Operation Brevity
Operation Brevity | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Second World War | |||||||
The Egyptian and Libyan border over which Operation Brevity was conducted. | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
United Kingdom Australia |
Germany Italy | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Archibald Wavell William Gott |
Erwin Rommel Maximilian von Herff Italo Gariboldi | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
3 infantry battalions 53 tanks |
Elements of several battalions 30–50 tanks | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
206+ casualties 5 tanks destroyed 6 aircraft destroyed |
605+ casualties 3 tanks destroyed |
Operation Brevity was a limited offensive conducted in mid-May 1941, during the
Egypt had been
Wavell defined Operation Brevity's main objectives as the acquisition of territory from which to launch a further planned offensive toward Tobruk, and the depletion of German and Italian forces in the region. With limited battle-ready units to draw on in the wake of Rommel's recent successes, on 15 May Brigadier William Gott attacked in three columns with a mixed infantry and armoured force. The strategically important Halfaya Pass was taken against stiff Italian opposition, and deeper inside Libya Fort Capuzzo was captured, but German counter-attacks under Colonel Maximilian von Herff regained the fort during the afternoon causing heavy casualties amongst its defenders. Gott—concerned that his forces were in danger of being caught by German armour in open ground—conducted a staged withdrawal to the Halfaya Pass on 16 May, and Brevity was closed down. The importance of the Halfaya Pass as a safe supply route was highlighted to Rommel, and 11 days later it was recaptured during Operation Skorpion, a German counter-attack.
Background
In early September 1940, the Italian
The Italians responded by despatching the 132nd Armored Division "Ariete" and 102nd Motorized Division "Trento" to North Africa.[6] From February 1941 until early May, Operation Sonnenblume saw the arrival of the German Afrika Korps in Tripoli to reinforce their Italian allies. Commanded by Generalleutnant Erwin Rommel and consisting of the 5th Light and 15th Panzer Division, the Afrika Korps was to block Allied attempts to drive the Italians out of the region. Rommel seized on the weakness of his opponents and without waiting for his forces fully to assemble, rapidly went on the offensive.[7][8] During March and April, the remaining units of the 2nd Armoured Division were destroyed as the Axis forces advanced, which also forced the British and Commonwealth forces into retreat.[a][10]
Neame and the
The Tobruk garrison received supplies from the Royal Navy and Rommel was unable to take the port. This failure was significant; his front line positions at Sollum were at the end of an extended supply chain that stretched back to Tripoli and was threatened by the Tobruk garrison. The substantial commitment required to invest Tobruk prevented him from building up his forces at Sollum, making further advances into Egypt impractical.[b][17][18] By maintaining possession of Tobruk, the Allies had regained the initiative.[18]
Prelude
Allied force
Operation Brevity would be carried out by the 22nd Guards Brigade and elements of the 7th Armoured Division. Its armoured component consisted of 29 cruiser tanks of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment (2RTR) and 24 infantry tanks of the 4th Royal Tank Regiment (4RTR).[c] The Royal Air Force (RAF) allocated all available fighters and a small force of bombers to the operation.[22][23] Brigadier William Gott—in command of all Allied front-line forces since the retreat—was to lead the operation in the field, and his plan was to advance in three parallel columns.[13]
On the desert flank to the south, the 7th Armoured
Axis force
The main Axis opposition was Kampfgruppe von Herff, positioned on the desert plateau. It included 30–50 tanks of the 2nd Battalion, Panzer Regiment 5, an Italian motorised infantry battalion of the Trento Division, and supporting arms. The front line area around Halfaya Pass was defended by two companies of Bersaglieri—well trained Italian motorised infantry—with artillery support.[13][26] On 9 May, the Germans intercepted a British weather report over the radio. The Afrika Korps war diary noted that "In the past, such reports had always been issued prior to the important enemy offensives to capture Sidi Barrani, Bardi, Tobruk, and the Gebel".[23] Rommel strengthened the eastern side of his cordon around Tobruk as a precaution against sorties from the garrison and to order Kampfgruppe von Herff to adopt a more aggressive posture. On 13 May, Axis aircraft bombed British tank concentrations and Herff expected an imminent British attack. On the following day aircraft were unable to locate the British, and it was reported that the "enemy intentions to attack were not known".[27]
Battle
Centre column
On 13 May, Wavell's infantry battalions began to concentrate at their start lines, followed by the tank regiments during the early hours of 15 May. At 06:00, the three columns began their advance, supported overhead by a standing patrol of
A Squadron 4RTR and the 1st Durham Light Infantry (1DLI) continued the advance toward Fort Capuzzo. Concealed in hull down positions behind a ridge near the fort were 20–30 German tanks, supported by anti tank guns. These engaged A Squadron, disabling five tanks, but were forced to withdraw as the squadron pressed its attack. On the final approach to Fort Capuzzo, contact was lost between 4RTR's tanks and 1DLI's leading C Company, and the attack on the fort began without armoured support. The fort was vigorously defended, and it was not until just before midday that C Company, reunited with A Squadron 4RTR and reinforced by A and B Companies 1DLI, eventually took the position.[32][33][34] D Company 1DLI—which had been in reserve during the attack—then made a wide left hook to capture a small landing ground to the north of the fort.[33][34]
In the afternoon, one company of the 2nd Scots Guards probed toward Bardia, the infantry coming under heavy machine gun fire from three positions as they neared Sollum barracks. A group of Universal Carriers—commanded by Sergeant F. Riley—charged the gun positions and quickly neutralised them, but one carrier was disabled when the group was subsequently engaged by anti-tank guns. Riley executed a second charge, silencing these too and taking their crews prisoner. His carrier was hit three times; for his actions Riley was awarded the Military Medal, the battalion's first decoration of the war.[d]
Desert column
On the desert flank, 2RTR advanced with the 7th Armoured Brigade group. During the morning, reports were received of up to 30 German armoured vehicles operating nearby, and A Squadron 2RTR moved to investigate. Most of the German force had pulled back, but three tanks were located and brought under fire. One Panzer IV was disabled and the other two driven off, for the loss of one British tank due to mechanical failure. A second force of 15 German tanks was engaged by two tanks of No 2 Troop, destroying a Panzer III and forcing the remainder to withdraw. By midday, the brigade group had reached a position west of Fort Capuzzo, and in the afternoon the nine remaining cruisers of A Squadron 2RTR began a reconnaissance patrol towards Sidi Azeiz.[36]
Coastal column
The advance along the coastal road—which lacked tank support—was held up all morning by determined Italian resistance at the bottom of Halfaya Pass.[13][35] This objective was finally achieved toward evening when S Company 2nd Rifle Brigade—supported by Australian anti-tank gunners fighting as infantry—overran the Italian positions taking around 130 prisoners.[37][38]
Axis reactions
Although the German and Italian commands in North Africa knew that a British offensive was imminent, Operation Brevity nevertheless caught them unprepared, and Rommel recorded in his diary that the initial attacks had caused him considerable losses.
The Germans concentrated their riposte against the central column. Herff—who had been prepared to fall back—instead launched a local counter-attack toward Fort Capuzzo during the afternoon of 15 May with the 2nd Battalion Panzer Regiment 5.
On the desert flank, A Squadron 2RTR's patrol toward Sidi Azeiz was being monitored by Panzer Regiment 5, but the Germans misidentified the light cruiser tanks as heavily armoured Matilda infantry tanks, and reported that an attack was not possible. Herff—believing the British had two divisions operating in the area—had grown uneasy. A Squadron's patrol was interpreted as an attempt to concentrate south of Sidi Azeiz, in preparation for a thrust north the next day; such a move threatened to sweep aside Herff's force and unhinge the German front in the Sollum–Bardia area.[39] Herff broke contact with the British; his plan was to join up with Cramer's Panzer Regiment 8 to mount a concentrated counter-attack the following morning.[37][39][45]
British withdrawal
Realising that the 22nd Guards Brigade group would be vulnerable to German armoured counterattacks in the open ground around Bir Wair and Mussaid, Brigadier Gott withdrew it during the early hours of the morning of 16 May. By 10:00, the infantry had taken up new positions back at Halfaya Pass, although the 7th Armoured Brigade group was ordered to remain west of Fort Capuzzo for the time being.[37][46][42]
Cramer's reinforcements arrived in the Sidi Azeiz area at 03:00 and reached Fort Capuzzo at 06:30. At around 08:00, he made contact with Kampfgruppe von Herff but by mid-morning both groups had run out of fuel. The German advance resumed at 16:00 before being stopped by around 17 tanks of 2RTR. The British reported one German tank set alight and another disabled and that an advance of up to fifty tanks had been halted, while the Germans believed that they had repulsed a strong British tank attack. As nightfall approached, Herff broke off the action and went on to the defensive. He intended to repair his damaged machines, reorganise, and resume offensive operations on 18 May.[47] 2RTR pulled back to Bir el Khireigat, initially followed by two German tanks, one of which withdrew after the other was destroyed. The regiment arrived at Bir el Khireigat, from where it had set out two days previously, at around 02:30 on 17 May.[37][48]
Aftermath
Operation Brevity failed to achieve most of its objectives, succeeding only in retaking the Halfaya Pass.[49] The British lost five tanks destroyed and a further 13 were damaged but the tank regiments suffered no losses in personnel. Total casualties amounted to at least 206 men. The 1st Durham Light Infantry suffered the most during the operation losing 196 men killed, wounded or captured. The 2nd Scots Guards lost one man killed and four wounded, the 3rd Coldstream Guards lost one man killed and the 11th Hussars suffered four men wounded. Losses among the 2nd Rifle Brigade are unknown.[35][50][51][52][53] German casualties numbered three tanks (a Panzer II and two Panzer IIIs, although several more suffered minor damage) and 258 men killed, wounded or captured.[35][51] Jack Greene and Alessandro Massignani place total Italian losses at 395.[29] Allied accounts record the capture of 347 of these men.[35][38]
On 5 August, Herff praised the Bersaglieri, who had defended Halfaya Pass "...with lionlike courage until the last man against stronger enemy forces. The greatest part of them died faithful to the flag."
Historian Thomas Jentz suggests that Brevity could have ended in victory for the British. While their tank forces were fighting ineffectively, the "gutsy" actions by 2RTR and their patrol toward Sidi Azeiz had convinced the Germans that the battle was lost by the evening of 15 May.[51] Because of their failure to engage 2RTR late that day, several German commanders from Panzer Regiment 5, including its commanding officer, were removed from their posts after the battle.[62] Jentz notes that a feint by the 1st and 7th RTR out of Tobruk might have caused a realignment of the Axis forces, weakening their overall position and perhaps even forcing them to give up the Sollum area.[51]
Operation Brevity highlighted to Rommel the importance of the Halfaya Pass; whichever side held it would have a "comparatively safe route for his supplies" during offensives in the area. On 27 May, he launched Operation Skorpion, during which Herff recaptured the pass and reversed the last British territorial gain from Brevity.[63]
See also
- Operation Brevity order of battle
- North African campaign timeline
- List of British military equipment of World War II
- List of German military equipment of World War II
- List of Italian military equipment in World War II
Notes
- Footnotes
- ^ Only ten British tanks were lost due to enemy action; the remaining losses were caused by breakdowns and lack of fuel.[9]
- ^ Tripoli was the main supply base and all supplies then had to be shipped along the coast or driven to the front.[15][16]
- ^ The cruiser tanks were six Mk.Is, seventeen Mk.IIAs and seven Mk.IVAs, although one of these thirty tanks was in a field depot under repair. The infantry tanks were Matilda Mk IIs. The Allied force was organised into informal brigade groups, with individual units of the 7th Armoured Division detached to different brigade groups according to their mission. As well as specific units identified in this article, brigade groups included supporting arms such as artillery batteries, and additional units which played no significant part in the operation.[21]
- ^ Erskine states "the Company was in an exposed position at the time, and there is no doubt that Sergeant Riley's speed and dash saved it from suffering heavy casualties."[35]
- Mark VI light tanks, 82 Cruiser tanks (including 50 of the new Crusader tanks) and 135 Infantry tanks.[58]
- ^ Many of the division's personnel had also been dispersed to other tasks, meaning the division would also have to reorganise and retrain to become battle ready.[59]
- Citations
- ^ Playfair et al. 2004, pp. 362–366, 371–376, 289.
- ^ Playfair et al. 2004, p. 2.
- ^ Jentz 1998, p. 85.
- ^ Playfair et al. 2004, pp. 2–5.
- ^ Rommel 1982, p. 104.
- ^ Bauer 2000, p. 121.
- ^ Jentz 1998, p. 82.
- ^ Rommel 1982, p. 109.
- ^ Jentz 1998, p. 101.
- ^ Playfair et al. 2004, pp. 19–40.
- ^ Latimer 2001, pp. 43–45.
- ^ Playfair et al. 2004, pp. 33–35.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Playfair et al. 2004, p. 160.
- ^ Jentz 1998, pp. 128–129, 131.
- ^ Latimer 2001, pp. 48–64.
- ^ Rommel 1982, p. 134.
- ^ Playfair et al. 2004, p. 41.
- ^ a b Jentz 1998, p. 128.
- ^ Chant 1986, p. 21.
- ^ Playfair et al. 2004, pp. 159–160.
- ^ Jentz 1998, p. 136.
- ^ Playfair et al. 2004, p. 159.
- ^ a b Jentz 1998, p. 130.
- ^ Clarke 1952, p. 169.
- ^ a b Erskine 2001, p. 78.
- ^ Jentz 1998, pp. 128–129.
- ^ Jentz 1998, pp. 131–133, 142.
- ^ a b c Jentz 1998, p. 134.
- ^ a b c Greene & Massignani 1999, p. 70.
- ^ a b Erskine 2001, pp. 78–79.
- ^ Lyman 2009, p. 183.
- ^ Jentz 1998, pp. 134, 137.
- ^ a b Ward & Poett 2005, p. 484.
- ^ a b c Rissik 2004, pp. 56–57.
- ^ a b c d e Erskine 2001, p. 79.
- ^ Jentz 1998, pp. 136–138.
- ^ a b c d Playfair et al. 2004, p. 162.
- ^ a b Hastings 1950, p. 70.
- ^ a b c Rommel 1982, p. 136.
- ^ Jentz 1998, pp. 132–133.
- ^ Jentz 1998, p. 132.
- ^ a b Jentz 1998, p. 140.
- ^ a b Playfair et al. 2004, p. 161.
- ^ Jentz 1998, p. 133.
- ^ Jentz 1998, pp. 139–140.
- ^ a b Clarke 1952, p. 170.
- ^ Jentz 1998, pp. 140–141.
- ^ Jentz 1998, pp. 141–142.
- ^ Playfair et al. 2004, pp. 159, 162.
- ^ Howard & Sparrow 1951, p. 388.
- ^ a b c d Jentz 1998, p. 142.
- ^ Ward & Poett 2005, p. 485.
- ^ 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) 1941, War diary entry for 15 May 1941.
- ^ The United Press (5 August 1941). "Italians' Bravery Praised By Nazi Chief in Africa". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ^ Cenni storici e normativa dell'onorificenza (1941). "COVA Giacinto". Presidenza Della Repubblica. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- ^ a b Neillands 2004, p. 68.
- ^ Playfair et al. 2004, pp. 116, 119.
- ^ Pitt 2001, p. 294.
- ^ Playfair et al. 2004, pp. 1–2, 32, 163–164.
- ^ Playfair et al. 2004, pp. 163–164.
- ^ Rodger 2003, p. 275.
- ^ Carver 1964, p. 24.
- ^ Rommel 1982, pp. 136–137.
References
- 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) (1941). "War Diaries For The 11th Hussars, (Prince Albert's Own) September 1939 To March 1946". Retrieved 1 April 2008.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - Bauer, Eddy (2000) [1979]. Young, Peter (ed.). The History of World War II (rev. ed.). London: Orbis. ISBN 1-85605-552-3.
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- Chant, Christopher (1986). The Encyclopedia of Code Names of World War II. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 0-7102-0718-2.
- Clarke, Dudley (1952). The Eleventh at War: Being the Story of the XIth Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) through the Years 1934–1945. London: Michael Joseph. OCLC 222891295.
- Erskine, David (2001) [1956]. The Scots Guards 1919–1955. Naval & Military Press. ISBN 1-84342-061-9.
- Greene, Jack; Massignani, Alessandro (1999) [1994]. Rommel's North Africa Campaign: September 1940 – November 1942. Great Campaigns (rev. ed.). Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-1-580-97018-1.
- Hastings, R. H. W. S. (1950). The Rifle Brigade in the Second World War 1939–1945. Aldershot: OCLC 6190324.
- Howard, Michael; Sparrow, John (1951). The Coldstream Guards, 1920–1946. London: Oxford University Press. OCLC 9151069.
- Jentz, Thomas L. (1998). Tank Combat in North Africa: The Opening Rounds, Operations Sonnenblume, Brevity, Skorpion and Battleaxe, February 1941 – June 1941. Atglen, PA: Schiffer. ISBN 0-7643-0226-4.
- Latimer, Jon (2001). Tobruk 1941: Rommel's Opening Move. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 0-275-98287-4.
- Lyman, Robert (2009). The Longest Siege: Tobruk, the Battle that Saved North Africa. London: Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-71024-5.
- Neillands, Robin (2004). Eighth Army: From the Western Desert to the Alps, 1939–1945. John Murray. ISBN 0-7195-5647-3.
- Pitt, Barrie (2001) [1982]. Wavell's Command. The Crucible of War. Vol. I (new ed.). Weidenfeld Military. ISBN 0-304-35950-5.
- ISBN 1-84574-065-3.
- Playfair, Major-General I. S. O.; Flynn, Captain F. C.; Molony, Brigadier C. J. C. & Toomer, Air Vice-Marshal S. E. (2004) [1st. pub. HMSO 1956]. Butler, J. R. M. (ed.). The Mediterranean and Middle East: The Germans Come to the Help of their Ally (1941). History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series. Vol. II. Naval & Military Press. ISBN 1-84574-066-1.
- Rissik, David (2004) [1952]. The DLI at War: History of the Durham Light Infantry 1939–1945. Naval & Military Press. ISBN 1-84574-144-7.
- Rodger, Alexander (2003). Battle Honours of the British Empire and Commonwealth Land Forces. Marlborough: The Crowood Press. ISBN 1-86126-637-5.
- ISBN 0-306-80157-4.
- Ward, S. G. P.; Poett, Nigel (2005) [1963]. Faithful: The Story of the Durham Light Infantry. Naval & Military Press. ISBN 1-84574-147-1.
Further reading
- Maughan, Barton (1966). Tobruk and El Alamein. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 – Army. Vol. III. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 954993. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- Wake, Hereward; OCLC 4089194.
- Wavell, Archibald (1946). Operations in the Middle East from 7th February to 15th July 1941. Wavell's Official Despatches. published in "No. 37638". The London Gazette(Supplement). 2 July 1946. pp. 3423–3444.
External links
- Paterson, Ian A. "History of the British 7th Armoured Division: Operation Brevity". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 3 October 2008.