Operation Crusader orders of battle
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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
Senior British commanders during Operation Crusader
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General Claude Auchinleck, theatre commander
Lt-General Alan Cunningham, commander Eight Army
Acting Lt-General Neil Ritchie, commander Eighth Army (seen in Europe in 1944)
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
- 7th Armoured Brigade
- 22nd Armoured Brigade
- 7th Support Group
- 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
- 1st South African Infantry Brigade
- 22nd Guards Brigade
XIII Corps
- Lieutenant-General Reade Godwin-Austen
- 2nd New Zealand Division (Major-General Bernard Freyberg VC)
- 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
- 5th Indian Infantry Brigade
- 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
- 14th Infantry Brigade
- Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade
- I Carpathian Rifle Battalion
- II Carpathian Rifle Battalion
- III Carpathian Rifle Battalion
- 11 Czechoslovak Infantry Battalion
- 2/13th Australian Infantry Battalion[a]
- Carpathian Machine Gun Battalion
- Carpathian Field Regiment
- 32nd Army Tank Brigade (Brigadier A.C. Willison)
- 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
- 3rd South African Infantry Brigade
German and Italian forces
Supreme Commander North Africa: General Ettore Bastico
Italian XX Army Corps
Italian XX Army Corps also known as Maneuver Army Corps (Corpo d'Armata di Manovra) commanded by Lieutenant-General Gastone Gambara
- Corps assets:
- Three batteries of truck-mounted 102 mm AA/AT guns[b]
- 132nd Armoured Division "Ariete" (General Mario Balotta)
- 8th Bersaglieri Regiment
- 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment
- I Tank Battalion L with L3/35 tankettes
- II Tank Battalion L with L3/35 tankettes
- (III Tank Battalion L with L3/35 tankettes — detached to the Maneuver Army Corps Reconnaissance Grouping)
- 132nd Tank Infantry Regiment
- VII Tank Battalion M13/40 with M13/40 tanks
- VIII Tank Battalion M13/40 with M13/40 tanks
- IX Tank Battalion M13/40 with M13/40 tanks
- 132nd Artillery Regiment
- I Group with 75/27 mod. 11 field guns
- II Group with 75/27 mod. 11 field guns
- III Group with 105/28 cannons
- II Anti-tank Battalion with 47/32 anti-tank guns (formed in September 1941 and disbanded in February 1942)
- III Tank Group "Nizza Cavalleria" with L6/40 tanks light tanks (Armoured reconnaissance, arrived in September 1941)
- CXXXII Mixed Engineer Battalion
- attached: 1× group from the 26th Artillery Regiment "Pavia", 17th Infantry Division "Pavia" with 75/27 mod. 11 field guns
- attached: 1× group from the 24th Corps Artillery Grouping, with 105/28 cannons
- 101st Motorised Division "Trieste"
- 9th Bersaglieri Regiment
- XXVIII Auto-transported Battalion
- XXX Auto-transported Battalion
- XXXII Support Weapons Battalion
- 65th Infantry Regiment "Trieste"
- 3× fusilier battalions
- 66th Infantry Regiment "Trieste"
- 3× fusilier battalions
- 21st Artillery Regiment "Trieste"
- I Group with 100/17 mod. 16 howitzers
- II Group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns
- III Group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns
- IX Group with 105/28 cannons (joined the regiment in June 1941)
- XXI Mixed Anti-aircraft Group (joined the regiment in June 1941)
- DVIII Support Weapons Battalion
- LII Mixed Engineer Battalion
- 9th Bersaglieri Regiment
- RECAM (Raggruppamento Esplorante del Corpo d'Armata di Manovra — Maneuver Army Corps Reconnaissance Grouping)
- III Tank Battalion L with L3/35 tankettes (from the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment, 132nd Armoured Division "Ariete")
- LII Tank Battalion M13/40 with M13/40 tanks
- Battalion "Romolo Gessi" (Italian African Police)[c]
- Battalion Group "Giovani Fascisti" (2× battalions)
- Raggruppamento Batterie Volanti ("Portees" - truck mounted - Artillery Group)[d]
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× battalions)
- 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× battalions)
- 104th Infantry Regiment (2× battalions)
- 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)
- 155th Infantry Regiment (3 bns)
- 3rd Battalion, 255th Infantry Regiment
- 3rd Battalion, 347th Infantry Regiment
- 361st Infantry Regiment (2× battalions)
- 900th Engineers Battalion
- 580th Recon Battalion
- Elements from the 300th "Oasis" Battalion
- 2nd Battalion, 115th Motor Artillery Regiment
- 2nd Fast Artillery Regiment "Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro" (Italian)
- I Group with 100/17 mod. 14 howitzers
- II Group with 100/17 mod. 14 howitzers
- III Group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns
- IV Group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns
- 55th Infantry Division "Savona" (General Fedele de Giorgis)
- 15th Infantry Regiment "Savona"
- 3× fusilier battalions
- 16th Infantry Regiment "Savona"
- 3× fusilier battalions
- 12th Artillery Regiment "Savona", in Capua[6]
- I Group with 100/17 mod. 14 howitzers
- II Group with 105/28 cannons
- IV Machine Gun Squadrons Group "Genova Cavalleria" (attached to the division)
- CLV Machine Gun Battalion
- LV Mixed Engineer Battalion
- Elements, from the 300th "Oasis" Battalion (German)
- 15th Infantry Regiment "Savona"
Italian XXI Army Corps
Italian XXI Army Corps commanded by Lieutenant-General Enea Navarini
- Corps assets:
- 3rd Fast Artillery Regiment "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta"
- I Group with 100/17 mod. 14 howitzers
- II Group with 100/17 mod. 14 howitzers
- III Group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns
- IV Group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns
- 8th Army Artillery Grouping[e]
- 16th Army Corps Artillery Grouping [f]
- 24th Army Corps Artillery Grouping[g]
- 340th Guardia alla Frontiera Artillery Grouping
- 4× groups with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns
- CCCXL Guardia alla Frontiera Engineer Battalion
- 3rd Fast Artillery Regiment "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta"
- 17th Infantry Division "Pavia"[7]
- 27th Infantry Regiment "Pavia"
- 3× fusilier battalions
- 28th Infantry Regiment "Pavia"
- 3× fusilier battalions
- 26th Artillery Regiment "Pavia" (reformed on 18 April 1941 in Ferrara, after the original regiment was destroyed in February 1941 during Operation Compass)
- III Group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns
- CCLXXXIII Group with 2x batteries of 75/27 mod. 06 field guns and 1x battery of 77/28 field guns (transferred from the Guardia alla Frontiera)
- CCLXXXIV Group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns (transferred from the Guardia alla Frontiera)
- V Tank Battalion L with L3/35 tankettes (attached to the division)
- LXIX Machine Gun Battalion
- II Group/ 24th Artillery Regiment "Piemonte" with 75/27 mod. 11 field guns (attached to the division)
- XLII Artillery Group with 105/28 cannons (group formed by the 6th Army Corps Artillery Regiment and attached to the division)
- XVII Mixed Engineer Battalion
- 27th Infantry Regiment "Pavia"
- 25th Infantry Division "Bologna"
- 39th Infantry Regiment "Bologna"
- 3× fusilier battalions
- 40th Infantry Regiment "Bologna"
- 3× fusilier battalions
- 205th Artillery Regiment "Bologna"
- I Group with 100/17 mod. 14 howitzers
- II Group with 100/17 mod. 14 howitzers (disbanded and personnel distributed among other artillery regiments in October 1941; reformed in May 1942)
- III Group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns
- IV Group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns
- IV Tank Battalion L with L3/33 and L3/35 tankettes (attached to the division)
- X Machine Gun Battalion
- XXV Mixed Engineer Battalion
- 39th Infantry Regiment "Bologna"
- CCCLVII Group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns (Guardia alla Frontiera artillery unit)
- 27th Infantry Division "Brescia"
- 19th Infantry Regiment "Brescia"
- 3× fusilier battalions
- 20th Infantry Regiment "Brescia"
- 3× fusilier battalions
- 1st Fast Artillery Regiment "Eugenio di Savoia" (replaced the division's 55th Artillery Regiment "Brescia", which was destroyed in February 1941 during Operation Compass)[8]
- I Group with 100/17 mod. 14 howitzers
- II Group with 100/17 mod. 14 howitzers
- III Group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns
- IV Group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns
- XXVII Machine Gun Battalion
- XXVII Mixed Engineer Battalion
- 19th Infantry Regiment "Brescia"
- 102nd Motorised Division "Trento"
- 7th Bersaglieri Regiment
- VIII Support Weapons Battalion
- X Auto-transported Battalion
- XI Auto-transported Battalion
- 61st Infantry Regiment "Trento"
- 3× fusilier battalions
- 62nd Infantry Regiment "Trento"
- 3× fusilier battalions
- 46th Artillery Regiment "Trento"
- I Group with 100/17 mod. 14 howitzers
- II Group with 100/17 mod. 14 howitzers; joined the regiment in spring 1941
- III Group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns
- IV Group with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns
- XLIII Anti-aircraft/Anti-tank Group with 75/50 (attached to the division from March 1941)
- LXI Machine Gun Battalion
- DLI Support Weapons Battalion
- LI Mixed Engineer Battalion
- 7th Bersaglieri Regiment
Notes
- the "2" prefix indicated the unit was part of Second Australian Imperial Force and separate from similar named militia unit in Australia
- Naval Blackshirts crews
- Two motorcycle and one armoured car companies
- Two battalions with Cannone da 65/17 modello 13, one battery with Obice da 100/17 and one battery with 20 mm Breda 35 light AA/AT
- One Cannone da 149/28, one 149L40 and one 152L37 groups
- Three Cannone da 105/28 groups
- Four Cannone da 149/35 A groups