After the Italian forces in North Africa had been reinforced with the Africa Korps under Erwin Rommel during Operation Sonnenblume, Lieutenant General Philip Neame, General Officer Commanding (GOC) Cyrenaica, was captured during Rommel's advance and the Western Desert Force HQ was reactivated on 14 April, under Major-General Noel Beresford-Peirse, to take command of British Commonwealth forces in the western desert and halt the Axis advance at the Egypt-Libyan border.