Talk:Operation Battleaxe order of battle

Nicknames and middle names

Putting these here since the articles don't exist for the people and they can be tough to find.

• Noel M. de la P. Beresford-Peirse
• Michael O'Moore Creagh (“Dickie”)
• Alexander Hugh Gatehouse (“Alec”)
• Hugh Edward Russell
• Reginald Arthur Savory
• Ian David Erskine

Different OoB

German

Different sources have different orders of battle for the German forces, I'm listing all the ones I can find here.

Panzer Abwehr [1]

• 15th Panzer Division (in the forward area)
  • 8th Panzer Regiment (two battalions)
  • 33rd Reconnaissance unit (battalion-size)
  • 1st Abteilung of the 33rd Artillery Regiment
  • 1st Battalion of the 104th Motor Infantry Regiment
  • 33rd Panzerjäger Battalion (12-50mm PAK 38 ATG's and 21-37mm PAK 35/36 ATG's)
  • 15th Motorcycle Battalion, one AA battery (with 14-88mm FLAK 18 and FLAK 36 guns)
  • Control of three Italian infantry battalions from the Trento Division and three Italian field artillery batteries.

The Crucible of War
Commadante Superiore - Generale d'Armata Italo Gariboldi

• Deutsches Afrika Korps - Generalleutnant Erwin Rommel
  • Corps Troops
    • Two regiments Italian artillery in Bardia
    • One regiment FlaK (88 mm)
  • 15th Panzer Division - Generalleutnant W. Neumann-Sylkow
  • Panzer Regt 8
  • Reconnaissance Battalion 33
  • Battery P.A.K (anti-tank)
  • Battery flak (88mm.)
  • Rifle Regt 104
    • Battalion lorried infantry
    • Battalion motor-cycle infantry
    • Battalion foot infantry (under Major the Rev. Wilhelm Bach at Halfaya)
  • Divisional artillery at Point 206
  • Trento Division
    • Three infantry battalions and one artillery regiment in area Sollum-Musaid-Capuzzo
  • 5th Light Division (later 21st Panzer Division) - Generalleutnant J. von Ravenstein
    • Panzer Regt 5
    • Reconnaissance Battalion 3

Deutsches Afrika Korps [2]

• Stützpunkt Halfaya:
  • 1., 3., 4., Kp/SR.104
  • 1/FlakRgt.33 mit 1 leFlakBat (8x20mm Flak) und 1 swFlakBat (4x88mm Flak)
  • I gruppo (Pardi) 2° reggimento artiglieria celere (8x100/14 Haubitzen)
  • II battaglione 62° reggimento fanteria

• Stützpunkt Qalala:
  • 6 Oasen-Kp + 4x100/17 Haubitzen der gruppo Pardi

• Stützpunkt 208:
  • 4.MGKp/KBT 15
  • swFlakBat (2x20mm + 4x88mm der I/(FlakRgt.33, 1x5cm PAK + 3x3.7cmPAK der PzJägAbt.33)

• Stützpunkt 206:
  • 1 Kompanie KBT15
  • 2 Batterien I/ArtRgt.33 (8x10.5cm leFH, 3x3.7cm PAK und 3x5cm PAK von PzJägAbt.33, 4x2cm Flak der I/FlakRgt.33).

Es gab noch drei Stützpunkte in der 2. Verteidigungslinie (Strong points in the second line of defense):

• Stützpunkt Capuzzo
  • I battaglione 61° reggiment fanteria (mit 2x37/45 PAK)

• Stützpunkt Musaid
  • II battaglione 62° reggimento fanteria (mit 1 Zug 47/32 PAK)

• Stützpunkt Ober Sollum
  • 1Kp Infanterie und 1Kp M.Werfer des II battaglione 62° reggimento fanteria (mit 1 Zug 47/32 PAK).

Die DAK Panzerverbände an diesem Tag waren wie folgt organisiert und stationiert:

• I/PR.8 (13xPzKpfwII, 18 PzKpfwIII, und 8 PzKpfwIV), 2/SRG.104, 1Kp von KBT.15, 1Kp PzJägAbt.33, 1swBat (4x8.8mm) und 1 leFlakBat (8x2cm) von I/FlakRgt.33; diese Einheiten waren nördlich Cappuzo;

• II/PR.8 sollte insgesamt in etwa 62 PzKpfwII/III u IV gehabt haben, war aber aus technischen Problemen - durch den langen Anmarsch von Tripolis - nicht einsatzfähig und großteils irgendwo bei Gambut in der Werkstatt liegen;

• PR.5 (39 PzKpfwII, 38 PzKpfwIII, und 19 PzKpfwIV, von denen ein Paar eigentlich von II/PR.8 waren) war zusammen mit der 5.lePD bei Tobruq.

Notes:
Stützpunkt = base, strong point

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More to come from here and here

British

The Crucible of War
Commander in Chief, Middle East - General Archibald Wavell

• XIII Corps - Lieutenant-General Noel Beresford-Peirse
  • 7th Armoured Division - Major-General Michael O'Moore Creagh
    • 4th Armoured Brigade - Brigadier Alexander Gatehouse
      • 4th Royal Tank Regiment (Matilda tanks) - Lieutenant-Colonel Walter O'Carroll
      • 7th Royal Tank Regiment (Matilda tanks)
    • 7th Armoured Brigade - Brigadier Hugh Russell
      • 2nd Royal Tank Regiment (Mk I, II and III/IV cruiser tanks)
      • 6th Royal Tank Regiment (Crusader tanks)
    • 7th Support Group - Brigadier John Campbell
      • 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 106th Royal Horse Artillery
      • 1st King's Royal Rifle Corps
      • 2nd Rifle Brigade
    • Divisional troops
      • 11th Hussars
      • 4th Field Squadron
      • 143rd Field Park Squadron
  • 4th Indian Infantry Division - Major-General Frank Messervy
    • 11th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier Reginald Savory
      • 2nd Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
      • 1st/6th Rajputana Rifles
      • 2nd/5th Mahrattas
    • 22nd Guards Brigade - Brigadier Ian Erskine
      • 1st Buffs
      • 2nd Scots Guards
      • 3rd Coldstream Guards
      • 22nd Guards Brigade Attack Company
    • Divisional troops
      • Central India Horse
      • 25th Field Regiment
      • 31st Field Regiment
      • 4th, 12th, 18th, and 21st Field Company (Sappers and Miners)
      • 11th Field Park Company

References

Misc. facts

• The 1st Oasis Company was commanded by Oberleutnant Paulewicz, the 88 mm gun battery was commanded by Lieutenant Ziemer (Rommel's Desert Army, pg. 11)

As used

• Creagh
  • 7th Armoured Brigade Group
    • 7th Armoured Brigade
    • Support Group
• Messervy
  • Coast Force
    • Halfaya Group
      • 2nd Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
      • C Squadron, 4th Royal Tank Regiment (12 Matildas + 1 light tank)
    • 11th Brigade Group
      • 1st/6th Rajputana Rifles
      • 2nd/5th Mahratta Light Infantry
      • 2 troops, A Squadron, 4th Royal Tank Regiment (6 Matildas)
  • Escarpment Force
    • 22nd Guards Brigade
    • 4th Armoured Brigade
      • 7th Royal Tank Regiment
      • 4th Royal Tank Regiment
        • 3 troops, A Squadron (12 tanks)
        • B Squadron (16 tanks) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Oberiko (talk • contribs) 19:29, 8 November 2007 (UTC)