Chapter 84 Volume 3 Chapter 11 Desert Flanker Rommel Tobruk

Deployment of Wavell on the desert flank of great importance. He assessed the situation on March 2. Rommel arrived in Tripoli on February 12. He was determined to attack a great general. Aqira was a portal. We were not strong enough for Wavell and Dee. I personally inspected it on March 17th. I telegraphed Wavell on March 26th. His reply was on the situation in Cyrenaica. Telegram of 2nd April German forces unexpectedly withdraw from Benghasinim and O'Connor captured I called President Wavell on April 16 for an explanation. All our efforts to form a front in the Balkans are based on securing the desert flank in North Africa.This flank should probably be at Tobruk, but Wavell's rapid westward advance and the capture of Benghazi have brought us all of Cyrenaica.The gateway to this region is the corner of the Cape of Agera.Authorities in London and Cairo agreed that al-Qaira should be held at all costs, a priority that surpassed all other military operations.The complete annihilation of the Italian army in Cyrenaica, and the long distance the enemy must travel to raise new troops, all this convinced Wavell that he could hold this important western flank with a small force for some time to come. , to replace his battle-hardened troops with less well-trained ones.The desert flank was the key to the overall situation, and it was not the intention of any side to lose or threaten it for any event in Greece or the Balkans.

The British 7th Armored Division was withdrawn to Egypt at the end of February to rest and re-equip. This famous army has made great military exploits.Its tanks had traveled great distances, and most of them were unusable.Its numbers have been reduced by battle and sickness, but it still has a core of the most experienced, hardened and desert combatants.We cannot find people like this anywhere else.Without retaining the core of this incomparable force and supplementing it with well-trained, energetic and vigorous officers and men from Great Britain, without sending the best new tanks or accessories we can find to the They, this is a pity.Only in this way can the 7th Armored Division survive and regain its strength.

After only a few weeks in which major decisions had been made I realized that the 7th Armored Division was no longer a force protecting my vital desert flank.Its defense has been taken over by an armored brigade and support from the 2nd Armored Division.The 6th Australian Division has also been replaced by the 9th Australian Division.All these new units were inadequately trained, and what was worse, much of the equipment and transport had been withdrawn from them in order to bring up the divisions which were about to leave for Greece.The lack of transport was painful for these troops, and troop deployment and mobility were also affected.Owing to difficulties in supplying further advances, an Australian brigade had withdrawn to Tobruk, where there was also a motorized Indian cavalry brigade, which had recently been formed and was still training.

At this time, the reports of my intelligence personnel began to attract the attention of the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Services. On February 27, they sent a telegram to Wavell warning that the defense of Egypt and Cyrenaica was already under consideration in view of the arrival of German armored and air forces in Tripolitania.Please briefly telegraph your opinion.A thoughtful and important reply to this telegram was sent, which included the following: March 2, 1941 Recent sources indicate that the reinforcements arriving in Tripolitania in recent days include two Italian infantry divisions, two Italian motorized artillery regiments and German armored units estimated to be at most one armored brigade.There was no sign of another car convoy landing, so the enemy must still be short of transport.However, recent aerial reconnaissance revealed a significant increase in motor vehicles on the Tripoli-Siirt road.

2. Tripoli is four hundred and seventy-one miles from Al Qaira, and six hundred and forty-six miles from Benghazi.There is only one road between them, and the lack of water along the route more than 410 miles from Tripoli; these factors, together with the lack of means of transportation, limit the enemy's present threat.It is possible for the enemy to maintain an infantry division and an armored brigade along this coastal road for at most three weeks, and, if they can get another armored brigade, to use this armored brigade at the same time via Hun and Marada Attack our flank across the desert.

3. The enemy may test our strength at Aghera by offensive patrol, and if they find us weak, advance to Ajdabiya in order to advance their outpost landing points.I don't think they will try to take Benghazi back with such force. 4. The enemy may eventually use two German divisions to launch a large-scale attack. This army, with one or two infantry divisions, was as large as could be provided through the Tripoli area.The dangers of shipping, the difficulties of the land route, and the approaching heat of summer would make it difficult for the enemy to launch such an offensive before the end of summer.Effective interference with the enemy's convoys at sea, and Tripoli in the air, could prolong this period for some time.

The Italian Air Force threat to Cyrenaica is at present almost insignificant.On the other hand, the German army held firm in the central Mediterranean region.German paratroopers may land on our lines of communication to coordinate with the armored forces. Judging from the scale of the enemy's possible recent offensive, I do not expect them to use paratroopers, but they may use paratroopers in conjunction with future large-scale offensives. But at this time a new figure leapt onto the world stage, a German warrior who would take his place in German military history.Erwin Rommel was born in Heidenheim, Württemberg in November 1891.He was physically weak in childhood, and he studied at home until he was nine years old before transferring to the local public school, where his father was the principal.In 1910 he served as a midshipman in the Württemberg regiment.When he was training at the Danzig Military Academy, his instructors said he was small but strong.He is not brilliant intellectually.During World War I, he fought in the Argonne region, Romania and Italy, where he was wounded twice and won the highest level of the Iron Cross and the Military Merit Medal.Between the wars he was a regimental officer and served on the staff.At the outbreak of World War II, he served as commander of the Führer's Battalion in the Polish campaign, and later as commander of the Seventh Armored Division of the Fifteenth Army.This division, nicknamed the Ghost, was the vanguard of the German army breaking through the Meuse River.He was almost captured when the British counterattacked in Arras on May 21, 1940.He then advanced with his division to Leer via La Brazil.Had this assault been a little more successful, or if it had not been restrained by order of the German High Command, it could have cut off most of the British force, including General Montgomery's 3rd Division.The division he commanded crossed the Somme and followed the Seine towards Rouen. It swept the left flank of the French army and captured a large number of British and French troops near Saint-Valéry.His division was the first to reach the English Channel, and just after the last of our troops retreated into Cherbourg, where Rommel accepted the surrender of the port and 30,000 French prisoners.

Because of these many victories and exploits, he was appointed commander of the German army sent to Libya in early 1941.On the twelfth of February he arrived at Tripoli with his men, and joined forces with that ally with which he had formerly fought and thus forged a feat.At that time, the only hope of the Italian army was to hold Tripolitania, and Rommel was in charge of commanding the growing German contingent under the command of the Italian commander.He immediately strives for offensive operations.In early April, the Italian commander-in-chief tried to convince him that the German Afrika Korps would not advance without his consent.At this time, Rommel protested that, as a German general, he must issue orders as the situation required.He declared that any reservations due to supply issues were unjustified.He demanded and received complete freedom of action.

[1] Refers to Italy, where Rommel fought in World War I.translator Rommel demonstrated throughout his African campaigns that he was an expert at using mobile forces, and was especially good at quickly reorganizing after a battle to strive for new victories. He was a brilliant military gambler, mastering supply issues and defying obstacles.The German High Command initially let him do it, then, dismayed by his achievements, deliberately restrained him.His zeal and zeal for battle have brought us severe calamities.But he is well deserved (not without public rebuke) for the praise I paid him in the House of Commons in January 1942, when I said of him that we had a very brave and opponent, and if I may set aside the devastation wrought by the war, a great general.He also deserves our respect, because although he was a loyal German soldier, he later hated Hitler and what he did, and participated in the plot in 1944 to save Germany from the removal of this madman and tyrant.For this, he sacrificed his life.In the brutal warfare waged in modern democracies, chivalry has no place.The merciless massacre and mass will overwhelmed all fairness opinions.My tribute to Rommel, although it has been judged as inappropriate, I still have no regrets, and I have no intention of retracting it.

In London we accepted Wavell's telegram of March 2 as the basis of our operations.The Agella defile is the heart of the picture.If the enemy breaks through Ajdabiya, all strongholds west of Benghazi and Tobruk will be in jeopardy.They could choose the good coastal road to and across Benghazi, or they could take the trails that cut off the desert jut two hundred miles long and one hundred miles wide by going straight to Mekili and Tobruk.We had taken the latter route in February, thus cutting off and capturing thousands of Italians retreating through Benghazi.It would not be surprising if Rommel followed this desert route and deceived us in the same way.However, as long as we hold the gates of Aghera, the enemy has no chance of fooling us in this way.There was good terrain, but it was not well fortified, partly because Tobruk was too busy shipping out, and the port at Benghazi was judged unusable.

How this battle is fought depends not only on whether you are familiar with the terrain, but also on whether you are familiar with the conditions of desert warfare.Our previous advances were very rapid and our victories were very easy and thorough, so that we did not have a firm grasp of these strategic essentials during this period.But if we had an advantage in armor and mass rather than numbers, and the air force was evenly matched, even the loss of that gate would still allow the better, more active army to prevail in a desert melee.None of the arrangements we have made meet these conditions.We are inferior in the air force, our armor is greatly inadequate (for reasons which will be explained later), and the army west of Tobruk is inadequate both in training and equipment. On March 17, General Wavell and General Deal went to Cyrenaica to inspect it in person.They traveled by car to Aqella via Antrat, and Dill immediately felt the difficulty of defending the large desert area between Aqella and Benghazi.In a telegram dated March 18 from Cairo to the Deputy Chief of the Internal Imperial Staff, he stated that the remarkable fact was that the desert between Al Qayra and those salt pans east of Benghazi was empty and very Good for armored vehicles; therefore, other things being equal, the stronger armor will win.Infantry is useless here.Of course, in these vast deserts, the problem of provision still exists, and it is entirely in the defender's favor.Wavell, he said, was already working on the difficult issues on the defensive end. It is said that the Chief of the Imperial General Staff met the Australian staff officers of General Mosshead on the road, and he expressed his opinion when talking to them: It seems that the army will soon have a bloody encounter; Not only in this place. [1] The latter opinion does not agree with what he has said to us. [1] Major General Collins: "Lord Wavell", p. 355. In March, there were growing signs that German troops were moving from Tripoli to Aqella.Wavell reported on March 20 that the enemy appeared to be preparing for a limited offensive, and that the situation on the Cyrenaica frontier made him somewhat uneasy.If our outposts were driven from their present positions, there would be no suitable stronghold to hold back the enemy south of Benghazi, for the area is a flat plain.However, due to logistical problems, the enemy could only make a limited attack. I sent him the following telegram: Prime Minister to General Wavell March 26, 1941 Of course we are concerned about the rapid German advance on Agera.Their habit is to push forward as long as there is no resistance.I think you're waiting for the turtle to stick its head out and cut it in two.I think it is necessary to let them have an early taste of our army's combat effectiveness.What about the 7th Armored Division?where now?Please let me know your estimate.I very much agree with your request to General Smuts for a brigade from the 1st South African Division.Every effort must be made to expedite the deployment of the 2nd South African Division.The British 50th Division set off on the 22nd. Wavell immediately replied as follows: March 27, 1941 There is no indication yet of a large German presence at Agera; perhaps mostly Italian, with the Germans only slightly strengthened. 2. I must admit that, after the capture of Benghazi, we took considerable risks in Cyrenaica in order to provide the maximum assistance to Greece.I figured then that the Italians in Tripolitania could be left alone, and that the Germans, given the ineffectiveness of the Italian navy, would not risk sending large numbers of armored troops to Africa.I therefore made arrangements to keep only a few armored units and a partially trained Australian division in Cyrenaica. 3. After we have assumed our obligations to Greece, there is more and more evidence that the German army sent reinforcements to Tripoli. The reinforcements were carried out at the same time as the air strike on the island of Malta to prevent us from bombing Tripoli from the island of Malta. I have previously criticized this bombing Had great hopes.The Luftwaffe raids on Benghazi added to our difficulties by preventing our supply ships from using the port. 4. As a result, my present strength in Cyrenaica is very weak, and I cannot obtain the most needed reinforcements of armored forces.One brigade of the 2nd Armored Division was stationed in Cyrenaica and the other in Greece.The 7th Armored Division is returning (Cairo). Since there are no spare tanks, it is very time-consuming to rely on repairs.The situation in the next month or two is anxious, but the enemy also has his own extremely difficult problems.I am convinced that the numbers of the enemy troops are greatly exaggerated.Now, however, I dare not use my few armored forces freely and daringly. Steps are now being taken to reinforce Cyrenaica.My own main difficulty is in transportation. He added enough to make us think that his concern was multifaceted: I just got back from the Keren front.The capture of this place was a remarkable achievement for the Indian division, which, despite considerable casualties, was in high spirits.Pratt will advance to Asmara as soon as possible, and I have ordered Cunningham to continue on to Addis Ababa from Harar, which surrendered yesterday. Rommel began his attack on Agera on March 31.General Nim's orders were to fight a delay in the event of the enemy's approach, and then to retreat to the vicinity of Benghazi, and to cover the port as long as possible.He was also ordered to retreat if necessary after damaging the port.Consequently, our armored division at Agera had practically only one armored brigade and the division's supporting units slowly retreated over the next two days.In terms of air force, the enemy is indeed much stronger.The Italian Air Force remained insignificant, but the Luftwaffe had about a hundred fighters, a hundred bombers and dive bombers.General Wavell reported on April 2 that the Cyrenaica outpost had been attacked by a colonial German armored division.Several outposts were attacked and destroyed yesterday.Although the current losses are not serious, Nim is very worried about the condition of the armored brigade's vehicles. It seems that there are quite a few damaged vehicles.I had no armor to spare for at least three or four weeks, so I reminded him that even if a large part of the army were to be withdrawn, perhaps even from Benghazi, three brigades would be saved. I still felt that the potential strength of the enemy was limited, based on General Wavell's previous estimates. Prime Minister to General Wavell April 2, 1941 It appeared that there was a great need to cut off the German advance on Cyrenaica.Any setback for the Germans would have a profound effect on our prestige.Abandoning positions for tactical purposes is perfectly fine, but retreating from Benghazi is extremely uncomfortable.I do not understand how the enemy can form a force of any considerable size after the long and dry coastal road, and I do not think that the enemy has much strength after the attack on Cyrenaica. troops.If you can kill this small group of enemies who are attacking you, you can rest easy for a long time.Of course, if the enemy manages to move on, they will make you lose your victories gradually.Do you have a guy like O'Connor or Klay on your side for this sort of frontier problem? On April 2, the support units of our 2nd Armored Division were driven out of Ajdabiya by fifty enemy tanks and withdrew to Antrat, thirty-five miles northeast of it.The division was ordered to withdraw to the vicinity of Benghazi.Our armored units were disorganized and suffered heavy losses under the German attack.The telegram concluded by saying: The destruction of the port of Benghazi has been ordered.General Wavell, who flew to the front on the 3rd, reported that the greater part of the armored brigade had been attacked by the superior German armored forces and had been routed. This would leave the left flank of the 9th Australian Division east and northeast of Benghazi without cover.Their retreat may be necessary.He said that due to the strength of the enemy in Libya, the 7th Australian Division could not go to Greece, but must be transferred to the western desert.The British Sixth Division was still not fully equipped and had to be kept in reserve.This would delay the attack on Rhodes.Thus, in one blow, and almost in a day, the desert flank upon which all our decisions were based collapsed, and the already weak force of the army sent to Greece was greatly reduced.The capture of Rhodes Island is an important part of our air force's combat plan in the Aegean Sea, and it cannot be realized now. The order to retreat from Benghazi has been given.That support force was sent north to cover the retreat of the 9th Australian Division which had begun in early April.Meanwhile, the 3rd Armored Brigade was to move to Mekili to prevent any attempt by the enemy to obstruct the retreat, and two regiments of the Indian Motorized Cavalry Brigade were dispatched from Tobruk for reinforcements. This new and unexpected situation made me restless.On the same day I called Mr. Eden, who was still in Athens. Prime Minister to Mr Eden April 3, 1941 Withdrawn from Benghazi, the situation is serious, because once the Germans gain a foothold in the airfield there, they may prevent us from using the port of Tobruk.Find out how to cut off enemy forces strategically and tactically.Please tell me to what point the order stipulates the retreat. How did the 9th Australian Division retreat and how far?Recall that Wavell, in his telegram of March 2nd, made many strong arguments expressing his conviction that his West Wing was safe and sound. 2. Far more important than losing ground is the idea that we cannot confront the Germans, as they will be able to push us back tens of miles once they enter the battlefield.This could have the worst repercussions throughout the Balkans and Turkey.Please return to Cairo to find out.Sooner or later we will have to fight the German devils.Every effort should be made to make a good plan for mobilizing troops, but fight anyway.Could it be possible to attack their backs from the sea to cut off the coastal road?Even if they give up the attack on Rhodes Island because of this, they will not hesitate. Mr. Eden's reply from Cairo: April 5, 1941 Dill and I arrived safely in Cairo tonight and had a full discussion with Wavell and Ted.Longmore, in Sudan, did not attend. Our unanimous general conclusion is that the German-Italian effort in Cyrenaica was a major diversionary operation arranged by Germany prior to the Balkan attack.Such assertions do not sufficiently lessen the seriousness of the indirect threat to Egypt, since the enemy is clearly expected to make the most of whatever opportunity he has.Unfortunately, the Germans achieved more than expected in their first outing, and are riding ahead. Wavell's trip to the front was to have O'Connor take over as commander.The officer, who was not recovering at the time, suggested to the commander-in-chief that it would be best not to actually succeed Nim as commander in the middle of the war, but to assist him with his local expertise.Wavell agreed.The method agreed this time was not implemented smoothly, or in other words, it did not last long.On the night of the 6th, a large number of my troops withdrew from Benghazi.The 9th Australian Division was retreating east along the coast road.In order to avoid the heavy traffic, General Nim and General O'Connor traveled in a car, without any escort, by a side road.In the darkness, they were suddenly stopped, and a German patrol pointed pistols at them through the car window; there was nothing they could do but surrender personally.Nim was a Victorian medalist and O'Connor was by all accounts our most experienced and accomplished desert commander; we are deeply saddened to lose these two gallant lieutenant generals. On the afternoon of April 6, Wavell, Eden, Deal, Longmore, and Cunningham met in Cairo to discuss where to stand.Wavell resolved to hold Tobruk as far as he could, and, in accordance with his personal habit of swift action, flew there on the morning of the 8th with General Leverack of Australia; Commander.Eden and Dill departed for home, while the War Cabinet awaited their return laden with information gathered in Athens and Cairo. According to Wavell's report, the 9th Australian Division appeared to be retreating without hindrance, but had to leave 2,400 Italian prisoners at Barca.However, on the same day, he telegraphed that the situation in the western desert had deteriorated considerably.Enemy forces have advanced towards Mekili from the desert route.The 2nd Armored Division lost additional vehicles due to mechanical damage and air raids.The 3rd Armored Brigade was simply not capable of combat. At this point I sent the following telegram to General Wavell: April 7, 1941 Tobruk has permanent fortifications put up by the Italians, which you can surely hold, at least until or unless the enemy sends a strong battery of artillery.It seemed unbelievable that the enemy could do this in a matter of weeks.The enemy would have to take great risks in taking Tobruk and advancing on Egypt, since we could reinforce them by sea and threaten their lines of communication. So Tobruk seemed to be a place to stick to and never think about retreating. Please let me know your opinion. Wavell flew to Tobruk on April 8 and gave orders to defend the fort. At dusk he set off back to Cairo.The plane's engine was damaged en route and they were forced to land in darkness.The plane crashed, and they stepped out of the plane, standing in the open desert, not knowing where they were.The commander-in-chief decided to burn his secret papers.They waited a long time to see the lights on a car.Fortunately, it turned out to be a British patrol, and they approached with a threatening voice.It was not without reason that the people in Cairo had been in constant panic for six hours because of Wavell's disappearance. The commander-in-chief replied immediately upon his return to Cairo.After detailing the situation of the troops, he said: Although the enemy troops have been exhausted after initial operations, I don't think we will have a long breathing time, and I am still very anxious.Tobruk was not an easy place to defend; the long lines of communication behind it were almost unprotected and chaotic. Since the last sentence of this telegram does not seem to clarify the issue of whether to stick to Tobruk, so I drafted the following telegram after secret discussions with the chiefs of staff of the three armies: Prime Minister and Chiefs of Staff Committee to General Wavell April 10, 1941 We await your full estimate of the situation.In the meantime, you should also know our views on this issue.It is believed here that it is unthinkable to abandon the Tobruk Fortress without long-term resistance.We have a safe sea line of communication.The enemy's line of defense is long, and if not given time to calmly arrange it, it must be weak.As long as we hold Tobruk, even if the defenders have only a few armored vehicles capable of attacking the enemy's lines of communication, the enemy will have to make a surprise attack if he dares to cross Tobruk.If you abandon Tobruk and trek 260 miles back to Matruh, don't you face the same problem yourself?We are convinced that you should fight to the end in Tobruk. However, we were informed before the meeting adjourned that Wavell had made his final decision to stick to Tobruk.He said: I propose to hold Tobruk; to station a force in the Bardia-Selum area with the greatest possible mobility in order to protect the lines of communication and attack the flanks or rear guard; at the same time deploy defenses in the Porto Matruh area as originally planned.Distributing forces so as to buy time without risking being broken by the enemy one by one is a difficult calculation problem.My strength is limited, especially in mobile and armored units, anti-tank guns and anti-aircraft guns.It will be a time race. Therefore, our telegram was not sent, but the following telegram was substituted: Prime Minister to General Wavell April 10, 1941 We sincerely agree with your decision to stick to Tobruk and will do our best to assist you. The retreat to Tobruk along the coast road went well.In the interior, however, only the headquarters of the 2nd Armored Division reached Mekkili on April 7, and it has completely lost contact with its units.On 6 April, the command and the two Indian motorized regiments found themselves surrounded.They repelled the enemy attack and rejected two ultimatums to surrender, one of which was signed by Rommel.Many soldiers rushed out and captured a hundred of the Germans, but most were forced back to the barracks, where they surrendered.The missing 3rd Armored Brigade, now reduced to a dozen tanks, was said to be heading for Derna for lack of petrol; near Derna it was ambushed and annihilated on the night of 6 April.In these battles, the Luftwaffe maintained absolute air superiority.This is no small contribution to the success of the enemy.On the night of the 8th the Australian troops arrived at Tobruk, and at this time had been reinforced by a brigade of the 7th Australian Division which had arrived by sea from Egypt.The enemy's vanguard, which included part of the German 5th (light) Armored Division, an Italian Armored Division, and an Italian Infantry Division, etc., captured Bardia on April 12, but made no attempt to break through the Egyptian frontier defenses. The enemy quickly advanced around Tobruk with heavy armored vehicles and motorized infantry, and advanced towards Bardia and Salum.Other forces attacked Tobruk's fortifications.Our defenders included the 9th Australian Division, a brigade of the 7th Australian Division and a few armored units. They repelled two attacks and destroyed some enemy tanks.In view of the changed situation and the capture of the general, Wavell had to reorganize the chain of command as follows: Fort Tobruk, General Mosshead; Western Desert, Beresford | General Pierce; Egyptian Force, Marshall | Cornwall General; Godwin, Palestine | General Austin. The commander-in-chief said: If I have time to implement the above organization, we will return to a situation very similar to last autumn, only with the addition of Tobruk.But we will be under more pressure on the ground, and if the air force is not effective, we may not escape an attack like the Italians launched against me last year.I see no hope of lifting the siege of Tobruk, at least for a few months.The possible attitude of Egypt will obviously be a matter of great concern.The next few months will be difficult, not to mention problems in Greece. former navy personnel to president roosevelt April 13, 1941 Of course we will do our best to fight for the Nile Valley.Logically speaking, no other conclusion is possible.We have half a million men in the area or in transit, and munitions are piling up.In order to defend this area, we do not count the loss.We must hold Tobruk, not as a defensive position, but as an all-important flanking bridgehead against a massive attack on Egypt from the sideways.Our naval and air forces must cut or interfere with the enemy's lines of communication across the central Mediterranean.This battle must be fought until the truth is revealed, and it will take some time. The enemy has many difficulties in the over 800-mile-long land communication line. If he wants to attack on a large scale, he must prepare for several months.Even if my garrison of Tobruk had to retreat from the seas in which we commanded the sea, we had other battle positions already established.Personally, I feel that the current situation is not only manageable, but also promising.Dill and Aiden have just returned, and they both agree. At this time, good news came from Tobruk, and the bold and tenacious enemy suffered the first obvious setback. General Wavell to the War Office April 14, 1941 Libya.According to the 200 to 300 German prisoners captured in Tobruk on the morning of April 14, they were beaten into a panic by our army's artillery and lacked food and drinking water.The troops cried when they were driven back in the attack, so their morale must have been pretty low. Maybe they were crying because they were too arrogant! Prime Minister to General Wavell April 14, 1941 Please convey the warmest congratulations of the War Cabinet to all who participated in this most successful battle.Well played, Tobruk!We think it is extremely important that Tobruk should be viewed as a sortie port and not as a growth.Can you find some elite troops who lack transportation to help defend the periphery?In this way, even if two Australian brigades could not be spared, at least one could be spared as the general reserve and potential striking force of the fortress. At this time, the Egyptian border and Tobruk seemed to have temporarily stabilized the situation, so after considering the overall situation, I issued the following instructions to the Chiefs of Staff Committee: Directives of the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense About the Mediterranean War April 14, 1941 Had the Germans been able to continue to supply their forces attacking Cyrenaica and Egypt from the port of Tripoli and the coastal roads, they would certainly be able to attack us with superior armor, with dire consequences.If, on the other hand, their communications from Italy and Sicily to Tripoli were cut off, and their communications on the coastal road between Tripoli and Aghera were constantly disturbed, there would be no reason why they should not suffer serious damage. fail. 2. The main task of the British Mediterranean Fleet under the command of Admiral Cunningham is now to prevent all sea traffic between Italy and Africa by the full use of surface ships, assisted as far as possible by aircraft and submarines.In order to achieve this most important purpose, heavy losses of battleships, cruisers, and destroyers must be accepted where necessary.For the port of Tripoli, it is necessary to use the method of bombardment and/or blockade and minelaying in turn to make it unusable, but it must be noted that the minelaying must not hinder the blockade or bombardment.Our cruisers, destroyers and submarines are to attack enemy convoys to and from Africa with the assistance of the Naval Air Force and the Royal Air Force.Every escape of an enemy convoy should be regarded as a major naval defeat.The prestige of the Royal Navy will depend on its ability to prevent traffic on this route. 3. Admiral Cunningham's fleet should be strengthened to the extent necessary for the above purposes.The Nelson and Rodney had thick armored decks, making them particularly well suited to defend against German dive bombers.We don't have to be overly afraid of this type of bomber.Should take the opportunity to dispatch other cruisers, minelayers and destroyers from the western Mediterranean to reinforce at any time.關於把百人隊長號用作封港船一事應即進行研究，但是，為了有效地封鎖的黎波里港，就是使用一艘現役的戰列艦也在所不惜。 四‧坎寧安海軍上將的艦隊在獲得增援後，他應能組成兩支炮轟分艦隊，以便輪番轟擊的黎波里港，特別是在知道港內停泊著船舶或運輸船隊的時候。 五‧為了控制橫跨地中海的海上交通，應在馬耳他島駐紮極為適當的海軍，而馬耳他島的空軍則應對駐防的海軍提供掩護。這支空軍應根據馬耳他飛機場的容納量用最新式、最優秀的戰鬥機來保持其最大的實力。在飛機的使用方面，用於對防衛馬耳他島的海軍提供掩護的戰鬥機應優先於襲擊的黎波里的轟炸機。 六‧應盡量設法利用各個發展階段中的火箭推進武器（火箭），特別是利用經過改進的海軍方法發射的快速空雷，去保衛馬耳他港口。 七‧重要性僅次於的黎波里港的，就是在的黎波里與阿蓋拉之間的那條長達四百哩的沿海公路。這條公路應該由那些從格倫式戰艦換乘特製登陸艇而登陸的部隊不斷進行騷擾性的襲擊。應放手使用集結干埃及的突擊隊和其他部隊，以求達到這一目的，應對從海上登陸奪取特別據點的行動加以研究，並選定對我最有利的據點，以便立即行動。在這一方面，我們也必須甘於蒙受損失。但是，在這種騷擾性戰鬥中可以用小股部隊，如果可能的話，過些時候再把他們撤回來。 即使能把少數輕型坦克或中型坦克運到岸上，它們也可以沿著公路掃蕩，迅速擊毀遠遠超過其本身價值的汽車隊。應試用每一種實際可行的方法不斷騷擾這一段公路，而不顧惜必要的損失。 八‧以上各節中所列事項都是當務之急，因為敵人的空軍將比現在日見強大，尤其是如果他們對希臘和南斯拉夫的進攻一如預料取得成功的話，就更需盡速進行。因此，坎寧安海軍上將不應坐待增援的戰列艦駛到後才開始行動，也不應當為了進攻羅得島而扣留格倫式軍艦。 九‧我們曾決定要盡一切可能的力量去保衛托卜魯克。但是，不應把（據守）托卜魯克看作是一種防禦措施，而應把它看作襲擊敵人交通線的一個無比重要的橋頭堡或出擊港口。應根據需要給予托卜魯克以步兵和裝甲戰車的增援，使之得以對敵人的側翼與後衛進行活躍的、不斷的襲擊。如果能夠把一部分外圍防線交由沒有運輸工具的軍隊去防守，便有可能組成一支既能用作這一要塞的後備部隊又可用以打擊敵人的機動部隊。如果敵人在引誘之下，發動類似圍攻托卜魯克的任何行動，並因此被迫運送重炮部隊及其給養，這將是對我大大有利的機會。 十‧尤其必要的是，韋維爾將軍應恢復其對敵軍在戰鬥力方面所佔的優勢，殲滅他們的小股突擊部隊，而不要讓我們被他們騷擾和追擊。每遇到敵軍的巡邏隊，便應襲擊，並應大膽使用我們自己的巡邏隊。乘坐裝甲車或摩托車的小隊英國兵，有時或是步兵，應毫不遲疑地用炸彈和炮擊的方法襲擊個別的坦克，保衛不列顛的計劃中便列有這樣一條。重要的是，即使是小小接觸，也要與敵交鋒，以便使它消耗彈藥，而敵人的彈藥供應必定是極其困難的。 十一‧利用我皇家空軍去襲擊敵交通線或戰車集中地點，其意義顯而易見，無需贅述。 這一切是說來容易做來難。 我讓總統充分了解一切情況。 former navy personnel to president roosevelt April 16, 1941 我難以斷言希臘將要發生些什麼事情，而且我們從來也沒有低估德國在歐洲大陸軍事機器的巨大力量。 我個人並不為利比亞｜埃及的局勢過分擔心。據我們估計，德國人在該地區擁有一個殖民地裝甲師，或者還有一個普通裝甲師的全部，估計擁有六百到六百五十輛坦克，其中許多已被擊毀或損壞。除了包括在德國裝甲師裡的幾個營以外，昔蘭尼加還沒有德國步兵。汽油、食物、飲水和彈藥供應的困難一定是嚴重的，我們從戰俘的談話中也獲悉這些大膽的部隊所處的供應緊張的狀態。當敵人進攻時，我們自己的裝甲部隊的大部分車輛正在修理中，現在我們當然要設法使他們投入戰鬥，而且我們正從中東各地增援埃及。我們在中東的兵力約計有五十萬人。我認為托卜魯克是一座寶貴的橋頭堡或出去港口。我們毫不感到目前我空軍已被敵人壓倒，我們的空中力量正在不斷地增強。我們地中海艦隊正在得到大力支援，它將傾注其全副力量用於切斷海面和海岸交通。除了德軍以外，當然還有意軍，而且我們相信，德國現在正從西西里島派出或企圖派出第三個裝甲師。 德軍於十四日｜十五日的夜間進攻托卜魯克，被我軍擊退，我看這是一件大事，因為在這一場小規模的激烈戰鬥中，敵軍被俘、陣亡、損失坦克和飛機，都遠遠超過我們的損失。 這次戰鬥使敵軍初次嘗到失敗的滋味，而且他們再打下去也討不到多大便宜。在此期間，我們在中地中海切斷敵軍的供應方面，獲得顯著的成就。今日（十六日）凌晨，從馬耳他島駛出的四艘驅逐艦，發現一支由五艘德國和意大利的大型船隻組成的運輸船隊，船上滿載軍火和機動車輛，並有三艘意大利驅逐艦護航。這支運輸船隊和所有的護航艦都被擊沉了。 在這場戰鬥中，我們損失了一艘驅逐艦。關於我們的實力，我們目前正保守秘密。 然而，正當我們在希臘的冒險行動全面開展的時候，我們的沙漠側翼遭到失敗，構成了一個最大的災難。我在相當時期內對於所以造成這一災難的原因大惑不解，因此戰事略一停息，我便覺得必須要求韋維爾將軍對於事情的經過進行一些解釋。我一直等到四月二十四日才向他提出了對他是一種精神負擔的要求。 我們仍在等待阿蓋拉和梅基利方面的戰況。這幾場戰鬥使我們損失了第三裝甲旅和一個摩托化騎兵旅的精華。我們顯然已受到一次重大的失效。因此，為了理解你的困難以及我們自己的困難，我們有必要概括地了解一下事情的經過和原因。是由於我們的部隊在數量上、謀略上、戰術上比不過敵人，還是因為據說是過早地破壞了汽油庫造成的錯誤？根據倖存者的報告，一定能夠使我們對於這場關鍵性戰鬥得到一個有頭有尾的報告。如果你不將情況報告的話，我便無法再幫助你了。 韋維爾於二十五日電復。他指出，因為幾乎所有有關的高級軍官都已失蹤，所以無從獲悉他們的行動和動機，他必須慎重行事，以免不公正地歸咎於他們。正如他素日的性格一樣，他自己承擔了責任。同日，他又發來總結這次戰鬥的電報。他在電報中說，他曾注意到，第二裝甲師司令部和第三裝甲旅要經過相當時間才能夠熟悉沙漠和沙漠作戰的情況。他曾經希望，在敵軍大舉進攻以前，至少會有一個月的時間在邊境上進行小規模的戰鬥，這樣他們就可以得到適應當地環境的時間了。實際上，他們還沒有安頓停當，攻擊就開始了，而且至少比他的參謀人員根據時間與空間計算出來的可能日期早了兩個星期，但是敵軍的實力則大致同他的估計相符。他曾經料到，敵人將有限度地向阿傑達比亞挺進。繳獲的文件和戰俘的供述一直證實了敵人的本意不過如此。我們現在知道，敵人的初步成就完全出乎他們的意料之外，【１】後來他們所以能夠乘勝追擊，完全是由於第三裝甲旅過早而不幸地被擊潰。我們有充分的證據證明，敵人從阿傑達比亞推進的部隊是臨時匆匆編成的，它包括由德意兩國部隊編成的八支小縱隊，其中有幾支縱隊與後方供應脫節，不得不由飛機運送物資。 【１】德斯蒙德‧揚在他所著的《隆美爾》一書中談到隆美爾的初期進攻及其豐富的成果，曾使他自己的上司和我們一樣大為驚訝。 我第三裝甲旅是一支臨時編成的部隊，擁有機械裝備不良的巡邏坦克一個團、輕型坦克一個團和用（繳獲的）意大利中型坦克裝備起來的一個團。從昔蘭尼加戰役結束時我裝甲戰車的情況來看，如果準備派往希臘的軍隊配備任何裝甲力量的話，這一個旅就可能成為他能夠投入這場戰鬥的最精銳的部隊。如果它擁有充分的實力並有較長的時間作為一支戰鬥部隊而安頓下來的話，它本來是足以對付得了預料中的進攻的。 直到德軍進攻之前不久，我才知道我們主要依靠的那個巡邏坦克團機械裝備很差的情況。這些坦克的一部分在抵達前線以前就損壞了，而許多其餘的坦克則在初期戰鬥中由於機件存在缺陷而成了犧牲品。第二裝甲師另外一個準備開往希臘的巡邏坦克團似乎也發生了同樣的情形。我們的輕型坦克對全部裝設大炮的德國坦克是無能為力的。用（繳獲的）意大利坦克裝備起來的那個團，還沒有時間練熟那類坦克。 發給裝甲師的指示是，在受到優勢兵力攻擊時逐步撤退，以便保存實力，等待供應上的困難削弱了敵人的力量並為我方的反攻造成機會。這是我發出的指示。 結果發現這是錯誤的策略。立即反攻，至少可以重創敵軍並大大推遲其行動。也許能夠完全阻止敵軍。當時的情況是，第三裝甲旅在撤退時由於機械損壞，供應脫節，沒有怎麼打，便全部潰散了；而沒有作戰經驗的第二裝甲師司令部似乎已控制不了局勢。部分原因也在於信號人員缺少經驗。 我在開戰後第一日視察前線時，覺得需要一位富有沙漠作戰經驗的指揮官，因此電召奧康納前來協助尼姆。這兩位將軍在撤退時一起被突入德爾納的敵軍縱隊的巡邏兵俘獲。 以上便是這一悲慘插曲的梗概，主要的責任在我。顯然，當撤退時，在指揮第二裝甲師司令部和第三裝甲旅方面是有錯誤的，但是我希望等到主要有關人員能夠提出關於作戰行動的詳盡報告和理由時，再作論斷。他們的困難是相當大的。 看來甚至在撤退與混亂中，我軍依然鬥志昂揚，並且有許多沉著應變、堅決應戰的事例。 我覆電說： Prime Minister to General Wavell April 28, 1941 謝謝你就西部邊境的戰事所作的概要敘述。我們似乎運氣不佳。我希望，我們能夠在今後挽回損失。Wish you all the best.