Operation Battleaxe
British Army offensive during the Second World War / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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.[lower-alpha 8] It was the first time during the war that a significant German force fought on the defensive. The British lost over half of their tanks on the first day and only one of three attacks succeeded.
Operation Battleaxe | |||||||
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Part of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War | |||||||
Soldiers of the 4th Indian Division decorate the side of their lorry "Khyber Pass to Hell-Fire Pass". | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Germany Italy | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Archibald Wavell Noel Beresford-Peirse |
Italo Gariboldi Erwin Rommel | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
25,000 men[1] 90 cruisers and c. 100 'I' tanks[2] 98 fighters[3] 105 bombers[3] |
8th Panzer Regiment began with c. 100 tanks, about 50 being gun tanks; 5th Panzer Regiment had 96 tanks (57 gun tanks).[2] 130 fighters[3] 84 bombers[lower-alpha 1] 102nd Motorized Division Trento[4] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
969 men[lower-alpha 2] 91[lower-alpha 3] 98 tanks[lower-alpha 4] 36 aircraft[lower-alpha 5] |
1,270 men[lower-alpha 6] 12 tanks[lower-alpha 7] 10 aircraft[2] |
The British achieved mixed results on the second day, being pushed back on their western flank and repulsing a big German counter-attack in the centre. On the third day, the British narrowly avoided disaster by withdrawing just ahead of a German encircling movement. The failure of Battleaxe 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.