Operation Crusader orders of battle explained

This is the order of battle for the ground forces involved in Operation Crusader, a World War II battle between the British Commonwealth and the European Axis Powers of Germany and Italy in North Africa between 18 November – 30 December 1941.

British and Commonwealth Forces

Commander-in-Chief Middle East Command: General Claude Auchinleck

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
    • 7th Hussars
    • 2nd Royal Tank Regiment
    • 6th Royal Tank Regiment
  • 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
  • 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
• 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)
  • 4th New Zealand Infantry Brigade
    • 18th Infantry Battalion
    • 19th Infantry Battalion
    • 20th Infantry Battalion
  • 5th New Zealand Infantry Brigade
    • 21st Infantry Battalion
    • 22nd Infantry Battalion
    • 23rd Infantry Battalion
  • 6th New Zealand Infantry Brigade
    • 24th Infantry Battalion
    • 25th Infantry Battalion
    • 26th Infantry Battalion
  • 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
• 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
• 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
  • Carpathian Machine Gun Battalion
  • Carpathian Field Regiment
• 32nd Army Tank Brigade (Brigadier A.C. Willison)
  • 1st Royal Tank Regiment
  • 4th Royal Tank Regiment
  • 'D' Squadron 7th Royal Tank Regiment
• 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

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
• 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
  • One battalion attached from the 26th Artillery Regiment, 17th Infantry Division "Pavia">
  • One battalion attached from the 24th Corps Artillery Group
• 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])
  • III Light Tank Battalion (attached from the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment, Ariete division)
  • LII Medium Tank Battalion
  • "Romolo Gessi" Battalion, Italian Africa Police
  • "Giovani Fascisti" Infantry Group (2 bns)
  • Raggruppamento Batterie Volanti ("Portees" - truck mounted - Artillery Group)

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)
• 55th Infantry Division "Savona" (General 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

Italian XXI Corps

Italian XXI Corps commanded by Lieutenant-General Enea Navarini

• Corps assets:
  • 3rd Motor Artillery Regiment
  • 16th Corps Artillery Group
  • 8th Army Artillery Group
  • 24th Army Artillery Group
  • 340th Frontier Guards Artillery Group
  • 340th Frontier Guards Engineers Battalion
• 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
• 25th Infantry Division "Bologna"
  • 39th Infantry Regiment
  • 40th Infantry Regiment
  • 25th Heavy Weapons Battalion
  • 205th Artillery Regiment
• 27th Infantry Division "Brescia"
  • 19th Infantry Regiment
  • 20th Infantry Regiment
  • 27th Machine Gun Battalion
  • 1st Motor Artillery Regiment
• 102nd Motorised Division "Trento"
  • 7th Bersaglieri Regiment
  • 61st Infantry Regiment
  • 62nd Infantry Regiment
  • 551st Anti-Tank Battalion
  • 46th Artillery Regiment

Bibliography

• Gen Sir Martin Farndale, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941, Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996, .
• Web site: James. Heddlesten . Comando Supremo: Italy at War website. Libya September 1941 OoB. 17 February 2010 .
• Book: Tim. Moreman. Consultant editor Dr Duncan Anderson. Desert Rats: British 8th Army in North Africa 1941-43. Osprey. 2007. 978-1-84603-144-1. 61 . Battle Orders No. 28 .
• Web site: History of the British 7th Armoured Division: Divisional Organisation. Paterson. Ian A. https://web.archive.org/web/20070621175054/http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.a.paterson/org.htm. 2007-06-21.
  • Brig N.W. Routledge, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55, London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994,
• Web site: Eighth Army OOB. 18th November 1941. Orders of Battle.com . 2008-08-27 .
• Book: Liddell Hart, B H . The North African Campaign 1940–43. Basil Liddell Hart.

Further reading

• Book: Hinsley . Harry . Harry Hinsley . Thomas . E. E. . Ransom . C. F. G. . Knight . R. C. . History of the Second World War . British Intelligence in the Second World War: Its Influence on Strategy and Operations . II . 1981 . Cambridge University Press . New York . 978-0-521-24290-5.
• Book: Maughan, Barton . Australia in the War of 1939–1945, Series 1 – Army . Tobruk and El Alamein . III . Canberra . Australian War Memorial . 1966 . 1st (online scan) . PDF . 186193977.
• Book: McKinney, J. B. . The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945 . Medical Units of 2 NZEF in Middle East and Italy . 1952 . Historical Publications Branch (War History Branch, Dept. of Internal Affairs) . Wellington . . 35251107.
• Book: Murphy, W. E. . The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945 . The Relief of Tobruk . Fairbrother . Monty C. . 1961 . 1st (online scan) . New Zealand Electronic Text Collection . War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs . Wellington, NZ . 563872639.
• Book: I. S. O. . Playfair . Ian Stanley Ord Playfair . F. C. . Flynn . C. J. C. . Molony . T. P. . Gleave . Butler . J. R. M. . James Ramsay Montagu Butler . History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series . The Mediterranean and Middle East: British Fortunes Reach their Lowest Ebb (September 1941 to September 1942) . III . HMSO . London . 2004 . 1960 . pbk. facs. repr. Naval & Military Press, Uckfield . 1-84574-067-X.
• Book: Schreiber . G. . Stegemann . B. . Vogel . D. . . 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 . III . McMurry . D. S. . Osers . E. . Willmot . L. . Falla . P. S. . 2015 . 1995 . Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt . Freiburg im Breisgau . 2nd pbk. trans. Oxford University Press, Oxford . 978-0-19-873832-9.
• Book: Shores . C. F. . Massimello . G. . Guest . R. . A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940–1945: North Africa June 1940 – January 1942 . 2012 . I . Grub Street . London . 978-1-908117-07-6.

External links

• The Major Ground Commands and Commanders on The CRUSADER Project
• Rats of Tobruk Tribute site

Notes and References

1. Farndale, pp. 165–8.
2. Playfair, p. 158.
3. Routledge, pp. 130–3, Table XX, p. 141
4. Web site: Order of Battle at Rats of Tobruk Tribute site. . 29 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180629021747/http://ratsoftobruktribute.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=130 . 29 June 2018 . dead .