1. Operation Crusader 18 Nov to 7 Dec, 1941 British German Italian Unitsxx 7 xx 21 xx
Ariete

2. After the utter defeat of Italian arms in North Africa, by the British, during Sept and Oct of 1940, Hitler decided to help Mussolini hold on to what was left by sending a corps size task force (The Afrika Korps) commanded by Erwin Rommel
Rommel was not one to sit on the defensive – In April of 1941, he defeated the British forces deployed near El Agheila and Bengazi – He then moved to surround the British held port of Tobruk

3. Until Tobruk was taken, Rommel could not move further eastward to achieve his main goal of driving the British out of Egypt and controlling the Suez Canal
Archibald Wavell, the overall commander of the British forces in The Middle East and North Africa organized two operations to relieve the siege of Tobruk (Operation Brevity and Operation Battleaxe) – Both failed

4. Churchill felt it was time for a new commander – He felt Wavell was tired - New ideas were needed
In July of 1941, Wavell was sent to command in India - He essentially changed places with Claude Auchinleck, the previous commander in India
- Like Wavell, Auchinleck now had responsibility for the entire Middle East and northern Africa
Auchinleck
Auchinleck appointed Alan Cunningham (Victor over the Italians in Ethiopia) as head of the new 8th Army - an unfortunate choice
Cunningham

5. Cunningham was coming from a theater where he had commanded a maximum of 5 infantry brigades
He knew nothing about armor operations and a large part of the British forces in the upcoming operation would be armor
In his favor, Cunningham did not follow the usual British procedure by keeping armor and infantry completely separated – He organized two corps – 30th, containing most of the armor with a significant infantry component and 13th containing mostly infantry but with a significant armor component of Valentine and Matilda tanks
Still, he was way over his head with the size of the operation and his corps commanders had no clue about how to fight with coordinated armor, infantry, anti tank weapons (AT) and artillery

6. Auchinleck was able to fend off Churchill’s unceasing demands for a new offensive - He was able to delay the offensive until November to absorb new equipment and train the troops for desert warfare
Seeing all the new equipment, the troops were confident of victory
Unfortunately, new equipment and enthusiastic troops could not make up for the incompetent commanders and obsolete tactics

7. British Armor 1941-1942 - Operation Crusader
Stuart - 37mm gun
max armor = 38mm
Max Penetration 37 mm gun
- 48mm of armor at 500m
Matilda II - 40mm gun
max armor = 78 mm
Max penetration 40 mm gun
- 57 mm of armor at 500m
Crusader II - 40 mm gun
max armor = 49 mm
Valentine II - 40 mm gun
max armor = 65mm
The U.S. lend Lease Stuart could fire canister rounds for use against infantry – The 40mm guns on British tanks fired only solid shot to kill enemy tanks

8. Afrika Corps Armor - 1941 Pz-IIIF - 50mm gun Max armor = 30mm
penetration = 58mm at 500m
Could also fire HE rounds
Afrika Corps Armor
Pz-1B - two 7.92mm MGs
max armor = 13mm
Pz-IVE - 75mm gun
Max armor = 30mm
penetration – HEAT AT rounds 70mm
Pz-IIB - 20mm gun
Max armor = 30mm
penetration = 20mm at 500m
The Pz-IV E was primarily an anti infantry weapon – firing mostly HE rounds

9. Italian Armor in North Africa
L3/35 Tankette - 6.5mm MG
-max armor = 13mm
M11/ mm gun
- max armor = 30mm
Penetration = 35mm at 500m
Autoblinda AB mm gun
max armor = 9mm
Penetration = 20mm at 500m
M 13/ mm gun
- max armor = 30mm
Penetration = 48mm at 500m
37 and 47mm guns can fire both
HE and solid shot

10. British Advance to relieve Tobruk
Next map
Halfaya Pass
Assembly area
British Advance to relieve Tobruk
British tanks (plus more in reserve) - 34,000 trucks
Germans tanks - Italians tanks - 10,000 trucks
The British had the advantage of numbers in armor – Troop numbers were about the same – Brits-118,000 – Axis-119,000
The battle turned into a confused melee as both sides lost control

11. Crusader - Opening Moves - 18 Nov
Bologna xx xx 15
Trento xx xx 90
Pavia xx xx 21 33 II xx
Ariete II 3 xx
Savona xx
4 IND x 4 xx NZ x 7 x
1ATB x 22 x
22Gd xx
1 SA x 7
13th Corps
22 Arm Bde = 163 Crusaders
7Arm Bde = 129 Crusaders
4 Arm Bde = 166 Stuarts
30th Corps
60 Valentines
60 Matildas
1st Army Tank Bde =

12. Crusader - Opening Moves - 18 Nov
Bologna xx xx 15
Trento xx xx 90
Pavia xx xx 21 33 II xx
Ariete II 3 xx
Savona xx
4 IND x 7 x 4 x
1ATB x 22 x 7 x
22Gd xx NZ xx
1 SA
Cunningham’s original plan - await with massed armor at Gabr Saleh for German counter attack - Rain masked the advance – Germans didn’t know Brits were there in strength

13. Cunningham discarded the original plan - Armor dispersed -
Crusader - 19 Nov
Bologna xx xx 15
Trento xx xx 90
Pavia xx xx 21 33 II xx
Ariete II 3 xx
Savona xx
4 IND x 7 x 4 x
1ATB x 22 x 7 x
22Gd xx NZ xx
1 SA
Cunningham discarded the original plan - Armor dispersed -
7th to Sidi Rezegh - 22 to Bir el Gubi - 4th stays at Gabr Saleh

14. Crusader - 19 Nov
Bologna xx xx 15
Trento xx
III 90 xx 90
III 90
III 90
Pavia xx xx 21 33 II xx
Ariete II 3 xx
Savona xx
4 IND x 7 x 4 x
1ATB x 22 x 7 x
22Gd xx NZ xx
1 SA
4th Arm Bde suffered significant tank losses but 21st Pz had to withdraw – Low on fuel – Ariete dug in – Held off 22 Arm Bde – 90th Light surrounded 7th Arm Bde at Sidi Rezegh airfield

15. x
TOBF
Crusader - 20 Nov
Bologna xx
Trento xx
III 90
III 90 x 7
III 90 x 7
Pavia xx xx 15 xx
Ariete xx 21 x 22 xx
Savona xx NZ xx
4 IND x 4 x
1ATB x
22Gd xx
1 SA
A mixed tank and infantry force from Tobruk tried to open a corridor to Sidi Rezegh while 15 Panzer attacked the unfortunate 4 Arm Bde and 13th Corps advanced toward Capuzzo Arm Bde recalled

16. Crusader - 21 Nov x
TOBF
Bologna xx
Trento xx
III 90
III 90 x 7
III 90 x 7
Pavia xx xx 15 xx 21 xx
Ariete xx
Savona xx NZ xx
4 IND x
1ATB x 22 x
22Gd x 4 xx
1 SA
15 and 21 Panzer withdrew north to replenish ammo and fuel while 7 Arm Bde retreated to Sidi Rezegh – 30th Corps ordered to Sidi Rezegh while 13th Corps advanced to Sidi Azeiz and Bardia
TobForce continued to try opening a corridor to Sidi Rezegh while 7 Arm Bde charged the two approaching Pz divisions with disatrous results

17. - First Battle of Sidi Rezegh
Crusader - 22 Nov
- First Battle of Sidi Rezegh
Bologna xx
Trento xx x
TOBF
III 90 x 22 xx 15
III 90 x 7
III 90 xx
1 SA x 7 x 4 xx 21
Pavia xx xx NZ x NZ x
1ATB xx
Ariete xx
4 IND x
22Gd
NZ Division dropped off a brigade at Sidi Azeiz and moved toward Sidi Rezegh – Rommel ordered an all out attack on British forces at Sidi Rezegh
Battle occurred on – Totensonntag (Sunday of the Dead) – Fierce battle – each side lost about 60% of their armor

18. With the British on the ropes, Rommel made a mistake
Gen. Ludwig Cruwell, commander of the German armored forces, urged Rommel to pursue and destroy the decimated British armor
Concerned about his own losses Rommel felt the a threat to surround the British forces would make them withdraw as it had in Brevity and Battleaxe
He could then recover much of his damaged armor and finally take Tobruk – Possession of Tobruk was a necessity if the Germans were to move on to Alexandria
The result of Rommel’s decision was Known as the “Dash to the Wire” (Barbed wire marking the Egyptian frontier) 24 to 26 Nov –
It almost worked

19. Rommel’s dash to the wire - 24 to 26 Nov
Bologna xx
Trento xx x
TOBF
III 90 xx 15
III 90
III 90
Pavia xx xx 21 xx NZ x NZ x
1ATB xx
1 SA x 7 x 7 xx
Ariete x 22 x 4 xx
4 IND x
22Gd
British tank reinforcements
arrived at a rate of 40 per day xx
2 SA
21 Pz brushes the 4th Ind Div and heads into the British rear area –
15 Pz heads north to try and recapture Sidi Azeiz –NZ Div arrives at Sidi Rezegh and occupies the airfield – Still no corridor to Tobruk
As Rommel heads for British rear, Ariete tries to join but runs into British armor –

20. Cunningham reacted exactly as Rommel had hoped – With 21 Pz on his supply route, he panicked and wanted to withdraw
Auchinleck realized German losses had also been high – He relieved Cunningham and took over direct command of the army around Tobruk – There would be no retreat
Rommel’s command vehicle was separated from 21 Pz Div – for several hours, Rommel was lost
Meanwhile, the NZ Division created a crisis at Sidi Rezegh – Col. Westphal used his prerogative as Rommel’s chief of staff and took command of the German forces – 15 Pz was ordered back to Sidi Rezegh
Once Rommel was back in communication, he approved Westphal’s action and also ordered 21 Pz back to Sidi Rezegh
Rommel’s dash to the wire had given 30th Corps time to reorganize and absorb reinforcements – A fatal mistake

21. 2nd Battle of Sidi Rezegh - 27 Nov to 1 Dec
Bologna xx
Trento xx x
TOBF
III 90
III 90 xx NZ
III 90
Pavia xx x NZ x
1ATB xx
Ariete xx 15 xx 21 x 7 x 7 x 22 xx
1 SA xx
4 IND x
22Gd x 4 xx
2 SA
German Panzer divisions were both recalled to Sidi Rezegh and reclaimed the airfield but German armor losses had been so high that they could not hold against reinforced 30th Corps
Afrika Korps troops formed a screen to slow down the British advance and allow the rest of the Axis forces to escape – Tobruk was relieved

22. Although badly managed in its earlier stages, Operation Crusader was a victory of sorts for the British – A victory due entirely to Auchinleck’s courageous decision to continue the fight
British tank losses were heavy, although possession of the battle field allowed then to recover and repair all but 278 tanks (British started with 690 tanks)
The Germans and Italians were forced to retreat and left behind many repairable tanks – Combined tank losses for both Italian and German forces were 300 (They started with 390)
Casualties (killed wounded and missing) were about 18,000 British, 14,000 German and 24,000 Italians
There was air activity over the battlefield, but close air support for either side was not decisive – Many actions were bombing raids in the enemy’s rear – Aircraft losses were British-300, Axis-600

23. This would lead to the Gazala Battles and the fall of Tobruk
Halfaya Pass
Rommel retreated to El Agheila to be nearer to his supply source (Tripoli) – He was followed hesitantly by the British
Several supply convoys with replacement tanks and troops reached Tripoli shortly after Rommel reached El Agheila
Rommel began to contemplate another offensive despite objections from the Italian supreme command
This would lead to the Gazala Battles and the fall of Tobruk