Events on land in Greece, Crete, Libya and the rest of the south shore of the Mediterranean would have great influence on the security of sea communications by both sides. An Italian conquest of Egypt could link Abyssinia, Italian Somaliland and Eritrea. The Italian invasion of Egypt in September 1940, was followed by Operation Compass, a British counter-offensive in December, which led to the destruction of the Italian 10th Army and the conquest of Cyrenaica in January 1941. Hitler transferred the "Fliegerkorps X" to Sicily in (Operation Mediterranean) to protect the Axis supply routes past Malta, and sent the "Afrika Korps" to Libya in "Unternehmen Sonnenblume" (Operation Sunflower) which, with Italian reinforcements, recaptured Cyrenaica. "Fliegerkorps X" was transferred to Greece in April 1941 and the 23rd U-boat Flotilla was based at Salamis, near Athens, in September.