The 4th Indian Division on 23 January 1942

The 4th Indian Division was under 13th Corps command. The 7th Indian Infantry Brigade was defending Benghazi. The division commander, General Tuker, had ordered the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade forward from Tobruk to relieve the 7th Indian Brigade, so it could move south in support of the 1st Armoured Division. General Ritchie seems delusional, at this late date, because he still expected to brush aside the German offensive and attack into Tripoli. Of course, Rommel's success brought him trouble from the Italian high command, as they were afraid of getting over extended and in a weakened state where the British could attack. Not only did General Cavallero arrive at Rommel's HQ, but also Field-Marshal Kesselring, making dire predictions that there would not be any supplies arriving in the near future. This is based on the account in Vol.III of the Official History.