Operation Crusader order of battle

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This is the order of battle for the ground forces involved in Operation Crusader, a World War II battle between the British Commonwealth and the European Axis Powers of Germany and Italy in North Africa between 18 November – 30 December 1941.

British and Commonwealth Forces[edit]

Commander-in-Chief Middle East Command: General Claude Auchinleck

British Eighth Army[edit]

Lieutenant-General Alan Cunningham, succeeded on 26 November by Lieutenant-General Neil Ritchie

XXX Corps[edit]

Lieutenant-General Willoughby Norrie

XIII Corps[edit]

Lieutenant-General Reade Godwin-Austen

Tobruk Fortress[edit]

Major-General Ronald Scobie

Oasis Force[edit]

Brigadier Denys Reid

Army Reserve[edit]

German and Italian forces[edit]

Supreme Commander North Africa: General Ettore Bastico

Italian XX Corps (Corpo d'Armata di Manovra - Mobile Corps)[edit]

Lieutenant-General Gastone Gambara

Panzer Group Africa[edit]

Panzer Group Africa commanded by General der Panzertruppe Erwin Rommel

German Afrika Korps (commanded by Generalleutnant Ludwig Crüwell)

  • 15th Panzer Division (Generalmajor Walter Neumann-Silkow until 6 December (killed in action), then Generalmajor Gustav von Vaerst)
    • 8th Panzer Regiment (2 bns)
    • 1st Battalion, 115th Infantry Regiment
    • 2nd Machine Gun Battalion
    • 3rd Engineers Battalion
    • 33rd Recon Battalion
    • 33rd Anti-tank Battalion
    • 33rd Artillery Regiment
  • 21st Panzer Division (Generalmajor Johann von Ravenstein until 29 November (prisoner of war), then Generalmajor Karl Böttcher)
    • 5th Panzer Regiment (2 bns)
    • 104th Infantry Regiment (2 bns)
    • 15th Motorcycle Battalion
    • 3rd Recon Battalion
    • 200th Engineers Battalion
    • 39th Anti-Tank Battalion
    • 605th Anti-Tank Battalion
    • 155th Artillery Regiment
  • Special Purpose Division Afrika (Renamed 90th Light Africa Division from 28 November 1941) (Generalmajor Max Sümmermann until 10 December (killed in action), then Generalmajor Richard Veith)
    • 2nd Battalion, 115th Infantry Regiment
    • 155th Infantry Regiment (3 bns)
    • 3rd Battalion, 255th Infantry Regiment
    • 3rd Battalion, 347th Infantry Regiment
    • 361st Infantry Regiment (2 bns)
    • 900th Engineers Battalion
    • 580th Recon Battalion
    • Elements from the 300th "Oasis" Battalion
    • 2nd Battalion, 115th Motor Artillery Regiment
    • 2nd Motor Artillery Regiment (Italian)
  • 55th Infantry Division "Savona" (General Fedele de Giorgis)
    • 15th Infantry Regiment
    • 16th Infantry Regiment
    • "Genova Cavalleria" Machine Gun Battalion
    • 155th Machine Gun Battalion
    • Elements, from the 300th "Oasis" Battalion (German)
    • 12th Artillery Regiment[lower-alpha 7]

Italian XXI Corps[edit]

Italian XXI Corps commanded by Lieutenant-General Enea Navarini

Notes[edit]

  1. Naval Blackshirts crews
  2. Two 75L28 battalions
  3. One 75L28 battalion
  4. One Cannone da 105/28 battalion
  5. Two motorcycle and one armoured cars companies
  6. Two battalions with Cannone da 65/17 modello 13, one battery with Obice da 100/17 and one battery with 20mm Breda 35 light AA/AT
  7. Two 75L28 and one 100L17 battalions
  8. One Obice da 100/17 and two 75L27 battalions
  9. Three Cannone da 105/28 battalions
  10. One Cannone da 149/28, one 149L40 and one 152L37 battalions
  11. Four Cannone da 149/35 A battalions
  12. Four 75L28 battalions
  13. One 75L28 and one Obice da 100/17 battalions
  14. Two 75L28 and one Obice da 100/17 battalions
  15. Two 75L28 battalions
  16. Two 75L28 and one Obice da 100/17 battalions
  1. Farndale, pp. 165–8.
  2. Playfair, p. 158.
  3. Routledge, pp. 130–3, Table XX, p. 141
  4. "Order of Battle at Rats of Tobruk Tribute site". Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.

References[edit]

External links[edit]