# Operation Battleaxe order of battle

Operation Battleaxe (15–17 June 1941) was a British Army offensive during the Second World War to raise the Siege of Tobruk and re-capture eastern Cyrenaica from German and Italian forces. The offensive's failure led to the replacement of British General Sir Archibald Wavell, Commander-in-Chief Middle East, by Claude Auchinleck; Wavell took Auchinleck's position as Commander-in-Chief, India.

## British and Commonwealth Forces

Commander in Chief, Middle East General Archibald Wavell
    Western Desert Force
    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) (Lieutenant-Colonel Basil Groves)
          7th Armoured Brigade (Brigadier Hugh Russell)
             2nd Royal Tank Regiment (Mk I, II and III/IV Cruiser tanks)
             6th Royal Tank Regiment (Crusader tanks) (Lieutenant-Colonel Leonard Harland)
          7th Support Group (Brigadier John Campbell)
             1st, 3rd, 4th, and 106th Regiments Royal Horse Artillery
             1st battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps
             2nd battalion, Rifle Brigade
          Divisional troops
             11th Hussars (Reconnaissance regiment) (Lieutenant-Colonel William Leetham)
             Engineers
                4th Field Squadron, RE
                143rd Field Park Squadron, RE
       4th Indian Infantry Division
       Major-General Frank Messervy
          11th Indian Infantry Brigade
          Brigadier Reginald Savory
             2nd battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
             1st battalion, 6th Rajputana Rifles
             2nd battalion, 5th Mahratta Light Infantry
          22nd Guards Brigade
          Brigadier Ian Erskine
             1st battalion, Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
             2nd battalion, Scots Guards
             3rd battalion, Coldstream Guards
             22nd Guards Brigade Attack Company
          Divisional troops
             Central India Horse (Reconnaissance regiment)
             25th Field Regiment, RA
             31st Field Regiment, RA
             Engineers
                4th, 12th, 18th, and 21st Field Company (sappers and miners)
                11th Field Park Company

## German and Italian forces

Comandante Superiore Generale d'Armata Italo Gariboldi
    Deutsches Afrika Korps
    Generalleutnant Erwin Rommel
       15th Panzer Division
       Generalleutnant Walter Neumann-Silkow
          8th Panzer Regiment (Oberstleutnant Hans Cramer)
             1st Battalion (Hauptmann Johannes Kümmel)
             2nd Battalion
          1st Battalion of the 104th Motor Infantry Regiment (Wilhelm Bach)
          Reconnaissance Battalion 33
          1st Abteilung of the 33rd Artillery Regiment
          33rd Panzerjäger Battalion (12 50 mm (1.97 in) PaK 38 and 21 37 mm (1.46 in) PaK 36 anti-tank guns)
          15th Motorcycle Battalion (Hauptmann Curt Ehle)
          One anti-aircraft battery (with 13 88 mm (3.46 in) FlaK 18 and 36 anti-aircraft guns)
       5th Light Division
       Generalleutnant Johann von Ravenstein
          5th Panzer Regiment
          3rd Reconnaissance Battalion
       102nd Motorised Division "Trento"
       Generale di Divisione Luigi Nuvoloni
          Three infantry battalions and one artillery regiment (stationed at the Sollum-Musaid-Capuzzo area)
       Korps troops
          Two regiments Italian artillery (stationed at Bardia)
          One regiment FlaK (88 mm guns)