Back to the desert

We now shift our focus back to events in the desert in May and June 1941. The German High Command General Paulus (often erroneously called "von Paulus") was sent to investigate the situation in the desert and to warn Rommel that there were "few resources" to send him. General Paulus eventually sanctioned Rommel's planned attack on Tobruk scheduled for 30 April 1941. General Garibaldi visited and agreed, as well. The German High Command had a mindset much like the British had prior to Rommel's arrival. They did not want to commit forces in the desert that were needed elsewhere, and did not want to take risks. If Tobruk should fall in the planned attack, Paulus wanted a defensive line established along the line of Sollum and the Siwa Oasis. This is based on the account in Vol.II of the Official History.