▁France ▁tried ▁to ▁ret ali ate ▁against ▁the ▁families ▁of ▁Free ▁French men . ▁When ▁Louis - Mich el - Fran çois ▁T ard y , ▁the ▁Bishop ▁of ▁Lib re ville , ▁refused ▁to ▁conduct ▁a ▁mass ▁to ▁celebr ate ▁the ▁victory , ▁L ec ler c ▁had ▁him ▁arrested . ▁Cap itaine ▁de ▁cor v ette ▁Georges ▁Th ier ry ▁d ' Ar gen lie u ▁conducted ▁the ▁service ▁in ▁his ▁capacity ▁as ▁a ▁Car mel ite ▁priest . ▁ ▁With ▁Gab on ▁in ▁hand , ▁de ▁Ga ulle ▁sent ▁L ec ler c ▁to ▁Ch ad , ▁the ▁only ▁Free ▁French ▁territory ▁that ▁shared ▁a ▁border ▁with ▁territory ▁controlled ▁by ▁A xis ▁Pow ers , ▁along ▁its ▁Sah ara ▁Des ert ▁border ▁with ▁Italian - control led ▁Lib ya . ▁L ec ler c ' s ▁attention ▁was ▁drawn ▁to ▁two ▁Italian ▁out posts ▁in ▁the ▁desert , ▁Mur z uk ▁in ▁south western ▁Lib ya ▁and ▁K uf ra ▁in ▁the ▁sout heast . ▁Both ▁were ▁over ▁ ▁from ▁his ▁base ▁at ▁Fort ▁Lam y ▁in ▁Ch ad . ▁He ▁started ▁with ▁a ▁small ▁ra id ▁on ▁Mur z uk ▁by ▁eleven ▁men ▁of ▁the ▁Rég iment ▁de ▁T ira illeurs ▁S én ég al ais ▁du ▁T ch ad ▁( RT ST ) ▁and ▁two ▁troops ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Long ▁Range ▁Des ert ▁Group ▁( LR D G ) ▁on ▁ 1 1 ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁In ▁February , ▁he ▁led ▁a ▁much ▁larger