincide with the day that former ruler Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa ascended to the throne. As such, 16 December is a national holiday and is usually celebrated with firework displays. Independence Day (Bahrain) Bahrain Independence Day occurred on 15 August 1971, when the country declared independence from the British following a United Nations survey of the Bahraini population. The British announced the withdrawal of their troops east of Suez in the early 1960s. Bahrain declared its independence on 15 August 1971, marked by the signing of a friendship treaty with the British that