Chapter 103 Volume III, Chapter 30, Crusader Operations by Land, Air, and Sea

The lack of drama in modern battles means both our armies and battle plans Eighth Army's offensive assault succeeds in the first three days Thirteenth Army breaks through the border defenses General Auchinleck's Battle Report Rommel's Bold Move In a Swinging Battle Situation Auchinleck Flies To Desert Command His order to General Cunningham saved the day His decision to replace General Cunningham My letter to the President November 20 From Vichy's Dangerous Navy Attack on Enemy Convoy New Zealand Division to Sidi Rezeger pushes firmly Rommel retreats and abandons his frontier garrison Losses at the siege of Tobruk Roman melancholy Naval disasters Ark Royal and Barham sunk Man-controlled torpedoes Attack Queen Elizabeth in Alexandria HMS and Valiant were seriously injured Fleet K suffered a blow Neptune's loss The actual destruction of the British Eastern Mediterranean Fleet Hitler brought the Air Force back from Russia to Sicily Our situation in the Mediterranean was as bad as it could be.

Narratives of modern battles are apt to lose their drama because they unfold over vast areas and are often decided over weeks, whereas on famous battlefields in history, the fate of nations and empires was decided in a matter of hours. Among them, it is determined within a few square miles.The clash of fast-moving armored and motorized forces in the deserts of the West brought this contrast between present and past to an extreme. Tanks have replaced the cavalry of old warfare with a weapon of far greater power and range, and their maneuvers are in many respects like naval warfare, only with a sea of ​​sand instead of salt water. Just the sea.

What characterizes the decisive victory is the fighting qualities of the armored columns, as of a cruiser fleet, not where they meet the enemy, or in what part of the horizon the enemy appears.Tank divisions or brigades, and smaller formations, can form a front in any direction so quickly that the danger of being outflanked, or attacked in the rear, or cut off, is greatly diminished.On the other hand, everything is constantly dependent on fuel and ammunition, and the supply of both is much more complicated for armored forces than for self-sufficient ships and fleets at sea. Thus the principles upon which military science rests were given new terms, and each battle gained its own lessons.

The enormity of the war effort involved in such desert combat should never be underestimated.Although only about ninety thousand or one hundred thousand fighting troops are engaged in the armies of each side, these troops need two or three times as many men and supplies to support them in a desperate struggle.The violent clash at Sidi Rezeq, which marked the beginning of General Auchinleck's offensive, exhibited, taken in its entirety, many of the most vivid features of the war.The personal participation of the commander-in-chief of both sides is as dominant and decisive as in ancient times, and the risks for both sides are as great as in ancient times.

General Auchinleck's mission was first to retake Cyrenaica and destroy the enemy's armor in the process, and second, if all went well, to take Tripolitania.For these purposes, General Cunningham, who was to be commander of the newly named Eighth Army, was given to the Thirteenth and Thirteenth Corps, which, together with the defenders of Tobruk, consisted of about six divisions and three in reserve. brigade. 【１】 [1] The composition of the Eighth Army is as follows: Thirteenth Army (Godwin｜Austin) 7th Armored Division (7th Armored Brigade, 22nd Armored Brigade, 4th Indian Division)

new zealand division 4th Armored Brigade 1st Army Tank Brigade 1st South African Division (two brigades) Thirty Army (Nori) 22nd Guards Brigade The total number of British tanks was 724, including 367 patrol tanks and 200 in reserve.The RAF would have intensified its operations a month earlier to harass the enemy's communications and gain air supremacy for the campaign.The Western Desert Air Force, under the command of Maj. Gen. Corningham, consisted of sixteen fighter squadrons, twelve medium bomber squadrons, five heavy bomber squadrons, and three Army Aviation squadrons.Of a total of 1,311 modern combat aircraft, 1,072 were available, and ten squadrons could be dispatched from Malta.

Seventy miles behind Rommel's front was the garrison of Tobruk, consisting of five brigades and one armored brigade.This fortress was his constant preoccupation and, because of its strategic menace, until now prevented any attack on Egypt.The elimination of Tobruk was the established policy of the German High Command, and all possible preparations had been made to begin the attack on this place on November 23.Rommel's army consisted of the huge African Army, which consisted of the 15th and 21st German Panzer Divisions and the 90th Light Division, and seven Italian divisions, one of which was armored.The number of enemy tanks was estimated at 388, but as we now know from enemy records, the actual number is 558.Two-thirds of the medium and heavy tanks were German and carried larger guns than the two-pounders on our tanks.Furthermore, the enemy has a significant advantage in anti-tank weapons.The Axis air force consisted of 190 German aircraft, of which only 120 were available for attack, and more than 300 Italian aircraft, of which about 200 were available.

The Eighth Army, under General Cunningham, would attack with two of its corps and push west and north to reach Tobruk, while Tobruk's defenders were slamming against them at the same time. Breakout.For this purpose, the Thirteenth Corps is to attack and occupy the enemy's frontier defenses from Halfaya to Sidi Oma, outflank and encircle them, so as to cut off the troops holding these fortifications, and then attack the Brooke pushed forward.At this time, the XXX Corps, which includes almost all of our armored forces, is sweeping the desert flank extensively. They will find and engage most of Rommel's armored forces, or at least hold them down, so that Thirteenth Army was covered.

Despite the massive preparations, a complete tactical surprise attack was achieved.The Axis forces were taking up new positions for the attack on Tobruk on November 23rd.In order to strike at the enemy's brains and nerve centers at this critical moment, fifty Scottish commandos under the command of Colonel Laycock were transported by submarine to a point on the coast two hundred miles behind the enemy's lines.The thirty men who were able to land in rough seas were divided into two groups. One group went to cut the telephone and telegraph wires, and the other group, led by Lieutenant Colonel Keyes, the son of Admiral Keyes, went down to attack Rommel's residence.At midnight on the 17th they broke into a house of the German headquarters and many Germans were shot, but Rommel himself was not there.

During a hand-to-hand fight in a darkened room, Case was killed.He was awarded a Victoria Cross posthumously for his actions. 【１】 【1】The survivors of the two assault groups could no longer board the boat due to the strong sea surface, so under the fierce pursuit of the enemy, Colonel Laycock ordered them to disperse and hide in the collapsed village.Only Colonel Laycock and Sergeant Terry, who had distinguished himself in the attack on German headquarters, returned to our line after five weeks of hardship and desperate adventure. Early on 8 November, in heavy rain, the Eighth Army advanced rapidly, so that, as planned, the Thirty Army marched around the enemy's position to reach the border, and the Thirteenth Army, initially meeting no resistance, pressed on Sidi Reze from the south. grid.This ridge is about a hundred feet high, and on the north it is almost a cliff, overlooking Rommel's main line of communication from west to east, the Capuzzo Trail.There is a big airport nearby.Looking to the south, although there is nothing special about the terrain, the undulating desert is all in sight.Both sides concluded that this was the key to the entire warring area and an important step to rescue the siege of Tobruk.

For the first three days, everything went well.On the 19th a detachment which was supposed to constitute the main part of the German armored force moved south from the coast where they were stationed, and joined our 4th and 20th corps on the next day at a point fifteen miles west of Sidi Oma. 2nd Armored Brigade Encounter.The British 7th Armored Division was spread out in search of the enemy.One of its brigades (7th Brigade) and supporting forces captured Sidi Rezeq.These and other units were successively attacked by the Afrika Korps, which had always been more heavily armored.During the whole day of the 21st and 22nd, a fierce fighting took place mainly in and around the airfield.In fact, all the armored forces of both sides were involved in this battlefield, fighting fiercely in large numbers back and forth under the fire of the enemy.German tanks were better armed and traveled to conflict sites in greater numbers, giving them an advantage.Despite the heroic leadership of Brigadier Jock Campbell, the Germans still held the upper hand and we suffered heavy tank losses.On the night of the 22nd, the Germans once again occupied Sidi Rezeg.General Norrie, commanding XXX Corps, having lost two-thirds of his armor, ordered a general retreat of twenty miles in order to regroup north of the Abd Trail.This is a major setback. On the night of the 19th, Auchinleck telegraphed me saying: Now it seems that this attack was really unexpected by the enemy. They did not know the imminence and weight of our blow.Although yet to be confirmed, there are indications that he is now attempting to withdraw from the Bardia|Selum area.It is impossible at this time to draw further conclusions about the fighting until we know where our armored forces are today.I myself am optimistic about the situation.Ted also reported that the present phase of the air campaign seemed to be proceeding satisfactorily.The extraordinary raids of the 17th and 18th overturned our plans to destroy German fighters, but they also helped to limit the enemy's air operations during the first two days.Another fourteen Junker 87 bombers were burned on the ground yesterday.During the night, heavy bombers made fifty-six sorties.The air force based in Malta also included Benghazi in its target list.Ten tons of ammunition were airlifted to the 4th Armored Brigade. Meanwhile, on 21 November, since the enemy's armor wanted a fight, General Cunningham ordered Thirteenth Corps to advance.The 4th Indian Division had detoured around Sidi Oma.On its left, the New Zealand Division under General Freiberg moved north to the outskirts of Bardia, thus cutting off all lines of communication for the frontier garrisons.They captured the headquarters of the Afrika Korps, and on the 23rd almost recovered Sidi Rezeq, which their brethren of the 7th Armored Division had just expelled.On 24 November Freiberg assembled most of the New Zealand Division five miles east of the airfield.Accordingly, our armored units have been reorganized on this day since their repulsion at Sidi Rezeq.The Tobruk garrison had launched an attack and was fighting fiercely against the German infantry, but had not yet broken through.After a successful march, the New Zealand Division arrived at the city of Sidi Rezeq.The enemy's frontier garrison had been cut off, and their armored forces, after the victory over the XXX Corps, were positioned north of Birguppi. The two sides attacked each other fiercely, both suffered heavy losses, and the outcome of the battle was undecided. The best account of the campaign is found in General Auchinleck's last report, published in the London Gazette in 1948. As the German panzer divisions seemed determined to fight by this time, and with heavy losses of tanks reported, General Cunningham gave the signal for the Tobruk defenders to attack and XIII Corps to move.But on November 21st we started to run into difficulties.As expected, the enemy immediately responded to the threat Sidi Rezeq received, and several of his armored divisions avoided the 4th and 22nd Armored Brigades.At this time, all the enemy's armored forces combined to drive us out of this critical area and prevent aid from reaching the isolated support units and the 7th Armored Brigade.It is to their great merit that these troops, which were not intended for a long defense, managed to hold out for a whole twenty-one days without aid.It was expected that the 5th South African Infantry Brigade would reach the field before the enemy's offensive, but they were unable to do so, partly due to resistance from the Arriet Armored Division[1], and partly due to the handling of the large number of vehicles they had brought with them on the expedition. lack of experience. [1] Italian armored divisions, see Chapter 19 of this volume.translator The next day, all three armored brigades joined to defend the area.But our tanks and anti-tank guns, despite their heroic fighting, were no match for the Germans, and on the evening of November 22 the XXX Corps was forced to retreat, losing two-thirds of its tanks, And leave a large prominent position for the Tobruk defenders to defend. The enemy succeeds in spectacular fashion.In one night attack they unexpectedly attacked and completely routed the 4th Armored Brigade, whose hundred tanks constituted two-thirds of our remaining armored strength.On the 23rd they actually wiped out the 5th South African Infantry Brigade, one of only two infantry brigades under General Norrie's command and had no means of transport to bring in more. Then, on the 24th , They used several armored divisions to fight back vigorously against the border.Prior to this, it was already evident that some of the initial reports had greatly exaggerated the enemy's tank losses, and that the enemy had at least as many tanks as we did, with better performance, and was able to recover from the battlefields they had lost quantity. This shift in the balance of forces between the hostile armored forces created an extremely critical situation. At this time, a dramatic episode occurred, reminiscent of Jeb Stewart riding around McClellan on the Yorktown Peninsula in 1862 during the American Civil War. [1] This time, however, it was carried out with an armored force which was an army in itself, the destruction of which would seal the fate of the rest of the Axis forces.Rommel, determined to seize the tactical initiative and force eastward with armored forces to the border, hoped to cause so much confusion and so much panic as to induce our headquarters to retreat without a fight.He probably thought of the previous desert campaign on June 15th.The advance of his armor had been rewarded with that luck which caused General Messerville to retreat at the decisive moment.How he came close to success this time can be seen below. 【1】During the American Civil War, Confederate General Jeb Stewart (James Stewart) was ordered to scout the right flank of Union General McClellan's army. He not only completed his mission, but also rode around McClellan's position Rear, report the news to the headquarters.translator He assembled the greater part of the Afrika Korps, which was still the largest force on the field, and rushed along the Abd road or trail to Bil Shepherdsen, where the headquarters of the XXX Corps and the two large quarters were narrowly missed; and if Without these two quartermaster stations, it would be impossible for us to continue fighting.On reaching the frontier he divided his troops into columns, some of which turned to the north and south, and the rest advanced straight twenty miles into Egyptian territory.He wreaked havoc in our rear and took many prisoners.But his column had no effect on the Fourth Indian Division.They were pursued by hastily formed detachments from the 7th Armored Brigade, the Standing Aid and the Guards Brigade.Most importantly, our air force had already achieved a high degree of air supremacy over the armies of the opposing sides at this time, so it had been harassing the enemy along the way.Rommel's columns received virtually no support from their own air force, suffering as our troops had learned and endured when Germany dominated the skies over the battlefield.On the twenty-sixth all the enemy's armored forces turned north and took shelter in and around Bardia.The next day, they received an urgent order to return to Sidi Rezeq, and hurried westward to Sidi Rezeq.Rommel's bold tactics had failed, but, as will now be seen, only one man, the opposing Commander-in-Chief, was able to check him. It may be interesting to select fragments from the daily telegrams that Auchinleck and Ted sent me during this period.Auchinleck sent good news on the 21st. Fortunately, the fox's hole was blocked and the hounds were chasing it.The day's continuation said: The engagement between the 22nd Armored Brigade and the enemy's armored forces at Birguppi on November 18 was more intense than previous reports indicated, and the apparent result was the loss of our patrols of approximately Forty tanks, many of which have since been repaired, and enemy tank losses are estimated at fifty-five.Sidi Rezeg was being held by support elements from the 7th Armored Division and the 5th South African Infantry Brigade.The Tobruk defenders attacked this morning.Since the battle had developed, and was developing at such a great rate, it was difficult to come to exact figures for the loss estimates of enemy tanks.One of the distinguishing features of warfare to this day is our total air superiority and the excellent co-operation of the Army and Air Force. On the 22nd he concluded his report by saying: There appears to be a good chance of achieving our immediate goal of destroying the German armored forces.A follow-up call said: The spirit and vigor of the officers and soldiers are astonishingly high.It seems to me that Cunningham has hitherto fought this extremely complex battle with great skill and daring.I think it mostly depends on whether there have been many tanks in the German 15th Panzer Division with the 21st Panzer Division in the last four days of armored battles, or whether the division is still relatively complete.I'm hoping it's the former, but can't be sure yet.Some darker impressions came from the 23rd: it seemed that the war was about to reach its climax.In any event, some German tanks north of Birguppi managed to break out.Our troops in Sidi Rezeq were yesterday under heavy pressure from east, west and south by an enemy force allegedly mobilizing a hundred tanks. Fragmentary quotations of this kind show the impressions that were felt in the High Command almost hourly, and this material is of course only a small fraction of the reports that came from them. The heavy blows we received and the impression of the confusion behind our lines caused by Rommel's attack led General Cunningham to tell the commander-in-chief that if our offensive continued it might bring about the destruction of our tank force, and thus endanger Egypt's security.That would mean admitting to being defeated and the failure of the whole operation.At this decisive moment, General Auchinleck himself intervened.At Cunningham's request, he and Air Force Lieutenant General Ted flew to the Garrison Command in the Desert Area on November 23. He was fully aware of all possible dangers, but ordered General Cunningham to continue to intensify the attack on the enemy. attack.By his own actions, Auchinleck thus saved the campaign and proved his prowess as a theater commander. He telegraphed me from forward headquarters on the 24th: Upon arrival I found Cunningham panicked by the situation as we were reported to have few tanks still available.Obviously, five days of continuous fighting and mobilization caused our armored division a considerable degree of disorder and losses due to enemy attacks, as well as mechanical damage.There was a reason for that, but it doesn't matter now.The enemy used Italian tanks in their attack last night, which I take as evidence that they lack tanks of their own.I am convinced that they are struggling at the end of their strength and that we must continue to exert relentless pressure on them.We might actually immobilize all of our tanks, at least temporarily, in the process, but as long as we knock out all of the enemy tanks, it doesn't matter.The fact that the enemy has left the defenders of Sidi Oma and Sallom to their fate, and that we have taken more than three thousand prisoners, including a thousand Germans, is significant.Accordingly, I have ordered General Cunningham to attack with all available resources, to recover Sidi Rezeg, and to join the Tobruk garrison, who should attack the enemy in front of them. support.The officers and soldiers were all in high spirits, and the New Zealand division equipped with infantry tanks concentrated in front of Sidi Rezeg.The enemy is fighting like hell, but we always expect this. I immediately replied: Prime Minister to General Auchinleck November 25, 1941 Received the call on the 24th.I sincerely share your views and intentions, and, whatever the outcome, His Majesty's Government is willing to share with you the responsibility of fighting to the end.It's all or nothing, but I'm sure you're stronger and will win. 2. You have undoubtedly received my telegram concerning the landing at Suez today of the remainder of the 1st Armored Division.If you need it, put it into battle as soon as possible without thinking about the future.Use all troops to tightly strangle the enemy, and the enemy will be defeated. 3. Your great spirit and willpower inspire me greatly.Please give Ted and the RAF credit for mastering the air. After returning to Cairo on the 25th, Auchinleck telegraphed to me that I had decided to temporarily replace General Cunningham with my present Deputy Chief of Staff, General Leech.Not because I have any apprehension in my mind about the situation, but because I have come to the conclusion, against my will, that Cunningham, hitherto admirable, has now begun to think on the defensive, mainly It was due to the heavy loss of our tanks.I had long and eagerly considered the question, and consulted with the Secretary of State upon my return this afternoon, before taking this decisive step.I am convinced that I am right, though I understand that such a step is inappropriate at the present time on general grounds.I should try to minimize the preaching. In his official letter to General Cunningham, Auchinleck wrote: I have formed an opinion that you are now thinking in defense rather than in offense, and therefore I have a hard time ordering you to keep me on the offensive. I have lost confidence in my ability to follow through. The Commander-in-Chief's decision was explained and strongly supported by Secretary of State Oliver Littleton.I immediately sent him a telegram. Prime Minister to Secretary of State November 25, 1941 General Auchinleck has supreme authority over all commanders, and all decisions he takes in this campaign will be subject to our approval.Your actions and attitude are very commendable.Hope to (telephone) inform General Auchinleck. I shall here leave to the consideration of this event, how painful it was for the gallant officer concerned, to his brother, the Admiral, and to General Auchinleck, a personal friend of both of them.I admire General Auchinleck's independence from all private scruples, from all temptation to compromise or postpone action. [1] Refers to Captain Cunningham, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet.translator At this stage of the campaign I must turn to the account of several other closely related incidents.On November 20, when the news was good, I sent a telegram to the President, urging him to do his best to keep Vichy from doing anything at this critical juncture. former navy personnel to president roosevelt November 20, 1941 The advance and deployment of our forces in Libya has been very successful, and the enemy has been taken by surprise.They have only now understood the scale of our actions against them.Today there may be fierce battles between enemy and armored forces.An order has been issued to advance the war that is starting now to a decisive point at all costs.It appears that the chances are not unfavorable. 2. It would be a very injurious thing if Weygand were replaced by some German-friendly officer at a time when we might influence the affairs of North Africa from the East, and from home.I hope you will try your best to persuade Vichy to keep Weygand as commander.If this is not possible, it may be agreed to replace it with a retired friendly person such as General George.I have not seen Georges since the collapse of France, but I have reason to believe he has the right heart.I know him well.Anyway, Mr. President, if we win big in Libya, Tunisia and all of French North Africa may be open to us, so we must be ready to take advantage of the gains.On the other hand, I was concerned that Hitler might demand the capture of Bizerte in view of the possible danger to Tripoli.For Vichy France, if they miss the present, the time will never come again, and this is their last chance for atonement. Cutting off Rommel's fuel supply was also at stake at this point, so I called Admiral Auchinleck and the Admiral of the Navy to press for strikes on the enemy's lines of communication. Prime Minister to General Auchinleck November 23, 1941 When one sees the very precious shiploads of fuel now going to Benghazi, and the enemy's air force concentrated at Bernin, it seems that a special risk should be taken to render these places useless, even if only for three or four days. good.The enemy's fear of such actions is obviously well founded.The only time you can take such a risk is when the enemy is in the hardest fight.Once they were able to reinforce it with troops withdrawn or fleeing from the combat zone, the chances of success diminished.Right now in Benghazi, and west of Agheira, there are plenty of things that can be acquired without much effort, but once the main campaign is over, the cost of acquiring them will increase significantly.I am sure you will take this into consideration.Remember how much they gained by bragging and fraud when France collapsed.What is the mission of Oasis Force? Prime Minister to Admiral Cunningham, Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet November 23, 1941 I ask the First Sea Lord to send you a telegram today explaining the importance of intercepting surface vessels carrying reinforcements, supplies and especially fuel to Benghazi.The information we have here indicates that many ships are now approaching or setting sail.The enemy had demanded air protection but could not give it because their air forces in Africa were fighting at full strength.We have told you all this news again.I look forward to hearing from the Admiralty what action you intend to take.Stopping these ships would have saved thousands of lives, in addition to contributing to an all-important victory. The admiral immediately telegraphed me himself: Received your call on the 23rd.I am naturally very keenly aware of the importance of the Benghazi supply line, and the arrangements made to deal with the situation should have been explained to you by the First Sea Lord at this time.Our first move was to stop the enemy's convoys by the threat of fleets at both ends of the Mediterranean, and this has been done with great success.Now that the convoys have resumed their voyages, they will be attacked by surface ships, planes and submarines.Unfortunately, your reference to the reported concentration of the Luftwaffe on land fighting has not actually been proven, and the enemy is taking a lot of interest in our operations.Contrary to this, our weakness mainly in reconnaissance aircraft adds a serious layer of danger to the work of our light fleets which, when their speed needs to be exploited, have to operate without support nearby . He did his best, but the most effective blow was delivered from Malta.On the night of the 24th, the cruisers and destroyers of the K fleet sailed out of the port and intercepted the two oil tankers that the enemy was eagerly awaiting.So I was able to tell Auchinleck the good news: November 25, 1941 Last night we dispatched the Aurora and Penelope from Malta in good time to sink the two vital tankers Procida and Maricha.Admiral Cunningham was pursuing other ships. While Rommel engaged in a daring and costly raid with the Afrika Korps through the lines of communication and rear of the British Eighth Army, Freiberg and his New Zealand troops, supported by the 1st Army Tank Brigade, advanced towards Sidi Razer. Grid tight.After two days of heavy fighting, they recaptured the city.At the same time, the defenders of Tobruk attacked again and captured Eddiuda.On the night of the 26th, the Tobruk defenders established contact with the rescue force.Some units belonging to the New Zealand Division and XIII Corps headquarters entered the besieged city of Tobruk.This situation led to Rommel's return from Bardia.He fought his way through to Sidi Rezeq.Attacked from the flank with the reorganized 7th Armored Division, which now consisted of 120 tanks.He took Sidi Rezeq again.He drove back the 6th New Zealand Brigade, inflicting losses so severe that it was rendered useless.They and the 4th Brigade, except for two battalions that joined the Tobruk defenders, retreated southeast to the border, and it was here that the heroic division, after losing more than 3,000 people, was reorganized.The Tobruk garrison remained isolated, and by a courageous decision they were holding on to all their acquired positions. General Leech then reorganized his army. He placed the Tobruk garrison under the XIII Corps and transferred the New Zealand Division to the reserve.Adem, in a valley fifteen miles west of Sidi Rezeq, was also on the enemy's main line of communication from east to west, and so was now the object of attack.Both of our armies have used it.The Thirteenth Army advanced from Eddieu, and the Thirteenth Army attacked from the south.While these preparations were in progress, Rommel made a final assault to rescue his border defenders.His assault was repelled, and the Axis forces began a general retreat towards the Ghazala line. Our telegrams kept coming.On the 26th, Auchinleck said: There is not much news today, but it is good.This morning the New Zealand army has seen the defenders of Tobruk, and I just heard that the New Zealand army has recovered Sidi Rezeg.Fierce fighting continues.The enemy's armored and motorized units were apparently still milling about in our rear between Bardia, Birshepherson and Halfaya, but to no avail.It is now certain that this assault of armored and motorized forces was an attack intended to divert our attention from Tobruk.This clearly fails. Regarding the replacement of General Cunningham, he added: "I am most grateful for the support you have given me.In this respect, as in everything else, how much this means to us is indescribable, and it cannot be measured in terms of armored divisions or anything else.Rommel is not finished, but I feel we have gained the initiative, and I believe we will maintain it. Prime Minister to General Auchinleck November 26, 1941 No doubt you've often considered moving the reserves to a war zone.I am well aware that this is conditional on transport, and how important it is to you to work with the minimum number of troops required for supplies.However, I'd be interested to know about your existing reserves.Assuming you need another division, or two or three brigades, where are you going to get them?I suppose you could bring back a brigade of the 50th Division from Baghdad if necessary. Please tell us your strength and ideas. Auchinleck replied that, because of the difficulty of feeding in the western desert, the problem was to be able to replace the tired ones with fresh ones, not to add new formations, although he would certainly have preferred more troops to march forward to build momentum.He was incorporating an infantry brigade of the 50th Division into headquarters reserves, but saw no need to recall the remaining two brigades en route to Iraq. While I sincerely applaud everything the High Command does, I think it would be a mistake for Auchinleck not to take command himself, but to entrust the command to one of his men who had not been tried in the field. pity. Prime Minister to General Auchinleck November 27, 1941 The Chief of the Reich General Staff and I are amazed that, having saved the battle once, you did not try to win the battle this time.Your presence there will be an encouragement to all, but of course it is entirely up to you to judge. He replied: I have considered carefully whether I should personally replace Cunningham as commander of the Eighth Army.I was well aware of the situation tied to the campaign, but I concluded that I was more useful at General Headquarters, where I could see the situation as a whole and maintain a proper sense of balance.Of course, I will go to (Leech's) to check if needed. Neither I nor the Chief of the Reich General Staff were convinced, but we did not force him to accept our opinion. Auchinleck's telegram of the 30th concluded: Our train train arrived at Tobruk on the morning of the 29th.Commander of Thirteenth Corps (Godwin | General Austin) congratulates you on your birthday that the corridor to Tobruk is cleared and safe. Tobruk was rescued as well as I.On December 1, Auchinleck went in person to forward headquarters, where he and General Leech stayed together for ten days.他沒有親自去擔任指揮，但密切地監督著他的下屬。據我看來，這對他們雙方都不是最好的安排。 但是第八集團軍這時已佔優勢，所以這位總司令在十二月十日就能夠告訴我說：顯然，敵人正向西方全數撤退。阿德姆已被我攻陷。南非和印度軍隊在那裡和來自托卜魯克的英軍會師，因此我認為現在可以宣稱托卜魯克已經解圍。我們正在同皇家空軍最充分的合作下大力追擊敵人。 我們現在根據德國方面的記載獲悉敵人在十字軍戰士戰役中所受到的損失，包括這時在巴爾迪亞、塞盧姆和哈爾法亞被切斷而以後被俘的守軍在內，大約為德軍一萬三千人和意軍二萬人，總計三萬三千人，連同坦克三百輛。可與之作比較的同一時期內（十一月十八日到一月中旬）不列顛和英帝國軍隊的損失為：官兵二千九百零八人陣亡，七千三百三十九人受傷，七千四百五十七人失蹤；共計為一萬七千七百零四人，連同坦克二百七十八輛。這項損失的十分之九是在這次攻勢的第一個月裡發生的。 關於沙漠上的戰事，我們到這裡才達到緩和的、而且的確是歡欣的時刻。德國記載顯示出這個打擊對羅馬軍界人士心中所產生的憂鬱情緒。 December 2, 1941 北非局勢需要作出最大努力來供應德國軍隊，補充大量損失和提供第一流的援軍。按照目前海上形勢，空中運輸機必須成為越過地中海的主要載運工具。 十二月四日的記載又說： 領袖說到解放比塞大港是克服運輸困難的唯一方法。佔領馬耳他是不可能的。他相信，如果沒有通過突尼斯的供應，要想更長久地守住利比亞是不可能的。由於未能及時打通供應線，軸心國在地中海和北非的形勢是危急的。過去的一些決定曾經受到對俄戰爭的強烈影響。 海軍在西部沙漠上的戰爭中向來是一個重要因素。皇家海軍以及皇家空軍，由於摧毀了軸心國的供應和支持第八集團軍的推進，曾經有助於使隆美爾的軍隊瀕臨毀滅的邊緣。但是這時，就在這個緊要關頭，我們在東地中海的海軍力量卻因遭到一系列的災難而實際上被消滅了。 德國潛艇在地中海的衝擊力是沉重的。皇家方舟號已經消失了。兩星期後，巴勒姆號中了三枚魚雷而在三分鐘內頃覆，損失五百人以上。接著發生了更多的事情。十二月十八日夜間，一艘意大利潛艇駛近亞歷山大港，放出了三枚人控魚雷，每枚由兩人操縱。他們乘港口柵門開放讓船舶通過時鑽進港內。他們安放了定時炸彈，這些炸彈就在十九日凌晨在戰列艦伊麗莎白女王號和英勇號的下面爆炸了。兩艦都受重傷，有幾個月之久成為無用的負擔。這樣，在幾個星期之中，我們的東方戰列艦隊作為一支戰鬥力量已被消滅了。我還必須說到在另一個戰區內威爾士親王號和卻敵號的喪失。我們曾經成功地把戰列艦隊的損失隱瞞了一些時候。過了許久以後，在秘密會議時我對下院說：在幾個星期之內，我們喪失掉或者長期失卻戰鬥力的大型軍艦有七艘，即是我們的戰列艦和戰列巡洋艦的三分之一以上。 可是K艦隊也受到打擊。就在亞歷山大港的災難發生的那天，有消息傳到馬耳他，說有敵人的一個重要運輸船隊向的黎波里駛去。巡洋艦海王星號、曙光號和佩內洛普號，率同驅逐艦四艘，立即出發追逐。在駛近的黎波里港時，我們的艦隻進入一個新佈雷區。海王星號觸雷，受重傷，其餘的兩艘巡洋艦也都受了傷，但還能駛去。不久，驅逐艦坎大哈號駛入佈雷區去營救海王星號艦上的官兵，但是它也觸了一枚水雷而無能為力。海王星號飄蕩在佈雷區內，又觸了兩枚水雷，隨即沉沒。它的七百多名官兵中只有一人生存，他在木筏上經過四天後被敵俘虜，他的艦長奧康納和其他的十三名官兵則在木筏上死亡了。坎大哈號仍然浮在海面而終於飄泊出佈雷區以外，在第二天夜裡驅逐艦美洲虎號找到了它，救出了它的大多數官兵。 德國參謀部對於這個事件的評論是有啟發性的。海王星號的沉沒對於據守的黎波里塔尼亞說來，或許是具有決定性的重要意義的。如果沒有這一事件，英國艦隊或許已經殲滅了意大利的運輸船隊。毫無疑問，在這危機達到頂峰的時候損失了這些供應物資，是會產生最嚴重的後果的。 K艦隊的光芒就這樣熄滅了。巡洋艦加拉提亞號也被一艘德國潛艇擊沉。英國東地中海艦隊所剩餘的全部船只有幾艘驅逐艦和維安海軍上將的艦隊的三艘巡洋艦而已。 直到十一月底為止，我們在陸上、海上和空中方面的聯合努力，曾經在地中海取得成功。我們現在在海軍方面已經受到了慘重的損失。此時，在十二月五日，希特勒終於了解到隆美爾的致命的危險，便下令把整個的一個空軍大隊從俄國調到西西里島和北非來。在凱塞林將軍指揮下，對馬耳他發動了一次新的空中攻勢。對這個島嶼的襲擊達到了新的高峰，馬耳他只有為生存而奮鬥。到年底，掌握著通往的黎波里的海路上的制空權的是德國空軍，因此他們使隆美爾的軍隊能夠在戰敗之後重新裝備。海上、空中和陸上的戰事的相互作用，是很少有像在這幾個月的事件中表現得那樣顯著的。 但是這時，在世界大事的突然發作下，一切都相形失色了。