Operation Crusader orders of battle
This is the order of battle for the ground forces involved in between 18 November – 30 December 1941.
British and Commonwealth Forces
Commander-in-Chief Middle East Command: General Claude Auchinleck
Senior British commanders during Operation Crusader
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General Claude Auchinleck, theatre commander
Lt-General Alan Cunningham, commander Eight Army
Acting Lt-General Neil Ritchie, commander Eighth Army (seen in Europe in 1944)
British Eighth Army
Lieutenant-General Alan Cunningham, succeeded on 26 November by Lieutenant-General Neil Ritchie when Auchinleck removed Cunningham from command of Eighth Army
XXX Corps
Lieutenant-General
Willoughby Norrie
- 7th Armoured Division (Major-General William Gott)
- 4th Armoured Brigade
- 8th Hussars
- 3rd Royal Tank Regiment
- 5th Royal Tank Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards
- 2nd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
- 7th Armoured Brigade
- 22nd Armoured Brigade
- 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
- 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)
- 4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)
- 7th Support Group
- 3rd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
- 4th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
- 1st Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps
- 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade
- 60th (North Midland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- One Battery, 51st (Westmorland and Cumberland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- Divisional troops
- 4th South African Armoured Car Regiment
- King's Dragoon Guards
- 11th Hussars
- 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 1st South African Division (Major-General George Brink)
- 1st South African Infantry Brigade
- 1st Battalion, Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles, South African Infantry Corps
- 1st Battalion, Royal Natal Carabineers, South African Infantry Corps
- 1st Battalion, Transvaal Scottish Regiment, South African Infantry Corps
- 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, South African Artillery Corps
- 1st Battalion,
- 5th South African Infantry Brigade
- Regiment Botha, South African Infantry Corps
- South African Irish Regiment, South African Infantry Corps
- 3rd Battalion, Transvaal Scottish Regiment, South African Infantry Corps
- 4th Field Artillery Regiment, South African Artillery Corps
- 1st South African Infantry Brigade
- 22nd Guards Brigade
- 9th Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Tower Hamlets Rifles)
- 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards
XIII Corps
- Lieutenant-General Reade Godwin-Austen
- 2nd New Zealand Division (Major-General Bernard Freyberg VC)
- 4th New Zealand Infantry Brigade
- 5th New Zealand Infantry Brigade
- 6th New Zealand Infantry Brigade
- Divisional troops
- 27th (Machine Gun) Infantry Battalion
- 28th (Maori) Infantry Battalion
- 4th Field Regiment
- 5th Field Regiment
- 6th Field Regiment
- 7th Anti-Tank Regiment
- 14th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
- Divisional Cavalry Regiment
- 4th Indian Infantry Division (Major-General Frank Messervy)
- 5th Indian Infantry Brigade
- 1st Battalion, The Buffs
- 3rd Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment
- 4th Battalion (Outram's), 6th Rajputana Rifles
- 7th Indian Infantry Brigade
- 1st Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment
- 4th Battalion, 11th Sikh Regiment
- 4th Battalion, 16th Punjab Regiment
- 11th Indian Infantry Brigade
- 2nd Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
- 2nd Battalion, 5th Mahratta Light Infantry
- 1st Battalion (Wellesley's), 6th Rajputana Rifles
- Divisional troops
- The Central India Horse (21st King George V's Own Horse)(Reconnaissance)
- 1st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 25th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 31st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 5th Indian Infantry Brigade
- 1st Army Tank Brigade
- 8th Royal Tank Regiment - equipped with Valentine infantry tanks (Lt Col Brooke)
- 42nd Royal Tank Regiment( Lt Col Willison later Lt Col Martin)
- 44th Royal Tank Regiment - Matilda II infantry tanks (Lt Col Yeo)
Tobruk Fortress
Major-General Ronald Scobie
- 70th Infantry Division
- 14th Infantry Brigade
- 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, Black Watch
- 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment
- 16th Infantry Brigade
- 2nd Battalion, King's Own Royal Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment
- 23rd Infantry Brigade
- 1st Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
- 1st Battalion, Essex Regiment
- 4th Battalion, Border Regiment
- 14th Infantry Brigade
- Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade
- I Carpathian Rifle Battalion
- II Carpathian Rifle Battalion
- III Carpathian Rifle Battalion
- 11 Czechoslovakian Infantry Battalion
- 2/13th Australian Infantry Battalion[a]
- Carpathian Machine Gun Battalion
- Carpathian Field Regiment
- 32nd Army Tank Brigade (Brigadier A.C. Willison)
- 4th Anti-Aircraft Brigade[1][2][3][4] (Brigadier John Muirhead)
- 69th (Royal Warwickshire Regiment) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 13th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 14th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 1 and 5 Independent Light Anti-Aircraft Batteries, Royal Artillery
- 306 Battery, 27th (London Electrical Engineers) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery
Oasis Force
- Brigadier Denys Reid
- 29th Indian Infantry Brigade
- 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment
- 3rd Battalion, 2nd Punjab Regiment
- 1st Battalion, 5th Mahratta Light Infantry
- 6th South African Armoured Car Regiment
Army Reserve
- 2nd South African Division (Major-General Isaac de Villiers)
- 3rd South African Infantry Brigade
- Imperial Light Horse, South African Infantry Corps
- Rand Light Infantry, South African Infantry Corps
- 1st Battalion, Royal Durban Light Infantry, South African Infantry Corps
- 1st Field Artillery Regiment, South African Artillery Corps
- 4th South African Infantry Brigade
- Kaffrarian Rifles, South African Infantry Corps
- Umvoti Mounted Rifles, South African Infantry Corps
- 2nd Battalion, Royal Durban Light Infantry, South African Infantry Corps
- 2nd Field Artillery Regiment, South African Artillery Corps
- 6th South African Infantry Brigade
- 1st South African Police Battalion
- 2nd South African Police Battalion
- 2nd Battalion, Transvaal Scottish Regiment, South African Infantry Corps
- 5th Field Artillery Regiment, South African Artillery Corps
- 3rd South African Infantry Brigade
German and Italian forces
Supreme Commander North Africa: General Ettore Bastico
Italian XX Corps (Corpo d'Armata di Manovra - Mobile Corps)
Lieutenant-General Gastone Gambara
- Corps assets:
- Three batteries of truck-mounted 102 mm AA/AT guns[b]
- 132nd Armoured Division "Ariete" (General Mario Balotta)
- 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment
- I Light Tank Battalion
- II Light Tank Battalion
- 132nd Tank Infantry Regiment
- VII Medium Tank Battalion
- VIII Medium Tank Battalion
- IX Medium Tank Battalion
- 8th Bersaglieri Regiment
- 132nd Artillery Regiment[c]
- One battalion attached from the 26th Artillery Regiment, 17th Infantry Division "Pavia"[d]>
- One battalion attached from the 24th Corps Artillery Group[e]
- 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment
- 101st Motorised Division "Trieste"
- 65th Infantry Regiment
- 66th Infantry Regiment
- 9th Bersaglieri Regiment
- 551st Heavy Weapons Battalion
- 21st Artillery Regiment
- RECAM (Raggruppamento Esplorante del Corpo d'Armata di Manovra [reconnaissance group of the mobile army corps])
Panzer Group Africa
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 Reconnaissance 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)
- 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[h]
Italian XXI Corps
Italian XXI Corps commanded by Lieutenant-General Enea Navarini
- Corps assets:
- 17th Infantry Division "Pavia"
- 27th Infantry Regiment
- 28th Regiment Pavia
- V Light Tank Battalion
- "Lancieri d'Aosta" Machine Gun Battalion
- 17th Heavy Weapons Battalion
- 26th Artillery Regiment[n]
- 25th Infantry Division "Bologna"
- 39th Infantry Regiment
- 40th Infantry Regiment
- 25th Heavy Weapons Battalion
- 205th Artillery Regiment[o]
- 27th Infantry Division "Brescia"
- 19th Infantry Regiment
- 20th Infantry Regiment
- 27th Machine Gun Battalion
- 1st Motor Artillery Regiment[p]
- 102nd Motorised Division "Trento"
- 7th Bersaglieri Regiment
- 61st Infantry Regiment
- 62nd Infantry Regiment
- 551st Anti-Tank Battalion
- 46th Artillery Regiment[q]
Notes
- ^ the "2" prefix indicated the unit was part of Second Australian Imperial Force and separate from similar named militia unit in Australia
- ^ Naval Blackshirts crews
- ^ Two 75L28 battalions
- ^ One 75L28 battalion
- ^ One Cannone da 105/28 battalion
- ^ Two motorcycle and one armoured cars companies
- 20 mm Breda 35light AA/AT
- ^ Two 75L28 and one 100L17 battalions
- ^ One Obice da 100/17 and two 75L27 battalions
- ^ Three Cannone da 105/28 battalions
- ^ One Cannone da 149/28, one 149L40 and one 152L37 battalions
- ^ Four Cannone da 149/35 A battalions
- ^ Four 75L28 battalions
- ^ One 75L28 and one Obice da 100/17 battalions
- ^ Two 75L28 and one Obice da 100/17 battalions
- ^ Two 75L28 battalions
- ^ Two 75L28 and one Obice da 100/17 battalions
Footnotes
- ^ Farndale, pp. 165–8.
- ^ Playfair, p. 158.
- ^ Routledge, pp. 130–3, Table XX, p. 141
- ^ "Order of Battle at Rats of Tobruk Tribute site". Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
Bibliography
- Gen Sir ISBN 1-85753-080-2.
- Heddlesten, James (17 February 2010). "Libya September 1941 OoB". Comando Supremo: Italy at War website.
- Moreman, Tim (2007). Desert Rats: British 8th Army in North Africa 1941-43. Battle Orders No. 28. Consultant editor Dr Duncan Anderson. Osprey. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-84603-144-1.
- Paterson, Ian A. "History of the British 7th Armoured Division: Divisional Organisation". Archived from the original on 21 June 2007.
- Maj-Gen I.S.O. Playfair (1956), The Mediterranean and Middle East Vol II: The Germans come to the aid of their Ally (1941), History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series, London: HMSO – via Hyperwar Foundation
- Brig N.W. Routledge, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55, London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, ISBN 1-85753-099-3
- "Eighth Army OOB. 18th November 1941". Orders of Battle.com. Retrieved 27 August 2008.[dead link]
- Liddell Hart, B H. The North African Campaign 1940–43.
Further reading
- ISBN 978-0-521-24290-5.
- Maughan, Barton (1966). Tobruk and El Alamein (PDF). Australia in the War of 1939–1945, Series 1 – Army. Vol. III (1st (online scan) ed.). Canberra: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 186193977.
- McKinney, J. B. (1952). Medical Units of 2 NZEF in Middle East and Italy. The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945. Wellington: Historical Publications Branch (War History Branch, Dept. of Internal Affairs). OCLC 35251107 – via New Zealand Electronic Text Collection.
- Murphy, W. E. (1961). Fairbrother, Monty C. (ed.). The Relief of Tobruk. The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945 (1st (online scan) ed.). Wellington, NZ: War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs. OCLC 563872639– via New Zealand Electronic Text Collection.
- ISBN 1-84574-067-X.
- Schreiber, G.; Stegemann, B.; Vogel, D. (2015) [1995]. Falla, P. S. (ed.). The Mediterranean, South-East Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941: From Italy's Declaration of non-Belligerence to the Entry of the United States into the War. ISBN 978-0-19-873832-9.
- Shores, C. F.; Massimello, G.; Guest, R. (2012). A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940–1945: North Africa June 1940 – January 1942. Vol. I. London: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-908117-07-6.