German Forces, Operation Battleaxe, 15 June 1941
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Brevity, Skorpion & Battleaxe
DESERT WAR PART THREE: BREVITY, SKORPION & BATTLEAXE OPERATION BREVITY MAY 15 – 16 1941 Operation Sonnenblume had seen Rommel rapidly drive the distracted and over-stretched British and Commonwealth forces in Cyrenaica back across the Egyptian border. Although the battlefront now lay in the border area, the port city of Tobruk - 100 miles inside Libya - had resisted the Axis advance, and its substantial Australian and British garrison of around 27,000 troops constituted a significant threat to Rommel's lengthy supply chain. He therefore committed his main strength to besieging the city, leaving the front line only thinly held. Conceived by the Commander-in-Chief of the British Middle East Command, General Archibald Wavell, Operation Brevity was a limited Allied offensive conducted in mid-May 1941. Brevity was intended to be a rapid blow against weak Axis front-line forces in the Sollum - Capuzzo - Bardia area of the border between Egypt and Libya. Operation Brevity's main objectives were to gain territory from which to launch a further planned offensive toward the besieged Tobruk, and the depletion of German and Italian forces in the region. With limited battle-ready units to draw on in the wake of Rommel's recent successes, on May 15 Brigadier William Gott, with the 22nd Guards Brigade and elements of the 7th Armoured Division attacked in three columns. The Royal Air Force allocated all available fighters and a small force of bombers to the operation. The strategically important Halfaya Pass was taken against stiff Italian opposition. Reaching the top of the Halfaya Pass, the 22nd Guards Brigade came under heavy fire from an Italian Bersaglieri (Marksmen) infantry company, supported by anti-tank guns, under the command of Colonel Ugo Montemurro. -
(June 1941) and the Development of the British Tactical Air Doctrine
Journal of Military and Strategic VOLUME 14, ISSUE 1, FALL 2011 Studies A Stepping Stone to Success: Operation Battleaxe (June 1941) and the Development of the British Tactical Air Doctrine Mike Bechthold On 16 February 1943 a meeting was held in Tripoli attended by senior American and British officers to discuss the various lessons learned during the Libyan campaign. The focus of the meeting was a presentation by General Bernard Montgomery. This "gospel according to Montgomery," as it was referred to by Air Chief Marshal Arthur Tedder, set out very clearly Monty's beliefs on how air power should be used to support the army.1 Among the tenets Montgomery articulated was his conviction of the importance of air power: "Any officer who aspires to hold high command in war must understand clearly certain principles regarding the use of air power." Montgomery also believed that flexibility was the greatest asset of air power. This allowed it to be applied as a "battle-winning factor of the first importance." As well, he fully endorsed the air force view of centralized control: "Nothing could be more fatal to successful results than to dissipate the air resource into small packets placed under the control of army formation commanders, with each packet working on its own plan. The soldier must not expect, or wish, to exercise direct command over air striking forces." Montgomery concluded his discussion by stating that it was of prime importance for the army and air 1 Arthur Tedder, With Prejudice: The war memoirs of Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Lord Tedder (London: Cassell, 1966), p. -
![7 Armoured Division (1941-42)]](https://docslib.b-cdn.net/cover/4788/7-armoured-division-1941-42-1304788.webp)
7 Armoured Division (1941-42)]
3 September 2020 [7 ARMOURED DIVISION (1941-42)] th 7 Armoured Division (1) Headquarters, 7th Armoured Division 4th Armoured Brigade (2) Headquarters, 4th Armoured Brigade & Signal Section 4th Royal Tank Regiment (3) 5th Royal Tank Regiment (3) 7th Royal Tank Regiment (4) 7th Armoured Brigade (5) Headquarters, 7th Armoured Brigade & Signal Section 2nd Royal Tank Regiment 7th Support Group (6) Headquarters, 7th Support Group & Signal Section 1st Bn. The King’s Royal Rifle Corps 2nd Bn. The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own) 3rd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery 4th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery Divisional Troops 11th Hussars (Prince Albert’s Own) (7) 4th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers (8) 143rd Field Park Squadron, Royal Engineers (8) 7th Armoured Divisional Signals, Royal Corps of Signals ©www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk Page 1 3 September 2020 [7 ARMOURED DIVISION (1941-42)] NOTES: 1. This was a regular army division stationed in Egypt. It had been formed as the Mobile Division in September 1938, as a result of the raised tension caused by the Munich Crisis. Initially called the ‘Matruh Mobile Force’, it was founded by Major General P. C. S. HOBART. This is the Order of Battle for the division on 15 May 1941. This was the date of the start of Operation Brevity, the operation to reach Tobruk The division was under command of Headquarters, British Troops in Egypt until 16 May 1941. On that date, it came under command of Headquarters, Western Desert Force (W.D.F.). It remained under command of W.D.F. -
Memoir '44: Mediterranean Theater Rulebook
M44 BRIT expansion rules EN:Mise en page 1 24/06/08 16:15 Page 2 M44 BRIT expansion rules EN:Mise en page 1 24/06/08 16:16 Page 3 Welcome to the seventh expansion in the Memoir '44 series The Mediterranean Theater. Foreword On the day war broke out, few nations imagined they would soon be forced to conduct land warfare outside of Europe. As a result, when the war reached North Africa, both men and machines were ill-prepared for the harsh demands of a desert campaign. But history is a testament to the caliber of leadership, ingenuity and resolve of those who fought under such harsh conditions. Thanks in part to its long-established presence in far-flung corners of the globe, no army would display these qualities better than the British Commonwealth Forces. This pack is independent of other expansions. While using a few concepts originally introduced in the Terrain Pack (Minefields and Engineers), it can be played without other expansions in conjunction with the original Memoir ’44 game. The 8 included scenarios introduce you to the new rules of engagement, and familiarize you with your troops and newly acquired anti-tank weapons! As always, be sure to visit the game’s web site at www.memoir44.com for additional scenarios and to introduce yourself to the vibrant community of Memoir ’44 players around the world. And above all, have fun and enjoy! and the DesertRichard Rats at Days Borg of Wonder mediterranean Theater 2 M44 BRIT expansion rules EN:Mise en page 1 24/06/08 16:16 Page 4 Table of contents I. -
Operation Crusader
DESERT WAR PART FOUR: OPERATION CRUSADER DATE: NOVEMBER 18 – DECEMBER 30 1941 Operation Crusader was conducted by the British Eighth Army against Axis forces in North Africa between November 18 and December 30 1941. The operation was intended to relieve the 1941 Siege of Tobruk; the Eighth Army tried to destroy the Axis armored force before advancing its infantry. The plan failed when, after a number of inconclusive engagements, the British 7th Armoured Division was defeated by the Afrika Korps at Sidi Rezegh. Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel ordered German armored divisions to Axis fortress positions on the Egyptian border but failed to find the main body of the Allied infantry, which had bypassed the fortresses and headed for Tobruk. Rommel had to withdraw from the frontier to Tobruk and achieved some tactical success in costly fighting. The need to preserve his remaining forces from destruction prompted Rommel to withdraw his army to the defensive line at Gazala, west of Tobruk and then all the way back to El Agheila. It was the first victory over the German ground forces by British forces in the war. PRELUDE Following the costly failure of Operation Battleaxe, General Archibald Wavell was relieved as Commander-in-Chief Middle East Command and replaced by General Claude Auchinleck. The Western Desert Force was reorganized and renamed the Eighth Army under the command of Lieutenant General Alan Cunningham, who was later replaced by Lieutenant General Neil Ritchie. The Eighth Army comprised two Corps: XXX Corps under Lieutenant General Willoughby Norrie and XIII Corps under Lieutenant General Reade Godwin-Austen. -
DACS Working Paper February 1996 the British and American Armies in World War II: Explaining Variations in Organizational Learni
DACS Working Paper February 1996 The British and American Armies in World War II: Explaining Variations in Organizational Learning Patterns Eric Heginbotham The Defense and Arms Control Studies Program is a graduate-level, research and training program based at the MIT Center for International Studies. It is supported by core grants from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the DACS Corporate Consortium. WP #96-2 I I The British and American Armies in World War II: Explaining Variations in Organizational Learning Patterns Eric Heginbotham February 1996 Defense and Arms Control Studies Program Working Papers Series L Introduction During the Second World War, American and British armored units fought against the same foe on the same ground using the same equipment. American effectiveness improved dramatically in three years of active operations. British effectiveness improved at a much slower rate during their five years of activity. By 1944, American units were more adept at employing combined arms in concert to achieve a variety of ends, attacking with greater flexibility, and following up tactical success to reap operational and strategic benefits. Why did these military organizations learn and improve at different rates? This question is of more than historical interest. It helps us understand the more fundamental question of how large and complex organizations "learn" lessons and adapt to new circumstances. This paper examines three candidate explanations -
Battle Report ‐ Operation Battleaxe: Sollum/Capuzzo Area, 15‐17 June 1941
BATTLE REPORT ‐ OPERATION BATTLEAXE: SOLLUM/CAPUZZO AREA, 15‐17 JUNE 1941 Re‐fought by members of the Peninsula Wargames Group in Cape Town on the 70th year anniversary of the original battle, from 22‐24 April 2011. Prelude In late March 1941, soon after the arrival of the Afrika Korps in Tripoli, Libya to reinforce the Italians, their commander General Erwin Rommel, although ordered to remain on the defensive, quickly captured the British front line position at El Agheila. He then went on an offensive which, by mid‐April, had reached as far as Sollum, Egypt. The sole remaining Allied position in Libya was the heavily fortified port of Tobruk, which Rommel had surrounded and placed under siege. The Allied response was restricted primarily to harassment by the Royal Air Force. Having been informed by General Wavell that the Western Desert Force was vastly inferior to the Axis forces now in Africa, Churchill ordered that a convoy of tanks and Hawker Hurricanes, Convoy WS 58 codenamed Tiger , be sailed through the Mediterranean instead of having it sail around the Cape of Good Hope; a move that would save 40 days of sailing. The German Armed Forces High Command, also concerned by Rommel's actions, sent down General Friedrich Paulus to investigate the situation. On 12 May the Tiger convoy arrived in Alexandria carrying 238 tanks and 43 Hurricanes. Also on 12 May General Paulus, after witnessing one of Rommel's failed attempts to assault Tobruk, sent a report to OKW describing Rommel's position as weak, with critical shortages of both fuel and ammunition. -
The Impact of Terrain on British Operations and Doctrine in North Africa 1940-1943
University of Plymouth PEARL https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk 04 University of Plymouth Research Theses 01 Research Theses Main Collection 2014 The impact of terrain on British operations and doctrine in North Africa 1940-1943. Dando, Neal http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/3035 Plymouth University All content in PEARL is protected by copyright law. Author manuscripts are made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the details provided on the item record or document. In the absence of an open licence (e.g. Creative Commons), permissions for further reuse of content should be sought from the publisher or author. The impact of terrain on British operations and doctrine in North Africa 1940-1943. A thesis submitted to the Plymouth University in partial fulfilment for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY School of Humanities Neal Dando Plymouth University January 2014 Copyright Statement This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with its author and that no quotation from the thesis and no information derived from it may be published without the author's prior consent. Abstract This thesis focuses on the extent to which the physical terrain features across Egypt, Libya and Tunisia affected British operations throughout the campaign in North Africa during the Second World War. The study analyses the terrain from the operational and tactical perspectives and argues that the landscape features heavily influenced British planning and operations. These should now be considered alongside other standard military factors when studying military operations. -
The Co Clare War Dead Individual Profiles WW2
Clare in WW2 / The Emergency The Co Clare War Dead Individual Profiles WW2 D Day 1944 - The 2nd US Rangers By Ger Browne The aim of this project is to find out how many men and women from Clare took part in WW2, and the effect of the war on Clare. It is hoped that an extension will be added to the Great War Memorial in Ennis that will include the names of the Clare War Dead from WW2 / The Emergency. At the moment we know that 86 died from Clare as well as in Clare. I would like to thank Keir McNamara, and his late father Peadar McNamara for all their research on WW1 and WW2. Eric Shaw, who has been providing me with amazing WW1 and WW2 information for years, and all the following who have helped make this project possible. Paddy Waldron, The Local Studies Centre, Peter Beirne, Brian Doyle, Guss O’Halloran, Sean Glennon, Jim Molohan, Joe Ó Muircheartaigh, Eddie Lough, Local Parish Booklets, The Clare Champion and The Clare People. I have also named the sources, with many of the names below. I thank them all. The following websites: findagrave website, ancestry.com, fold3.com, http://www.ww2irishaviation.com, and the Commonwealth War Grave Commission. Finally thanks to the Clare Library for publishing all the information, and Larry and James Brennan along with the Clare Roots Society, for all their help. 1 Trooper Martin Barry Trooper Martin Barry: Kilrush. 18th (5th Bn. The Loyal Regt.) Regt., Reconnaissance Corps 6915422. He died as a POW on the 22nd June 1945 aged 26 in Hong Kong, where he was buried in the Sai Wan War Cemetery. -
A Stepping Stone to Success: Operation Battleaxe (June 1941) and the Development of the British Tactical Air Doctrine
Journal of Military and Strategic VOLUME 14, ISSUE 1, FALL 2011 Studies A Stepping Stone to Success: Operation Battleaxe (June 1941) and the Development of the British Tactical Air Doctrine Mike Bechthold On 16 February 1943 a meeting was held in Tripoli attended by senior American and British officers to discuss the various lessons learned during the Libyan campaign. The focus of the meeting was a presentation by General Bernard Montgomery. This "gospel according to Montgomery," as it was referred to by Air Chief Marshal Arthur Tedder, set out very clearly Monty's beliefs on how air power should be used to support the army.1 Among the tenets Montgomery articulated was his conviction of the importance of air power: "Any officer who aspires to hold high command in war must understand clearly certain principles regarding the use of air power." Montgomery also believed that flexibility was the greatest asset of air power. This allowed it to be applied as a "battle-winning factor of the first importance." As well, he fully endorsed the air force view of centralized control: "Nothing could be more fatal to successful results than to dissipate the air resource into small packets placed under the control of army formation commanders, with each packet working on its own plan. The soldier must not expect, or wish, to exercise direct command over air striking forces." Montgomery concluded his discussion by stating that it was of prime importance for the army and air 1 Arthur Tedder, With Prejudice: The war memoirs of Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Lord Tedder (London: Cassell, 1966), p. -
ED DUDA Oct 1941 Kopanski Came Back to Airente with Colvin to Discuss This Information with Burrows
CHAPTER 1 0 ED DUD A OBRUK on its desert coast had been enveloped in dust by ever y T land-wind for centuries before the heavy transport and armoure d vehicles of two armies had ground its arid fine-clay hinterland to ligh t powder. Airente was the dustiest corner in Tobruk . There, after having been brought back from the embarkation point, the men of the 2/ 13t h Battalion, some of whom had bedded down where they could—but mos t had not troubled—were greeted on 26th October with the densest dust - storm suffered since the siege began . Visibility was only a few feet. The Durham Light Infantry Battalion did its best at short notice to serv e the Australians with a hot breakfast. At midday Brigadier Murray attended a conference with General Scobi e to discuss the disposition of the remaining Australians . It was agreed that the two companies of the 2/15th Battalion would remain in the Pilastrin o area and could be called upon to provide working parties. General Scobie proposed that the 2/13th Battalion should take over the perimeter i n the western sector along the Wadi Sehel near the coast, to carry ou t the role which he had intended to assign to the Polish Officers' Legion , which was to have arrived in Tobruk in the ships that were to take th e last Australians out, but now was not expected to arrive until destroye r convoys were resumed in the November moonless period . Brigadier Murray raised no objection. Soon afterwards General Scobie visited Colonel Burrows at Airent e and offered him a choice between the operational role indicated and a non-operational one. -
The Patrolling War in Tobruk Abstract Introduction
Australian War Memorial, Summer Scholars paper, 2012 1 Leah Riches, “The Patrolling War in Tobruk” ©Australian War Memorial “Tobruk is not a siege, nor a defence. It is a permanent offensive … day after day, night after night.” The Patrolling War in Tobruk Leah Riches Image 1: Men of the 2/13th Battalion going out through the wire in Tobruk, 30 April 1941 (AWM 007.481). Abstract Tobruk is remembered for the eight-month siege and the aggressive policy of patrolling adopted by Major General Leslie Morshead. His strategy of “making the besiegers the besieged” kept the enemy at arm’s length and enabled the Australians to dominate no man’s land and in doing so, stave off the German advance towards Egypt. The men of the Australian 9th Division began the siege as poorly trained and inadequately equipped soldiers, yet emerged triumphant against Rommel’s Afrika Korps. This paper will consider the patrolling tactics used by the 9th Division and the corresponding counter-measures of the Italians and Germans, to reveal that while the policy of aggressive patrolling was ultimately successful it was not without difficulties. Introduction Australia’s experience in Tobruk is remembered for the static and prolonged siege that lasted eight months during 1941, and for securing the first victory for the Australian War Memorial, Summer Scholars paper, 2012 2 Leah Riches, “The Patrolling War in Tobruk” ©Australian War Memorial Commonwealth forces against General Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps in eastern Libya (Cyrenaica). For much of this period the fighting that took place centred on the outer defensive perimeter, the Red Line, where troops from the Australian 9th Division, under the leadership of Major General Leslie Morshead, would carry out daily reconnaissance and fighting patrols.