Rommel's Afrika Korps Tobruk to El Alamein

by BATTISTELLI, PIER PAOLO

• ISBN13: 9781841769011
• ISBN10: 1841769010
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-10-31
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Summary

In 1940 a British offensive in the Western Desert provoked a major Italian military disaster. By early February 1941 the whole of Cyrenaica had been lost, and German help became necessary to avoid the loss of the entire of Libya. On 14 February 1941 the first echelons of German troops hurriedly arrived at the port of Tripoli, starting the 27-month German engagement in Northern Africa. This book covers the complex and oft-changing organisation and structure of German forces in North Africa from their first deployment through to the conclusion of the battle of El Alamein, an engagement that irrevocably changed the strategic situation in the Western Desert.

Author Biography

Pier Paolo Battistelli earned his PhD in military history at the University of Padua. A scholar of German and Italian politics and strategy throughout World War II, he is active in Italy and abroad writing titles and essays on military history subjects. A contributor to the Italian Army Historical Office, he is currently revising his PhD thesis for publication: The War of the Axis: German and Italian Military Partnership in World War Two, 1939-1943.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 4
Combat mission	p. 5
Preparation for war: doctrine and training	p. 7
Unit organization	p. 12
Tactics	p. 42
Ras el Mdauuar, 30 April-1 May 1941
Two days of battle - Sidi Rezegh, 22-23 November 1941
Belhamed, 1-2 December 1941
Intelligence and deception - Benghazi, 29 January 1942
Flachenmarsch at Gazala, 26 May 1942
El Mreir, 21-22 July 1942
Supply - 21.Panzer Division at Alam Halfa, 30 August 1942
Defeat- 15.Panzer Division at El Alamein, 2 November 1942
Weapons and equipment	p. 60
Infantry
Panzers
Anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons
Vehicles and other AFVs
Command, control, communications and intelligence (C3I)	p. 74
Command
Control
Communications
Intelligence
Unit status	p. 81
Lessons learned	p. 89
Bibliography	p. 91
Abbreviations and glossary	p. 93
Index	p. 95
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