Operation Battleaxe order of battle

Operation Battleaxe (15–17 June 1941) was a British Army offensive during the Second World War to raise the Siege of Tobruk and re-capture eastern Cyrenaica from German and Italian forces. The offensive's failure led to the replacement of British General Sir Archibald Wavell, Commander-in-Chief Middle East, by Claude Auchinleck; Wavell took Auchinleck's position as Commander-in-Chief, India.

British and Commonwealth Forces


Commander in Chief, Middle East General Archibald Wavell


 * XIII Corps
 * Lieutenant-General Noel Beresford-Peirse
 * 7th_armoured_division_insignia_1944_3000px.png 7th Armoured Division
 * Major-General Michael O'Moore Creagh
 * 4th Armoured Brigade (Brigadier Alexander Gatehouse)
 * 4th Royal Tank Regiment (Matilda tanks) (Lieutenant-Colonel Walter O'Carroll)
 * 7th Royal Tank Regiment (Matilda tanks) (Lieutenant-Colonel Basil Groves)
 * 7th Armoured Brigade (Brigadier Hugh Russell)
 * 2nd Royal Tank Regiment (Mk I, II and III/IV Cruiser tanks)
 * 6th Royal Tank Regiment (Crusader tanks) (Lieutenant-Colonel Leonard Harland)
 * 7th Support Group (Brigadier John Campbell)
 * 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 106th Regiments Royal Horse Artillery
 * 1st battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps
 * 2nd battalion, Rifle Brigade
 * Divisional troops
 * 11th Hussars (Reconnaissance regiment) (Lieutenant-Colonel William Leetham)
 * Engineers
 * 4th Field Squadron, RE
 * 143rd Field Park Squadron, RE
 * 4th_indian_infantry_div.svg 4th Indian Infantry Division
 * Major-General Frank Messervy
 * 11th Indian Infantry Brigade
 * Brigadier Reginald Savory
 * 2nd battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
 * 1st battalion, 6th Rajputana Rifles
 * 2nd battalion, 5th Mahratta Light Infantry
 * 22nd Guards Brigade
 * Brigadier Ian Erskine
 * 1st battalion, Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
 * 2nd battalion, Scots Guards
 * 3rd battalion, Coldstream Guards
 * 22nd Guards Brigade Attack Company
 * Divisional troops
 * Central India Horse (Reconnaissance regiment)
 * 25th Field Regiment, RA
 * 31st Field Regiment, RA
 * Engineers
 * 4th, 12th, 18th, and 21st Field Company (sappers and miners)
 * 11th Field Park Company

German and Italian forces


Comandante Superiore Generale d'Armata Italo Gariboldi
 * Deutsches Afrika Korps
 * Generalleutnant Erwin Rommel
 * 15th_Panzer_Division_logo_1.svg 15th Panzer Division
 * Generalleutnant Walter Neumann-Silkow
 * 8th Panzer Regiment (Oberstleutnant Hans Cramer)
 * 1st Battalion (Hauptmann Johannes Kümmel)
 * 2nd Battalion
 * 1st Battalion of the 104th Motor Infantry Regiment (Wilhelm Bach)
 * Reconnaissance Battalion 33
 * 1st Abteilung of the 33rd Artillery Regiment
 * 33rd Panzerjäger Battalion (12 50 mm PaK 38 and 21 37 mm PaK 36 anti-tank guns)
 * 15th Motorcycle Battalion (Hauptmann Curt Ehle)
 * One anti-aircraft battery (with 13 88 mm FlaK 18 and 36 anti-aircraft guns)
 * 21st_Panzer_Division_logo.svg 5th Light Division
 * Generalleutnant Johann von Ravenstein
 * 5th Panzer Regiment
 * 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion
 * 102a_Divisione_Motorizzata_Trento.png 102nd Motorised Division "Trento"
 * Generale di Divisione Luigi Nuvoloni
 * Three infantry battalions and one artillery regiment (stationed at the Sollum-Musaid-Capuzzo area)
 * Korps troops
 * Two regiments Italian artillery (stationed at Bardia)
 * One regiment FlaK (88 mm guns)