▁over run ▁and ▁ ▁and ▁Lib yan ▁prisoners ▁had ▁been ▁taken , ▁along ▁with ▁a ▁large ▁quantity ▁of ▁supplies ▁and ▁water ▁for ▁a ▁British ▁loss ▁of ▁ ▁A ▁total ▁of ▁ ▁and ▁Lib yan ▁soldiers ▁had ▁been ▁killed ▁along ▁with ▁Male tt i ▁and ▁ ▁wounded . ▁ ▁After math ▁ ▁Analysis ▁In ▁his ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 2 nd ▁Arm oured ▁Regiment , ▁Maur izio ▁Par ri ▁wrote ▁that ▁a ▁company ▁of ▁the ▁II ▁Med ium ▁T ank ▁Battalion ▁with ▁its ▁M 1 1 / 3 9 s ▁had ▁tried ▁to ▁counter - att ack ▁the ▁British ▁Mat ild as ▁but ▁the ▁cre ws ▁misunder stood ▁flag ▁signals , ▁which ▁caused ▁del ays ▁and ▁the ▁attack ▁failed . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁Moore head ▁wrote ▁that ▁Male tt i ▁was ▁wounded ▁while ▁r ally ing ▁his ▁men , ▁then ▁retre ated ▁to ▁his ▁tent ▁with ▁a ▁machine - gun , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁killed . ▁Male tt i ' s ▁mort al ▁remains ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁seen ▁at ▁the ▁entrance ▁of ▁his ▁tent ▁when ▁war ▁correspond ents ▁visited ▁the ▁camp . ▁Moore head ▁wrote ▁that ▁he ▁saw ▁un att ended ▁don keys ▁wand ering ▁around ▁looking ▁for ▁water ▁and ▁soldiers ▁lo oting ▁extra v ag ant ▁Italian ▁army ▁uniform s ▁and ▁l unch ing ▁on ▁lux ury ▁food s , ▁w ines ▁and ▁Rec o aro ▁min eral ▁water . ▁New ▁equipment , ▁weapons ▁and ▁am mun ition ▁st rew ed ▁the ▁ground , ▁already ▁disappear ing ▁under