DAK 5 Lt Div vanguard/Ariete, two It inf divs; by 20 November 1941 DAK = 21st, 15th Pz, part 90th Lt Div, 178 Pz Kpfw lll-IVs X AirCorps, 50 Stukas plus fighters.
Rommel (2) (Pz-Army Africa) 21 January 1942. Rommel's second offensive 'Theseus', as a Gruppe with more Italian units, develops into 'Venezia' capturing Tobruk (map 9) before pushing on to Alam Halfa/EI Alamein. A shortage of supplies, offsetting Rommel's often brilliant tactics, cripples panzer operations.
Pz-Gr Africa DAK as hitherto. 'Ariete', 'Trieste', 'Littorio' (arriving) four other It. divs inc. Trento, 560 tanks (320 Pz Kpfws) (see map 9). II Air Corps-j 530 aircraft inc. 80 Stukas.
Rommel (3) Pz-Army Africa 23 October 1942. The 'Desert Fox', promoted Field Marshal after a triumph at Tobruk (map 9), is defeated at El Alamein - and turns about. Pz-Army Africa at Alamein; DAK plus 164th Lt Div, Para Bde (Ramcke), It. deployment as hitherto plus Folgore (Para) Div. 285 Pz Kpfws - reduced to twenty by 4 November 1942; 150 German aircraft.
A hazardous withdrawal, almost 2,000 miles via Tripoli into Tunisia, is followed by 'Springwind' an offensive involving both PzAOKS and DAK in counter-attacks against US forces at Kasserine. PzArmy Africa (Messe) meanwhile faces Montgomery at Mareth; Rommel is now GOC, Army Group Africa - promoted 23 February 1943.
Von Arnim (4) 'Springwind', Fifth Panzer Army 14 February 1943, involves 10th, 21st Panzer and a DAK battle group in attacks against US II Corps at Kasserine, but suffers from poor co-ordination. After early success against an inexperienced US defence, the attack is called off. A new plan follows.
Fifth Pz-Army At Kasserine (Gruppe Zeigler) 15th, 21st Pz; DAK Battle Group (Liebenstein), 164th Lt, Centauro.
Rommel, Messe (5) 'Capri', Pz-Army Africa 6 March 1943. At Medenine with Rommel's help Messe's Pz-Army Africa strikes at Eighth Army forming up to assault Axis positions at Mareth. Rommel expects to prevent a British First and Eighth Army link-up, but the attack fails and 'Supercharge II', a British armoured counter-strike turns the defence, forcing Pz-Army Africa into retreat.
At Medenine 15th, 21st, 10th Pz, 90th Lt - 141 Pz Kpfws. Messe Thereafter Pz-Army Africa renamed Italian First Army withdraws to Enfidaville fighting rearguard battles. All German and Italian forces in North Africa capitulate on 13 May 1943.
Army Gr Africa Rommel, after 9 March 1943 von Arnim; Fifth Pz-Army, and It. First Army: ten German divs (three pz), six It. divs.
Western Desert Force/Eighth Army (1) Wavell, elements one armd div, three inf divs; by 20 November 1941 (Eighth Army), 6 divs (one armd) plus ind bdes, 577 tanks.
Br Eighth Army (5) Ritchie six divs (four mot, two armd) plus ind bdes 800-1,000 tanks, see (map 9) 530 aircraft.
(3)Montgomery ten divs (three armd) 1,200 tanks 1,200-1,500 aircraft.
Br First Army (4) Anderson: II US Corps (Fredendall) part 1st US Armd Div, Fr inf, later Br 6th Armd.
Br Eighth Army (5) Montgomery three divs (one armd), 300 tanks.
Br 18th Army Gr Alexander; Br First and Eighth Armies, 24 divs inc five US (two armd), four Fr, fifteen Br (four armd).
Map Leyend
1.Night of 14/15 June, the South African 1 st Division are in danger of being cut off and withdraw back through Tobruk to the frontier with Egypt.
2.Night of 14/15 June, the 50th Division is forced to break out of its encircled positions through Italian XXI Corps' lines and drive southwards around Bir Hacheim to the Egyptian border.
3.15 June, German 90.leichte Division makes repeated attacks on the El Adem position held by 29th Indian Brigade.
4.Afternoon 15 June, 21 .Panzer Division attacks and takes Point BB50
5.16 June, 7th Motor Brigade attacks the advancing Ariete Division north of El Adem, but the move is inconclusive and the brigade withdraws.
6.Early morning 17 June, 29th Indian Brigade withdraws from El Adem.
7.Afternoon 17 June, 21 .Panzer Division clashes with 4th Armoured Brigade between El Adem and Belhamed. The next day 4th Armoured Brigade withdraws to the south.
8.Night of 17 June, the two armoured divisions of the Afrika Korps turn north and reach the coast west of Gambut. Tobruk is now surrounded and all Eighth Army units that are still able to move retire eastwards to the Egyptian border.
9.19 June, Rommel now surrounds the Tobruk perimeter with Italian X and XXI Corps, the Italian Ariete Division and the Afrika Korps.
10.Early morning 20 June, the Afrika Korps breaks through Tobruk's perimeter and begins to eliminate the South African defences.
11.Afternoon 21 June, the garrison within the Tobruk area is overrun and Maj. Gen. Klopper surrenders his forces to Rommel.
Cyrenaica and Western Egypt May - November 1941
1. Oberschütze Maschinengewehrbatallion 2°, Tobruk, Cyrenaica May 1941
2. Schütze Panzerjägerabteilung 33°, Halfaya Pass, Egypt 1941
3. Unteroffizier Pionierbtallion (mot) 900°, Fort Capuzzo, Cyrenaica, November 1941
Africa February - April 1941
1. Generalmajor 5° Leichte Division, Tripoli, Tripolitania, March 1941
2. Hauptmann Panzerregiment 8°, Agedabia, Cyrenaica, April 1941
3. Obergefreiter Kradschützenbatallion 15°, Tobruk, Cyrenaica, April 1941
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