Operation Crusader order of battle

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

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 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
    • One Battery, 51st 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
  • 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
• 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 - Valentine Infantry Tank (Lt Col Brooke)
  • 42nd Royal Tank Regiment( Lt Col Willison later Lt Col Martin)
  • 44th Royal Tank Regiment - Matilda Mk II Infantry Tank (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
  • 2/13 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 102mm AA/AT guns[5]
• 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[6]
  • One battalion attached from the 26th Artillery Regiment, Pavia division[7]
  • One battalion attached from the 24th Corps Artillery Group[8]
• 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[9]
  • "Giovani Fascisti" Infantry Group (2 bns)
  • Raggruppamento Batterie Volanti ("Portees" - truck mounted - Artillery Group)[10]

Panzer Group Africa

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 Recon 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[11]

Italian XXI Corps

Lieutenant-General Enea Navarini

• Corps assets:
  • 3rd Motor Artillery Regiment[12]
  • 16th Corps Artillery Group[13]
  • 8th Army Artillery Group[14]
  • 24th Army Artillery Group[15]
  • 340th Frontier Guards Artillery Group[16]
  • 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[17]
• 25th Infantry Division Bologna
  • 39th Infantry Regiment
  • 40th Infantry Regiment
  • 25th Heavy Weapons Battalion
  • 205th Artillery Regiment[18]
• 27th Infantry Division Brescia
  • 19th Infantry Regiment
  • 20th Infantry Regiment
  • 27th Machine Gun Battalion
  • 1st Motor Artillery Regiment[19]
• 102nd Motorised Division Trento
  • 7th Bersaglieri Regiment
  • 61st Infantry Regiment
  • 62nd Infantry Regiment
  • 551st Anti-Tank Battalion
  • 46th Artillery Regiment[20]

Notes

1. Farndale, pp. 165–8.
2. Playfair, p. 158.
3. Routledge, pp. 130–3, Table XX, p. 141
4. "Order of Battle at Rats of Tobruk Tribute site". Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
5. Naval Blackshirts crews
6. Two 75L28 battalions
7. One 75L28 battalion
8. One 105L28 battalion
9. Two motorcycle and one armoured cars companies
10. Two battalions with 65L17, one battery wiyj 100L17 and one battery with 20L65 light AA/AT)
11. Two 75L28 and one 100L17 battalions
12. One 100L17 and two 75L27 battalions
13. Three 105L28 battalions
14. One 149L28, one 149L40 and one 152L37 battalions
15. Four 149L35 battalions
16. Four 75L28 battalions
17. One 75L28 and one 100L17 battalions
18. Two 75L28 and one 100L17 battalions
19. Two 75L28 battalions
20. Two 75L28 and one 100L17 battalions

References

• 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, ISBN 1-85753-080-2.
• Heddlesten, James. "Libya September 1941 OoB". Comando Supremo: Italy at War website.
• Moreman, Timothy Robert; Anderson, Duncan (2007). Desert Rats: British 8th Army in North Africa 1941-43. 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, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East, Vol II: The Germans come to the aid of their Ally (1941), London: HMSO, 1956/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-66-1.
• 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.
• The North African Campaign 1940-43. B H Liddell Hart

External links

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