The strength of unidirectional carbon-fibre epoxy laminates has been measured for combined compression and shear loading. Failure was by plastic microbuckling. The axial compressive strength decreased linearly to zero as the shear stress parallel to the fibres was increased from zero to the shear strength. These experimental results support the predictions of Budiansky and Fleck and suggest an average fibre misalignment angle of 2-degrees-3-degrees.