[6] British patrols ranged north to the Via Litoranea Libica, on the coast between Bardia and Tobruk, west to Bir el Gubi and south to Giarabub.

On 13 August, the British raids were stopped to conserve the serviceability of vehicles and the Support Group of the 7th Armoured Division took over, to observe the wire for 97 km (60 mi) from Sollum south to Fort Maddalena, ready to fight delaying actions against an Italian advance.

The Via Litoranea Libica ran south from Bardia to Fort Capuzzo, 13 km (8 mi) west of the port of Sollum in Egypt, then east across the frontier, down the escarpment to the coast.

On 14 June, after the Italian declaration of war on Britain four days earlier, the 7th Hussars and elements of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment, supported by Gloster Gladiator fighters of 33 Squadron Royal Air Force (RAF) and Bristol Blenheim bombers of 211 Squadron captured Fort Capuzzo as the 11th Hussars took Fort Maddalena, about 60 mi (97 km) further south.

[8] The fort was not occupied long, for lack of troops and equipment, but demolition parties visited each night to destroy Italian ammunition and vehicles.

On 11 June 1940, the 11th Hussars in Rolls-Royce and Morris CS9 armoured cars closed up to the frontier wire, crossed during the night and exchanged fire with the garrison at Sidi Omar.

The fall of the fort left the way clear for the British to send reinforcements and supplies to the forces further north on the coast, free from the possibility of attack from the inland flank.

[19] A Squadron of the 11th Hussars made three gaps in the wire on the night of 11 June, cut telephone poles on the Italian side and skirmished around the fort.

The 11th Hussars reconnoitred again on 14 June, with part of the 4th Armoured Brigade ready to attack but the garrison surrendered, the British taking 18 prisoners and destroying equipment, then moving on to set an ambush on the Via Litoranea Libica.

[21] The 6th Australian Divisional Cavalry Regiment (6th ADCR) began the siege in December 1940 and isolated the oasis, leaving the garrison dependent on the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) for supplies.

The Australians left behind a salvage party and withdrew from the oasis the next day, just before the Italo-German counter-offensive, Operation Sonnenblume, (24 March – 9 April) which recaptured Cyrenaica.