Order of battle for Rommel's Cyrenaica campaign

[Dook]

Does anyone have information on the size of the various units engaged in Rommel's Cyrenaica campaign from late March to early April 1941 (just the move from El Agheila to Sollum?

The units in question are:

Axis - German 5th Light Division, Italian Ariete Armored Division, and Italian Brescia Motorized Infantry Division.

Allies - UK 2nd Armored Division, Australia 9th Infantry Division, and Indian 3rd Motorized Brigade.

I have some OOBs and other information for the Axis units that indicate total Axis forces numbered about 25,000 men - 9,300 in the 5th Light Div., something less than 7,500 men in the Ariete Div., and something less than 11,000 men in the Brescia Div. I don't have the same kinds of numbers for the Allies.

At the moment, rough totals of men and tanks (where applicable) that were available for each of the units is probably enough. Thanks in advance for any help.

[The_Enigma]

ill have a shifty though the rommel papers later and see if he mentions anything about it for you

[ November 03, 2005, 02:10 PM: Message edited by: the_enigma ]

[Michael Emrys]

I think calling the Brescia motorized might be going a bit overboard. They may have been temporarily mounted in trucks to get them to Benghazi in a hurry, but after that, the trucks would have mostly returned to their main duties of hauling supplies. None of my references have ever shown it to be permanently motorized, unlike say the Trieste.

I think the Germans had a few odds and ends that you may not be counting, such as the 200 MG battalion and an AT battalion that may have been SP (I haven't nailed that one down yet).

Michael

[painfbat]

Or just have a look here:

http://www.afrika-korps.de/ and choose

Verband Deutsches Afrika-Korps" e.V.

http://www.worldwar2database.com/html/africa.htm

http://militaryhistory.about.com/cs/kasserinepass/

and just use your free way on the internet, GOOGLE

Cheers

[painfbat]

next:

http://www.deutsches-afrikakorps.de/html/gesamt.htm

choose "einheiten" then "heer" or "kampfgruppen"

choose on of the units showed, and you'll have all the info

cheers

[The_Enigma]

just had a shift through the book,well the pages which deal with this campaing, couldnt spot any figures for the size's of those units sorry

[Michael Emrys]

Originally posted by the_enigma:

just had a shift through the book,well the pages which deal with this campaing, couldnt spot any figures for the size's of those units sorry

You can probably dope it out because at that point in the campaign they would have been pretty close to TO&E.

Michael

[Zalgiris 1410]

Originally posted by Dook:

Does anyone have information on the size of the various units engaged in Rommel's Cyrenaica campaign from late March to early April 1941, ie: just the move from El Agheila to Sollum?

The units in question are:

Axis - German 5th Light Division, Italian Ariete Armored Division, and Italian Brescia Motorized Infantry Division.

Allies - UK 2nd Armored Division, Australia 9th Infantry Division, and Indian 3rd Motorized Brigade.

Dook the Italian 27th 'Brescia' Division was an Infantry Division, not wholely motorized, since it only had enough 'spare' organic lorry capacity to provide for itself to lift only 6 of its Infantry Companies. Also Dook at a quick glance I don't know about an 'Indian 3rd Motorized Brigade' at all, OTOH the first Indian formation that I am aware of in this period is the 11th Indian Brigade, but that is in Operation Brevity in June 1940 on the Sollum front. The only '3rd' Brigade that I think you might be confusing this with is the 3rd Armoured Brigade which was part of the 2nd British Armoured Division.

I don't have exact numbers of men kind of totals for the OOBs for this two month period but I do have formation OOBs for both the Axis & Allies which includes some detailed arrival dates and actual numbers of tanks, including not only their type but also their serial numbers to be sure! :cool:

I have this in a book called "Tank Combat in North Africa, the Opening Rounds; Operations Sonnenblume, Brevity, Skorpion and Battleaxe; February 1941 - June 1941.", by Thomas L. Jentz. Obviously this is the first in a series but I neglected to follow up and buy the rest of his books because at the time it was too detailed and I didn't understand it and because I figured that I had enough info on the rest of the North African Campaigne. CMx1 helped me to understand this book and now I know how wrong I was about declining to get the rest of the series, but alas anyway...

For the 31st of March in the forward areas OOB:

Panzer totals: 20 PzIV, 71 PzIII, 46 PzII, 29 PzI, 27 PzJgI, 7 PzBef, plus 24 SPW (Arm.Cars) & 20 Sd.Kfz251s

5th Leichte (later 21st Panzer) Division;

Panzer Regiment 5

Stabs und Nachr (Signals) Zug: 3 Pz Bef/radio, 1 PzIII, 3 PzII

le.Pz.Zug: 3 PzII, 5 PzI

le.Pz.Zug: 1 PzII, 4 PzI

I.Abteilung

Stabs Kompanie: 2 Pz Bef/radio, 2 PzIII, 1 PzI

le.Pz.Zug: 5 PzII

le.Pz.Zug: 1 PzII, 4 PzI

1st le.Kompanie: 17 PzIII, 5 PzII

2nd le.Kompanie: 16 PzIII, 5 PzII

4th me.Kompanie: 10 PzIV, 3 PzII, 2 PzI

II.Abteilung

Stabs Kompanie: 2 Pz Bef/radio, 2 PzIII

le.Pz.Zug: 5 PzII

le.Pz.Zug: 1 PzII, 7 PzI

5th le.Kompanie: 16 PzIII, 5 PzII

6th le.Kompanie: 17 PzIII, 5 PzII

8th me.Kompanie: 10 PzIV, 3 PzII, 2 PzI

Regiment(al)-Stabs z.b.V. 200

-Mot.M.G.Bataillon 2: 10 me.SPW (Sd.Kfz.251)

1st Kompanie: 12 s.M.G., 3 Pz.B., 3 le.Gr.W. (50mm Mtr)

2nd Kompanie: 12 s.M.G., 3 Pz.B., 3 le.Gr.W. (50mm Mtr)

3rd Kompanie: 12 s.M.G., 3 Pz.B., 3 le.Gr.W. (50mm Mtr)

4th s.Kompanie: 6 s.Gr.W.(81mm Mtr), 6 37mm PAK, 2 le.M.G.

5th Pi.Kompanie: 9 le.M.G.

6th Pi.Kompanie: 9 le.M.G.

-Mot.M.G.Bataillon 8: 10 me.SPW (Sd.Kfz.251)

1st Kompanie: 12 s.M.G., 3 Pz.B., 3 le.Gr.W. (50mm Mtr)

2nd Kompanie: 12 s.M.G., 3 Pz.B., 3 le.Gr.W. (50mm Mtr)

3rd Kompanie: 12 s.M.G., 3 Pz.B., 3 le.Gr.W. (50mm Mtr)

4th Pz.Jag.Kompanie: 9 37mm PAK, 3 le.M.G.

5th s.Kompanie: 6 s.Gr.W.(81mm Mtr), 6 37mm PAK, 2 le.M.G.

Pionier Zug: 3 le.M.G.

Aufklaerung Abteilung 3 (Reconnaissance)

Stabs und Nachr.Zug: 3 le.M.G.

Pz.Spar.Wgn.Schwadron: 6 s.PSW, 18 le.PSW (Armoured Car)

Kradschtzn.(M.C.)Schwdrn: 18 le.MG, 2 s.MG, 3 le.Gr.W.

schwr.Schwdrn: 3 75mm le.IG, 3 37mm PAK, 2 le.MG

Panzer Jaeger Abteilung (mot.) 39

1st Kompanie: 3 50mm PAK, 8 37mm PAK, 6 le.MG

2nd Kompanie: 3 50mm PAK, 8 37mm PAK, 6 le.MG

3rd Kompanie: 3 50mm PAK, 8 37mm PAK, 6 le.MG

Panzer Jaeger Abteilung (Sfl.) 605

Stabs und Nachr.Zug: 1 PzI

1st Kompanie: 1 PzI, 9 47mm PAK Sfl.

2nd Kompanie: 1 PzI, 9 47mm PAK Sfl.

3rd Kompanie: 1 PzI, 9 47mm PAK Sfl.

I.Abteilung/Artillerie Regiment (mot.) 75

1st Batterie: 4 105mm le.FH, 2 le.MG

2nd Batterie: 4 105mm le.FH, 2 le.MG

3rd Batterie: 4 105mm le.FH, 2 le.MG

leichte Flak Bataillon (Sfl.) 606

1st Kompanie: 12 20mm le.Flak Sfl.

3rd Kompanie: 12 20mm le.Flak Sfl.

I.Abteilung/Flak Regiment (mot.) 33

1st Batterie: 4 88mm Flak

2nd Batterie: 4 88mm Flak

3rd Batterie: 4 88mm Flak

4th Batterie: 8 20mm le.Flak

5th Batterie: 8 20mm le.Flak

Italian 132o divisione carazzato 'Ariete'

32o reggimento carrista

I btg. carri L; 27 carri L, 12 carri L lf (tankettes)

II btg. carri L; 27 carri L, 12 carri L lf (tankettes)

III btg. carri L; 27 carri L, 12 carri L lf (tankettes)

VII btg. carri M; 46 carri M13/40

batteria: 10 c.c.(ATG)37/45

8o reggimento bersaglieri

132o cp. cannoni: 8 c.c.(ATG)47/32

142o cp. cannoni: 8 c.c.(ATG)47/32

III btg motociclisti

1a cp. : 9 lMG, 3 mMG, 3 c.c.(ATG)37/45

2a cp. : 9 lMG, 3 mMG, 3 c.c.(ATG)37/45

3a cp. : 9 lMG, 3 mMG, 3 c.c.(ATG)37/45

V btg bersaglieri

1a cp. : 9 lMG, 3 mMG, 3 c.c.(ATG)37/45

2a cp. : 9 lMG, 3 mMG, 3 c.c.(ATG)37/45

XII btg bersaglieri

1a cp. : 9 lMG, 3 mMG, 3 c.c.(ATG)37/45

2a cp. : 9 lMG, 3 mMG, 3 c.c.(ATG)37/45

132o reggimento artiglieria

I gruppo: 12 cannoni 75mm/L27

II gruppo: 12 cannoni 75mm/l27

3x batteria c.a.(AAG): 24 c.a. 20mm

Attatched

I gruppo/24o regmt.art. : 12 cannoni 105mm/L28

72a cp. cannoni: 8 c.c. 47mm/L32

I btg. 39o regmt.fan : ???

Italian 27o divisione fanteria "Brescia"*

2x btg./19o regmt fanteria 'Brescia'

2x btg./20o regmt fanteria 'Brescia'

1x an 81mm medium motar cp. : ?

1x an Infantry Gun cp. : ? 65mm/17

4x batteria c.c. : 32 c.c.47mm/L32s, 12 c.c.37mm/45

1o reggimento artiglieria celere: 16 75mm/27, 16 c.a.(AA) 20mm

XV gruppo/16o reggimento artiglieria: 12 105mm/28

* The third btg of each fanteria reggimento and supporting elements was still back in Tripoli.

THE ALLIES

2nd Armoured Division

3rd Armoured Brgade (HQ): 3 Mk.VI Light Tanks

3rd King's Own Hussars : 26 Mk.VI Lt Tanks, 12 M13/40s

5th Btln Royal Tank Rgt: 25 Mk IVA Cruser Tanks

6th Btln Royal Tank Rgt: 36 M13/40s at Beda Fomm

2nd Armoured Division Support Group

1st Btln. Tower Hamlet Rifles Motor Btln.

1st Coy. Free French Motor Btln.

104 Royal Horse Artillery

16th Australian AT Coy.

J Battery 3rd Royal Horse Artillery

1st Kings Dragoon Guards (An Armoured Car Btln IIRC)

9th Australian Division (Infantry)

20th Australian Infantry Brigade

2/13th Btln.

2/15th Btln.

2/17th Btln.

20th Australian AT Coy.

24th Australian Infantry Brigade

2/28th Btln.

2/43rd Btln.

24th Australian AT Coy.

20th Australian Infantry Brigade

2/23rd Btln. -IIRC, the last Aust Btln still in Tobruk til siege end in Dec 41!

2/24th Btln.

2/48th Btln.

26th Australian AT Coy.

1st Royal Northumberland Fusiliers M.G. Btln.

51 Feild Regiment Royal Artillery (British)

2/1st Australian Pioneer Btln.**

** The 2/# means the second rising and refers to the Second World War Australian Imperial Forces (all volunteers) as aposed to the first A.I.F. in WWI of course. An absolutely stupid bloody thing to have to put up with if you ask me but anyway that's all it means in case you're confused.

Hope that'll all help ya Dook,

regards,

Saul.

[ November 06, 2005, 09:55 AM: Message edited by: Zalgiris 1410 ]

[Dook]

Zalgiris,

Thanks for the very helpful information. I realize now that the Brescia Division is more properly written as motorized Brescia Infantry Division with the caveat that the division was really only partially motorized.

Indian 3rd Motor Brigade left Delhi for Egypt on 22 Jan. 1941. Disembarked at Suez on night of 6-7 Feb. 1941. Arrived in western Cyrenaica on 29 Mar. 1941. Repulsed an Axis attack at Mechili on 6 Apr. 1941. Most of the brigade was taken prisoner on 8 Apr. 1941 after an attempt to break out from Mechili failed. So, they were there.

At the moment, the only description I have is that they were indeed mobile and good troops, but vastly underequipped.

Thanks again.

[edward_n_kelly]

For detailed description of the makeup of the Australian forces in the area (and why it was so) might I suggest you "take a squizz" at Official Histories - Second World War Volume III - Tobruk and El Alamein (1966)

[John Kettler]

dook,

Some years ago George Bradford (of AFV NEWS fame) wrote a book (DEUTSCHE AFRIKA KORPS, I think) which may be of great use to you because it shows all the components of the DAK in silhouette form, sort of like the org charts AFV-G2 magazine used to have and some of the diagrams in Horst Scheibert's Panzer books. Suggest you try a name search for him at some of the big used book sites.

Regards,

John Kettler