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Operation Sonnenblume (Sunflower) actually refers to the German emergency operation which sent troops to North Africa in February after the Italian 10th Army was destroyed by Allied forces. The original force of a few tanks was quickly upgraded to enough forces to cobble together a make-shift "armored" division designated the 5th Light Division. Rommel took this division along with some supporting Italian troops transferred over from the Fifth Army and began an offensive against the weakened Allied forces (several divisions had been sent to Greece). Additional forces were added as they became available, including the 15th Panzer Division in May and the Italian Ariete Armored Division.
Axis Forces
Deutsches Afrika Korps Corps Troops 5th Light Division 15th Panzer Division African Division XXI Corps Corps Troops 17th Pavi Division 25th Bologna Division 27th Brescia Division 102nd Trento Division XX Corps Corps Troops 101st Trieste Mechanized Division 132nd Ariete Armored Division RECAM
Allied Forces
Cyrenaica Command Corps Troops 2nd Armored Division 9th Australian Division
March, 1941
Pz I is early A version. Pz II represents c version with extra armor bolted on. Most Pz III are early production G model without extra armor. Only a few have the extra armor.
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The 5th Light Division was a makeshift division built in piecemeal fashion from available units. It was not organized like the previous light divisions used in the Polish Campaign and was called a light division because it had a regiment of tanks but lacked enough pieces to qualify as a full panzer division. The 5th Panzer Regiment was sent from the 3rd Panzer Division but only after its 37mm armed Pz IIIs were traded in for 50L42 armed tanks. The infantry component was composed of two machine gun battalions put together in a provisional regiment (zbV 200). The artillery was only half a regiment. The 3rd Recon Battalion and 33rd Anti-Aircraft Regiment were also provided by the 3rd Panzer Division.
By Greg Moore gregpanzerblitz.com September, 2008
DAK
May, 1941
Most Pz III are brand new from the factory and have the extra armor, a few are older and do not. Some Pz IV with extra armor, some without.
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x9 15th Motorcycle Battalion x9 33rd Artillery Regiment x4 33th Pionier Battalion x9 33rd Recon Battalion x1 x1 x1 x6 x3 x2 x6 x1
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x8 The 15th Panzer Division was not available for the start of Rommels offensive but elements did arrive in time for the first assault on Tobruk.
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Division zb V Afrika
155th Infantry Regiment x1 Infantry Battalion x3 x9 x2 x2 x3
DAK
June, 1941
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This regiment is mostly former French Foreign Legionnaires of German origin. x1 Infantry Battalion x2 x9 x2 x1 x1 x1 x1 x 15 x2 x3
II/255 Infantry Battalion x9 361st Artillery Battalion x2 2nd Italian Celere Artillery Regiment x2 x2
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This is make-shift division cobbled together from spare parts especially for the assault on Tobruk. It includes Germans, Italians, and former members of the French Foreign Legion. Amazingly, this division eventually became an elite fighting unit. It was upgraded to the German 90th Light Infantry Division in November of 1941.
By Greg Moore gregpanzerblitz.com March, 2009
March, 1941
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March, 1941
I Infantry Battalion x9 x2 x 11
II Infantry Battalion x9 x2
I Infantry Battalion x9 x2 x 11
II Infantry Battalion x9 x2
Mortar Company x3 Infantry Gun Company x8 x3 x 11 5th Light Tank Battalion (attached x3 x3 x3
Anti-Tank Battalion
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The Pavia Division had been raised and shipped to North Africa to serve as part of the Libyan garrison. During Rommels offensive, the Pavia Division attacked up the coastal road skirmishing with the 9th Australian rearguard all the way to Tobruk. The Pavia Division then participated in the siege of Tobruk until the town was finally relieved in November. The Pavia Division continued to serve in North Africa until finally destroyed at El Alamein in November of 1942. Though technically a motorized division, the Italians were chronically short on transport and only had enough trucks to transport half the infantry battalions.
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II Infantry Battalion x9 x2
I Infantry Battalion x9 x2 x 11
II Infantry Battalion x9 x2
The Bolgna Division participated in the siege of Tobruk where it successfully defended against several counterattacks by the Commonwealth forces. The division continued to fight in North Africa until the survivors were forced to surrender at El Alamein, having run out of food, water, and ammunition.
March, 1941
I Infantry Battalion x9 x2 x 11
II Infantry Battalion x9 x2
I Infantry Battalion x9 x2 x 11
II Infantry Battalion x9 x2
Mortar Company x3 x3
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These Italian Motorized Divisions only had enough trucks to transport one battalion at a time out of each regiment. The third battalion from each regiment is back in Tripoli. The Brescia Division saw much action in the siege of Tobruk and was involved in many raids and several attacks against the defenders.
March, 1941
March, 1941
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March, 1941
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In 1941, Italy decided to deploy one of its few armored divisions to North Africa. Pieces of the division (mainly tank battalions) had been sent previously to North Africa but now the entire division was deployed. The Ariete division began unloading in January and was available for Rommels offensive in April. At this point, Ariete contained one regiment of tanks with most being obsolete light tanks. As the campaign developed, the Ariete Division received more and better tanks, although they were never the equal of what Britain was bringing to the fight. Despite its shortcomings, the division was a very valuable mobile tank division in Rommels force and proved itself many times in the campaign.
By Greg Moore gregpanzerblitz.com Revised Oct, 2009
I Battalion GGFF Battalion Gruppe II Battalion x1 Polizia Afrika Italiana Motorcycle Battalion Machine Gun Company x3 Artillery Mobile Gruppe Volaire x3
Artillery was a mixed group of flying batteries with some mounted on trucks.
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RECAM was a special mobile reconnaissance group put together from scattered pieces.
April, 1941
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Forces that arrived after the start of the campaign Indian 3rd Motorized Brigade 35th Field Squadron Royal Indian Engineers
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The Brigade had only been recently transferred to this front and was not complete. During the campaign, the brigade was ordered to defend Mechili against the Axis spearheads, despite an almost complete lack of heavy weapons and missing two cavalry regiments. After refusing three different surrender demands, the brigade fought a stiff action before being mostly destroyed. Their stand bought valuable time for the defenders of Tobruk to arrive and prepare.
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April, 1941
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1st Tower Hamlets Rifles Infantry Battalion 1st Company Free French Motor Battalion (attached) 4th Royal Engineers Squadron
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1 company, 1st Frontier Force Motorized Battalion (attached) 1st Royal Horse Artillery
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x3 16th Australian Anti-Tank Company (attached) 1st Kings Dragoon Guards Divisional Reece Regiment
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The hard luck 2nd Armoured Division was brought in to replace the 7th Armoured after the highly successful Operation Compass. The 2nd was an inexperienced and seriously understrength formation with half of its tank strength consisting of captured Italian tanks and was destroyed in Rommels offensive. Some remnants escaped to Tobruk but most of the division surrendered to the Axis at Mechili on April 8. The 2nd Armoured Division was officially disbanded in May and never reformed.
April, 1941
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2/3rd, 2/7th, 2/13th Royal Australian Engineers 9th Australian Divisional Cavalry Regiment
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The Australian 9th Infantry Division was formed in England in late 1940 from brigades coming over from Australia. The division was sent to the Middle East and then to North Africa to complete its training and equipping. It was supposed to be part of a garrison force in Libya but soon found itself in the middle of Rommels offensive. The inexperienced Aussies managed to fall back in good order to Tobruk with minimal casualties and became the foundation of the defense of that important port. The tough Aussies were ordered to try to hold the town for at least two months until relieved. They successfully defended Tobruk for over six months against repeated Axis attacks until Operation Crusader finally broke the siege, earning themselves a special place in history. The 9th suffered over 3000 casualties in their defense of Tobruk. Note: although the division was not completely motorized, the resourceful Australians managed to acquire enough motorized transport during the retreat to move their entire division back to Tobruk in good order. This sometimes involved towing flatbed trailers or broken down vehicles full of troops but they got the job done.