General Alan Cunningham

When General Alan Cunningham had recommended to General Auchinleck, in the face of Rommel's "Dash to the Wire", and with mounting tank casualties, the the 8th Army withdraw, he was relieved of his command. This was quite an abrupt move, but Auchinleck felt that the situation was not lost and would not allow a retreat. General Auchinleck seems to have problems with personnel decisions. Making General Cunningham his commander was based on the Cunningham's brilliant East African campaign, which had nothing to do with either armoured warfare or the desert. In any case, General Cunningham was sent home to England where he was made Commandant of Staff College Camberley. He served in that capacity from 1942 to 1943, when he was appointed as Commander in Chief Northern Ireland. He served in Northern Ireland until 1944, when he became General Officer Commander in Chief Eastern Command. After the war, he returned to the Middle East as High Commissioner and Commander in Chief Palestine. He oversaw the end of British occupation, when sparked the formation of the State of Israel and the war between the Arabs and the Israelis. General Cunningham retired from the service in 1948, when he was about 61 years old. He lived to a great age, as he only died in 1984 (he had been born in 1887).
Sources:

1. http://www.generals.dk/general/Cunningham/Sir_Alan_Gordon/Great_Britain.html
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Gordon_Cunningham

General Cunningham left the front on 24 November 1941

From the Official History, we know that General Cunningham took off under fire from visiting General Norrie and 30th Corps. As he flew east, he could see the Germans moving forward on the ground, and that they were in and around the frontier. To make matters worse, no one in a command position new what was happening on the ground. The RAF had to withdraw, due to the reduced security at the forward landing grounds. That meant that tactical reconnaissance suffered greatly. Air Vice-Marshal Coningham realized that the RAF would need to withdraw to landing grounds much farther east. That meant severe overcrowding at the receiving landing grounds. At one, there were 175 aircraft parked "wing-tip-to-wingtip", an inviting target. Fortunately for the RAF, the Germans were oblivious to what was happening. British fighter operations proceeded with great difficulty, but the day bombers were able to hit targets near Bir el Gubi, El Adem, and Acroma. This is based on the account in Vol.III of the Official History.

Rommel based his tactics on WWI infiltration tactics

Rommel had learned the practice of infiltration tactics on the Italian front in WWI. A Frenchman had the idea, but the Germans developed and perfected infiltration tactics. There is a Wikipedia page on the subject. What the Germans did from the late 1930's was to take the infanty infiltration concept and apply that to armoured forces. The example which first got everyone's attention was in the Ardennes, in May 1940. That was when Rommel, commanding the 7th Panzer Division, along with others, slipped through the Ardennes, rather than attacking the Maginot Line, and threw the Allies into a panic. This was the opposite of what General Montgomery liked. He like set piece battles where he could assault a position. The earliest instance of the British using these tactics was in the Western Desert, when General O'Connor beat a much larger Italian army by moving small forces through empty spaces to surprise the Italians. They also slipped into the Italian camps with tanks and infantry, catching them by surprise. Rommel had written a book on the subject called Infanterie greift. That was the book that Patton read.

"The Lone Sentry" has an interesting page on the 50mm PAK38

I was looking for more information about the 50mm PAK38 anti-tank gun. "The Lone Sentry" has a good page that includes information from an Intelligence Bulletin from February 1943. One piece of information that I had not realized, but which makes sense, is that hits on "the junction of the turret and hull" would fuse the metal and jam the turret.

The 50mm PAK38 was a potent anti-tank gun

The 50mm PAK38's that decimated C Squadron of the 3rd Royal Tanks on the tenth day of the Crusader battle were potent anti-tank guns, especially in late 1941. My copy of Anti-Tank Weapons, from the WW2 Fact Files, says that the 50mm PAK38, firing conventional AP shot could penetrate 61mm at 500 meters. C Squadron was "taken out" at almost point-blank range. In fact, my copy of Weapons of the Third Reich shows that at 30mm angles, the PAK38 could penetrate 73mm at point blank range and 67mm at 250 meters. This page has the armour thicknesses on the Stuart. The thickest armour on the Stuart was 51mm, so the 50mm PAK38 could easily penetrate the Stuart's armour at close range.

The Official History on the "Dash to the Wire"

Early on 24 November 1941, Rommel decided to take the mechanized units in the DAK to the frontier. He personally led the rapid advance, starting at 10am. The 21st Panzer Division, with 5th Panzer Regiment with Rommel, led the movement. They left the Sidi Rezegh area heading for the Trigh al Abd, with the intent to take that to the border area. They slipped past the 7th Armoured Division and hit the British rear elements, scattering them. Some of the 30th Corps HQ and staff were put in the bag. The Germans also gained stores and water supplies. The soft vehicles of the B Echelons were panicked and they headed East.

The 22nd Armoured Brigade and the 4th Armoured Brigade were in position, offering cover to the New Zealand Division. The 7th Support Group and remnants of the 7th Armoured Brigade were able to hit the Germans in their northern flank and cause some damage. The 1st South African Brigade had artillery that was able to hit the Germans, as well. The 5th Panzer Regiment was slowed by these attacks. Still, Rommel with the rest of the 21st Panzer Division were able to gain the frontier by 4pm. They had travelled 60 miles on the way, averaging about 10mph.

This is based on the account in Vol.III of the Official History.

Robert Crisp was still feeling the effects of almost being killed, along with his crew

Still on the tenth day of the Crusader Battle, Robert Crisp and his tank crew were going to be safe, and be able to withdraw. Robert was still feeling the effects of almost being killed by the German anti-tank guns. He was relieved that his gunner was not badly wounded, and shouted at him to calm down. Robert now wondered what had happened to the rest of C Squadron, as they were "chugging along casually through the deserted silence of the ravine". As they got to the top of the hill, he saw four burning Stuarts from his squadron and three immobilized. He could also see the German anti-tank gunners waiting for new prey. The Germans were herding the surviving tank crews who had been taken prisoner. Robert wondered if he might be able to charge the anti-tank guns, take them by surprise, and release the prisoners. Without a gunner to fire the Browning machine gun, that seemed unlikely to succeed. Robert was just as glad to decide to not make the attack. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

After running upon some 50mm PAK38's on the tenth day

On the tenth day of the Crusader Battle, Robert Crisp had run upon some German 50mm PAK38's. Initially, they had only put a hole in his water tins. He looked around and saw some knocked out Stuarts, with their crews taking cover behind the knocked out tanks. There were dead, among the crews, as well. There was another shot, which penetrated the turret of Robert's tank and wounded his gunner. He started firing his machine gun at the anti-tank gun crew. Robert's Stuart was hit twice more, with more water spilled. When the machine gun stopped firing, Robert told his driver to head over the edge of the escarpment. The tank hesitated and then moved, as his driver Whaley, gunned the engine. Robert realized that they had escaped and had descended the slope safely. They had shot by the German motorcyclists, just missing them. Robert shouted to Whaley to turn right into a ravine that offered a safe escape. The turret had been turned to the rear. As the radio operator offered aid to the wounded gunner, Robert told him to traverse the turret to the front. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Down the ravine

Robert Crisp's driver had just barely averted disaster, at the edge of a steep ravine. Robert looked down and was amazed at what he saw. Immediately below was an overturned German halftrack motorcycle, presumably a Kettenkrad, or perhaps a regular motorcycle and sidecar with a track instead of a wheel. There were three German soldiers with their arms raised in surrender. Further down the hill were a variety of vehicles, some upright and some on their side or top. Those still upright were racing away. As Robert watched "a great lorry went plunging down the escarpment out of control". Robert ordered his gunner to fire down the slope. Suddenly, there was a loud "bang" and Robert was suddenly "drenched from head to foot". He realized that the water on the back of the tank had taken a hit. He saw a gun flash, and got scared, because there were some 50mm PAK38's emplaced and aiming at him. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

The 3rd RTR attacks

The 4th and 22nd Armoured Brigades paused on the ridge. Robert Crisp reported to his Colonel that his C Squadron was ready to attack. The C.O. of the 3rd RTR told them that Alec Gatehouse sent a message "Go like hell and good luck". After the C.O. signed off, the Stuarts started to slowly move. Robert Crisp told his driver to increase speed and told his gunner to load the two guns. The rest of C Squadron could be seen to each side, as they raced down the incline to the Trigh Capuzzo. Only whent the tanks were halfway down the hill did the Germans notice them. The column scattered in the opposite direction from the attack. Robert's plan was to run past the vehicles, turn, and start shooting. Instead, the ground dropped away. The driver saw the danger about the same time and tried to stop. They succeed, just barely, stopping before going over the edge. Only the front sprocket wheels protruded over the drop. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

From the Official History: German tank strength on 24 November 1941

In footnotes on page 54 of Vol.III, the Official History lists the German tank strength on 24 November 1941:

5th Panzer Regiment:  45 tanks, consisting of 11 Pzkw II, 28 Pzkw III, and 6 Pzkw IV

8th Panzer Regiment:  61 tanks, consisting of 18 Pzkw II, 36 Pzkw III, and 7 Pzkw IV

The new men start off for their first action of the Crusader Battle

Still on the tenth day of the Crusader Battle, Robert Crisp instructed the new men in his squadron to follow his tank and in the initial run up to the ridge line, to stay turret down. They needed to maintain surprise before they attacked the transport. Robert had divided his 10 tank squadron into troops of three tanks. He appointed Harry Maegraith as commander of one of them. The 4th Armoured Brigade and 22nd Armoured Brigade tanks spread out along the ridge line, overlooking the Trigh Cappuzo. The 22nd Armoured Brigade, with their Crusaders, would hit the head of the column. The 4th Armoured Brigade would hit further back. The 4th Armoured Brigade, at this stage, may have just had the 3rd RTR and the 5th RTR. As they looked over the ridge, there was a very large column of transport, and there was a great amount of dust in the air, reducing visibility. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

After Alec Gatehouse's briefing on the tenth day of the Crusader Battle

Robert Crisp left Alec Gatehouse's briefing on the tenth day of the Crusader Battle with the impression that the Germans had suffered in their rush to the frontier. Robert wasn't ready to believe that the Germans were beaten yet. When he returned to C Squadron, Robert found that the new crews and tanks had arrived. One young man had just arrived in North Africa seven days before. Robert instructed the new officer to stay close to him in action and gave him a few basic survival tips. Robert must have done so, hoping that the young man would remember some of what he had told him. Robert started to talk to the new arrivals about movement in formation, when he was called to an urgent meeting with his CO. They were to move directly into combat, never even having driven together. The 4th Armoured Brigade was to head for the Trigh Capuzzo to support the 22nd Armoured Brigade in an attack on about 2,000 Axis transport. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Rommel and General Cruewell disagreed on the course of action

The Afrika Korps commander, General Crüwell, wanted to finish beating the British near Tobruk, following his victory at Sidi Rezegh. Rommel, disagreed, and wanted to go east, to relieve his troops on the frontier. General Crüwell saw the initial victory at Sidi Rezegh as just a first step in destroying the British armoured forces. He had, in fact, removed the 7th Armoured Brigade, and might well have done the same with the 4th and 22nd Armoured Brigades. By the morning of 24 November 1941, Rommel felt like the British were too weak to raise the seige of Tobruk, so he might head to the east, in good blitzkrieg fashion, and see if he could panic the British further. He had seen the British tendency to panic when confronted with rapidly moving armoured forces in April and June 1941. Now would be an opportunity to try the same gambit. From what we know now, it would have worked, but for Auchinleck. This is based on the account in Vol.III of the Official History.

Back to the Official History from the night of 23/24 November 1941

After General Cunningham had consulted with General Auchinleck, he changed his dispositions. 13th Corps would now have command of all infantry operating against the besiegers of Tobruk. He took control of "the 70th Division and all in trantry north of a line east and west through Sidi Azeiz. General Godwin-Austen's orders were to retake Sidi Rezegh and El Duda, regardless of the cost. 11th Indian Brigade would be brought forward to join 13th Corps, after having been guarding the supply line. The 5th Indian Brigade was also ordered forward to rejoin the division. 30th Corps was to regroup, but be ready to support Dan Pienaar's 1st SA Brigade and the New Zealand Division. After the hard fought battle on 23 November, Rommel ordered the DAK commander to take his force to the frontier to relieve the forces trapped there. They would have the Ariete Armoured Division and the Trieste Motorized Division in company. Group Böttcher was left to prevent the New Zealanders from breaking into Tobruk. Böttcher's group had "one battalion of 361st Infantry Regiment; two battalions of 155th Lorried Infantry Regiment; 900th Engineer Battalion; and elements of the Army artillery". This is based on the account in Vol.III of the Official history.

On the tenth day, Alec Gatehouse briefed the officers

On the tenth day, Alec Gatehouse turned to the maps and talked about the situation to the officers, including Robert Crisp, acting squadron commander. Robert wasn't much interested in what was happening back at the wire. No one there understood what Rommel was trying to accomplish. They all assumed that the critical battle would be fought south of Tobruk, where they were. The expectation was that a corridor would be opened to Tobruk, that would allow the New Zealand brigade to enter. They were at Belhamed, with Italians and Germans between them and Tobruk. They knew that Rommel and the two panzer divisions were headed back toward Tobruk. His intent was a large unknown. Did he intend to take back Sidi Rezegh, now occupied by British forces? The future movements of the 4th Armoured Brigade were yet to be determined. They might sit where they were, ready to engage enemy forces that passed near, or they might head west to Acroma, if Rommel proved to have been defeated. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Morning of the tenth day of the Crusader Battle

The 4th Armoured Brigade had stayed in place on the morning of the tenth day of the Crusader Battle. Robert Crisp had general forboding of what might happen next. He said "every action has an equal and opposite reaction". Alec Gatehouse had a conference for squadron commanders at 9am. Since Robert was acting as squadron commander, he was there. They met a Alec Gatehouse's tank. The status was that the 7th Armoured Brigade had been sent to the rear. The 22nd Armoured Brigade had brought up to a strength of 42 tanks, from salvaging and repairing tanks. 4th Armoured Brigade had grown to 77 tanks, so they were the strongest unit left in 30th Corps. The nasty truth was that they now had 119 tanks of the original 600 tanks left on strength. They found out that General Cunningham had been relieved of his command. He was replaced by General Neil Ritchie. None of them had ever heard of General Ritchie, a staff officer. They knew that they army had lacked a resolute commander, so they were willing to give General Ritchie a chance. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Cyril Joly arrived with the 12 Stuarts

Robert Crisp appointed his friend Harry Maegraith has temporary and unofficial second in command. When Cyril Joly and the twelve Stuarts arrived, he brought along a novelty to the 3rd RTR: a "Mess lorry". Not only that, the Mess lorry had a crate of beer. Amazingly, the crate had survived the start of the campaign and the "Dash to the Wire". In the afternoon of the ninth day, the 3rd RTR moved "to Bir Berraneb, the favourite leaguering and mustering area of the brigade". Cyril Joly told the soldiers of the B-Echelon adventure on the night before. They had not been able to join the brigade, that night. In the night, they had gone off on the wrong bearing. When the lead officer realized that they had missed their objective, they stopped where they were for the rest of the night. In the early light, they set off, headed east. They picked up an armoured car escort along the way. They thought that they must be friendly, until suddenly, they were stopped at gunpoint, and were "put in the bag". Robert Crisp doesn't tell us how they learned what had happened to the captured column. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

"C.O's Orders" on the ninth day

At 1:30pm, on the ninth day of the Crusader Battle, the officers were called to meet for "C.O's Orders". Robert Crisp went with his friend Harry Maegraith. They found out that the battalion medical officer had rejoined the 3rd RTR, after getting lost in the flap surrounding the "Dash to the Wire". Doc MacMillan had been with the battalion at Calais and Greece, so Robert was glad to have him back. Cyril Joly, at the time with the 3rd RTR B-Echelon, was bringing 12 new Stuarts to the battalion. Cyril Joly eventually wrote his own war book, a novel, called Take These Men (Echoes of War). The twelve new tanks would bring the battalion strength to 22 tanks. They would now be organized into a HQ with 3 Stuarts, an A Squadron with 9 Stuarts, with Robert Crisp in charge of C Squadron, with 10 Stuarts. Robert knew that this just a temporary measure, until more senior officers rejoined the battalion. Robert was just a captain at this time. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Early afternoon on the ninth day of the Crusader Battle

In the early afternoon on the ninth day of the Crusader Battle, after Robert and his companions had washed. Many of the troops decided to write home, while Robert lay on his back and relaxed. He had gotten his "valise and sleeping bag". He had to pick out the usual pieces of shrapnel, before he could use the sleeping bag. Robert's crew were discussing their lunch plans. They had boiled beef pudding, canned potatoes, "tinned pears", "condensed milk", and "hot tea". One of his crew obviously had a flare for cooking and a good deal of ingenuity. They crushed biscuits to make the dough for a "pastry". They added water and then wrapped the dough around the beef. They made a "desert oven" from sand and a tin, and placed the dish in the oven and baked. When the beef pastry was hot, they "ate it". they had an extremely enjoyable meal from simple ingredients. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Offering moral support to Dan Pienaar's brigade seemed a rather odd employment on the ninth day of the Crusader Battle

Robert Crisp and his companions were amazed at their orders to move up next to the 1st South African Brigade, commanded by Dan Pienaar. They were able to do more extensive maintenance to their Stuarts as they sat there. Everywhere, there were rising columns of smoke from burning gasoline, as the soldiers "brewed up" and cooked breakfast. They also took advantage of the sun to take off their 8-day old clothes and freshen up. They were also able to shave, although all they had was very mineral-laden water pumped out of the desert. Still, they were able to organize to wash clothes and men, to be ready for another long period of fighting. They spread their clothes to dry on the desert bushes. The tank drivers seldom got much rest. They always were up late checking the tracks and engines. They finally got a chance to clean up and remove oil and dust. They finished their washing by midday, and were ready for something new to do. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

By 23 November 1941 (from the Official History)

Late on 22 November 1941, General Cunningham had become greatly concerned about the tank losses that his forces had sustained. By early on 23 November, reports indicated that the British tank strength had been reduced to 44, while the German strength was about 120 tanks. General Cunningham decided that he needed to inform General Auchinleck of the situation. He spoke to General Auchinleck, later in the afternoon on 23 November. General Cunningham wondered if British forces should take a defensive posture, or if they should continue the offensive. He was concerned that they might totally expend the armoured forces, if the offensive continued. General Auchinleck instructed Cunningham to continue the offensive. He read Cunningham the sentence in the orders that said "You will therefore continue to attack the enemy relentlessly using all your resources even to the last tank" This is based on the account in Vol.III of the Official History.

A missed opportunity

Robert Crisp watched the Ariete Division refueling for five hours, while a desultry artillery fire fell. After the five hours, the division dispersed by groups of 8 or 10. They headed in a generally northeast direction. For some reason, the nearby 7th Armoured Division, the 1st South African Brigade, and the 4th Armoured Brigade took no offensive action. After the Ariete had left, Robert Crisp headed back to his HQ. Brigadier Gatehouse thanked Robert for the information. Robert took a rather dim view of the non-action, saying that Alec Gatehouse might have well just "hung it on the wall", when he sat while the Ariete refueled. After Robert had returned, the 3rd RTR heard from "one of the missing squadrons". They reported that had been operating with the 22nd Armoured Brigade. They thought that they would be able to rejoin the battalion "in a day or two". At the break of day on the ninth day of the battle, the 3rd RTR and the rest of the 4th Armoured Brigade were moved up to support Brigadier Pienaar's 1st SA Brigade. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Still early on the eighth day

While the time was still early on the morning of the eighth day of the Crusader Battle, the remnants of the 4th Armoured Brigade were sent to the aid of Brigadier Dan Pienaar's 1st South African Brigade, located at Taieb el Esem. As Robert Crisp, whose troop was in the lead, saw the enemy tanks, he saw that they were Italian M13/40's, for which he was grateful. They were from the Ariete Armoured Division. Robert was sent on a reconnaissance. He moved forward and saw that there were about 70 M13/40's facing in the direction of the 4th Armoured Brigade, which was totally hull down. Robert watched, and realized that the Italians were refueling. Robert called for artillery fire on the Italian position. Quite soon, Robert saw the artillery spotter's Stuart moving up. Sadly, there was not enough artillery available to do an adequate job. While the Ariete took some losses, they succeeded in refueling, while the truck with the fuel escaped any damage. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

A convoy in sight

After hearing his colonel tell the A squadron commander to leave him alone, Robert decided, with his companions, to approach a stationary convoy, sitting not too far in the distance. They could not tell the nationality of the troops, as there transport was a mix of captured vehicles. As they approached within 200 yards, the transport bolted, in full flight, into the desert. As soon as they saw the convoy bolted, Robert took off after them, starting to fire. Suddenly, they saw a head, wearing a black beret lean out and wave "a white handkerchief". Robert yelled to his companions to stop firing. He spoke with the officer, who was relieved that they were British. They returned to the 3rd RTR and Robert explained that he had not been able to communicate. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

The beginning of the eighth day of the Crusader Battle

The 3rd RTR moved out a "first light", as was the custom. There was a new confidence, because they knew that there were no German tanks nearby. If they saw any enemy tanks, they would be Italian M13/40s. They waited for the usual several hours until there was "full daylight". The troops in the field knew nothing about happenings at the Army HQ, and General Auchinleck's intervention in the battle. When they heard Auchinleck's exhortation to go "all out", they were only confused and concerned. Robert Crisp only had three tanks in his troop, at this point. He had great latitude about his activities, and was allowed to go off independently to "swan around". The battalion strength still stood at less than a dozen tanks. Robert was nominally under the A Squadron commander, a Major. A friction arose between the battalion commander and this major. On this morning, the major called Robert to check in. Robert realized that he was unable to transmit on his radio, so he could respond to the request. Robert heard the major complaining to the Colonel about him. The Colonel told the major not to be concerned, as Robert was very capable, and able to operate independently. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

"Midsummer's Night Dream"

Rommel called the "Dash to the Wire" "Unternehmen Sommernachstraum" (Midsummer's Night Dream"). There is a page on Geocities that talks about the Crusader Battle and this operation. Sadly, I could only access the page through the Google cache. This is rather problemmatic, as we don't know how long the cache will be good. I have saved the page, in case it goes away. There is a very good discussion of the Crusader Battle, and how events played out from the start until January 1942. The Germans passed by the Guards Brigade and supply dumps at Bir el Gubi. They also hoped to attack General Cunningham's HQ. That didn't happen, as General Auchinleck intervened.

The soldiers who were doing the fighting didn't notice the "Dash to the Wire" and didn't react

Robert Crisp and the other soldiers who were fighting near Tobruk didn't even notice the "Dash to the Wire". They certainly didn't react to Rommel's drive to the border area. General Cunningham panicked and was ready to pull back, but General Auchinleck would have none of it. Robert and his companions were glad to not be affected by Rommel's move. They assumed that Rommel had blundered and would pay for that mistake, in due course. They were correct in that belief. One factor which was a great relief to the British troops was that the RAF and SAAF had complete air superiority. There were brief German raids, but they were furtive and hurried. Robert Crisp says that the general opinion among the troops was that the two German panzer divisions had won the battle at Sidi Rezegh, and that if they had only held that area, they "could have fought the 8th Army to a standstill". Of course, they gave up the battlefield and lost the battle in the process. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots, with my commentary on that story.

Alan Moorehead's book about his early career and his experience as a war correspondent

Granta has a page describing Alan Moorehead's book, A Late Education, describing his early career and experience as a war correspondent. The book cover has a nice picture, showing the young Alan Moorhead. In 1941, he was 31 years old.

When Robert and his friends heard of Rommel's "Dash to the Wire", they though he "had gone clean off his bloody head"

Even though Rommel's "Dash to the Wire" panicked the senior staff, Robert Crisp's assessment was that "Rommel had gone clean off his bloody head". Robert and his companions chuckled over the thought of generals and staff officers being rattled by Rommel's move. The front line troops thought that the "top command was making a complete mess of things anyway". Their battalion commander told Robert and his fellows that the transport that they had attacked was the "supply echelon" for the force sent to the wire. Robert Crisp was friends with the famous war correspondent Alan Moorehead. Robert thought that Alan had aptly described the situation in his daily despatch to his paper. Robert had worked with Alan Moorehead at the Daily Express, before the war. They both knew two other "great correspondents Noel Monks and O'Dowd Gallagher". Alan Moorehead described the "mad" rush that lasted for nine hours, as the back area personnel ran from Rommel's forces. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Rommel's "Dash to the Wire"

Rommel tried his famous "Dash to the Wire", because he thought that the move would be the stroke that broke the British morale. The move certainly panicked the British support troops, which broke and ran. Claude Auchinleck, however, was not to be defeated by anything but a battle. Except for Auchinleck, the "Dash for the Wire" would have worked, as General Cunningham would have withdrawn from the battlefield. The Wikipedia piece on "Operation Crusader" summarizes the story.

The 3rd RTR reformed in the evening of the seventh day

As the dispersed Stuarts rejoined the 3rd RTR, the organized into troops and squadrons. Once the process was completed, they formed a column behind the battalion commander, for the trip to their leaguer area. As they were waiting, three Germans walked out of the dim light and surrendered to Robert Crisp. They had the long coat that seemed to be standard German issue in the desert. Robert motioned the Germans to climb on board his tank. They did so, and rode on the back of the Stuart. One German was kind enough to give his long coat to Robert. He guessed that they might be Italians, but when he tried to speak to them, the one told him he was Deutsch, with the Afrika Korps. As they drove, they could see many Very lights in the sky. They seemed to be in all directions, indicating the large number of German troops present. As they had settled down, after having some German chocolate, Robert was summoned for a talk with the Colonel. That was when they learned of Rommel's famous "dash to the wire". This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Looking for chocolate

After they sent the captive Germans back to HQ, Robert Crisp and his friend Harry planned to search the German tank for chocolate. For some reason, the Germans seemed to receive an ample chocolate ration that was very welcome to the less-well supplied British. The Colonel congratulated Harry by radio and then ordered the two tanks to fall back to the 3rd RTR HQ. The seventh day was drawing to close, and the 3rd RTR Stuarts were widely scattered. They were being talked back to the HQ by radio. They could see small groups of tanks driving in to rejoin the 3rd RTR. When attacking the German transport column, some of the Stuarts had driven 10 miles from the start of the attack. The curious thing was that the German column had been unprotected. Why would that have happened, when there was usually a very good protection system? Robert says that later that night, they found out the answer to their question. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Robert Crisp and Harry Maegraith encounder a Pzkw IV

Still on the seventh day of the Crusader Battle, Robert Crisp's friend Harry Maegraith called him to point out a German tank, roaming aimlessly about. They determined that the tank was a Pzkw IV, and they determined to knock it out. Harry's suggested plan was that Robert would race around in front of the tank, to get the crew's attention while Harry came up behind to take a shot at it. Robert would pop up, from a hull down position, take a shot, and then drop back down. He could see Harry moving up behind the Germans. Harry shot up close behind the Pzkw IV, only 20 yards away. A shell had just landed in front of Robert's Stuart. He saw Harry's 37mm gun fire, and then the hatch onthe Pzkw IV opened and a white cloth waved in surrender. Robert and Harry accepted the crew's surrender. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots.

"Enemy M.E.T. heading southeast"

After Robert Crisp and his companions arrived back at the 4th Armoured Brigade HQ, they rested for ten minutes, and then were sent off towards "a large column of enemy M.E.T. heading southeast". This was on the seventh day of the Crusader Battle. Robert Crisp says that the column was densely packed, and moved from north to south. The Stuarts positioned themselves hull down, with just enough turret showing to allow the tank commanders to observe the scene. The column was "about 2,000 yards" away. The column was a mix of vehicles carrying troops, supply trucks, and a few 88's being towed. Alec Gatehouse ordered the remnants of the three battalions to attack the column. This was to be a cavalry attack, and Robert says he felt like he was with the Earl of Cardigan at Balaclava. Robert had his friend Harry Maegraith next to him. They drove past an 88 and got behind it, with their machine guns firing. The column broke and ran, leaving several 88s behind. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

General Auchinleck was the only general, besides Bernard Law Montgomery, who could beat Rommel in the desert

I would not count Patton as having beat Rommel, as by the spring of 1943, the German position was extremely weak. The reality was, that even in the fall of 1941, the German position was almost as weak. While General O'Connor might well have been capable of successfully facing Rommel, he did not get the chance. He had been sidelined with health problems, and when he did appear, he was captured in early 1941. By November 1941, the British had built up a great force to be used at retaked Tobruk and push the Axis forces back. The only problem is that they did not have a commander in the field able to fight Rommel and the Germans. General Auchinleck as the theatre commander, and he did not want to devote his time to commanding the army. He had thought that he had a good man in Alan Cunningham, but he was exhausted and lacked experience with armoured forces, or even large armies. When Generals Norrie and Gott had frittered away the armoured brigades, Auchinleck's had was finally forced, as he was not going to allow the 8th Army to lose. He promptly defeated the Axis forces and Rommel in the field and eventually pushed them back to the vicinity of El Agheila. When Auchinleck pulled back to his theatre commmander role, Rommel promptly attacked from El Agheila and eventually reached the Egyptian border and beyond. The fall of Tobruk had brought Auchinleck back to the field, where he stopped Rommel in the First Alamein battle in July 1942. At that point, Churchill's political problems led him to sack Auchinleck and bring in a new theatre commander, Harold Alexander. The untimely death of General Gott allowed Bernard Law Montgomery to be appointed to command the 8th Army. Despite all of his problems, he would not lose the fight. He might fumble and regroup, but he ultimately decimated the Axis forces in the Second Alamein. He let the remnants escape, through his over-cautious pursuit. Montgomery did not like fluid battles. Everything had to be "set piece".

On the seventh day, Alec Gatehouse had complete confidence

Robert Crisp expected that Alec Gatehouse, the 4th Armoured Brigade commander, knew how roughly the British armoured forces had been handled by the Germans. Brigadier Gatehouse, however, was unflappable and had "complete confidence" in his ability to handle any situation. The 3rd RTR commander had attended a meeting of senior officers, and all he could tell the men, when he returned, was to put out "a protective screen aroundBrigade H.Q." They were told to watch for an attack from the north, as there was intelligence that the Germans had considerable forces in that direction. The 4th Armoured Brigade troops spent the majority of the seventh day of the Crusader Battle in their current position. Suddenly, "in midafternoon", they were ordered to support the 5th RTR attack enemy transport, about 4 miles away, which was moving to the southeast. They drove 5 miles, without any contact, when they were abruptly ordered back to the brigade HQ. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots.

The Wikipedia page on the Crusader Battle ("Operation Crusader")

Someone has spent a good bit of time writing about the Crusader Battle (they call it "Operation Crusader") on Wikipedia. I would say, in addition, that the British started the battle with a reasonable plan. The problem was, when Rommel didn't react to the initial movements, the inexperience British commanders didn't know what to do next. The old saw about plans not surviving the initial encounters holds here. The 7th Armoured Division commander, General Gott, seems to have assumed that the Germans were not a threat and proceeded to disperse his armoured force, even sending squadrons off, independently. The Germans knew better than to do such things, and kept the Afrika Korps relatively concentrated. They beat the British armoured forces in detail. It was only when General Auchinleck took charge and attacked the Germans with concentrated force, that the Axis forces were beaten. He didn't even really use armoured forces to do the job, either.

On the seventh day: the pattern of the battle

By the seventh day of the Crusader Battle, Robert Crisp says that a pattern was established for the rest of the battle. They would wake sometime before 4am, drive to their "battle positions", and have breakfast. The breakfast might be a biscuit with marmalade. After that, they would be on the move, with sudden sharp actions, until darkness fell. They would drive in a tight column to their leaguer. Officers would receive their orders for the next day, while their crews and tanks would be involved with "maintenance and replenishment". During the periodic "night marches", the soldiers would listen to the BBC or to the German radio station that played Lili Marlene for the Afrika Korps.

The 4th Armoured Brigade was slowly reconstituted. The battalions grew in strength as the scattered squadrons arrived. There had been this crazy dispersal of battalions, with their squadrons being sent off to operate independently. All that while the Germans concentrated their armoured forces to attack Sidi Rezegh. The 3rd RTR still only had the remains of the HQ and C Squadron. A and B Squadrons were off with other units. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots with my commentary.

Start of the seventh day of the Crusader Battle

By 6am on the 7th day of the Crusader Battle, the 3rd RTR Stuarts were in a dispersed formation, just outside the New Zealand brigade position. Robert Crisp's new crew were accustomed to having a hot breakfast, and had everything required to perpare one. They had "fried bacon laid on hard biscuit, followed by hot, strong tea". A 3-ton lorry came around with petrol to refuel the Stuarts at about 9am. They received orders, shortly after that, to drive to join the 4th Armoured Brigade HQ. The track consisted of two six mile legs, along two different compass bearings. Robert's assessment was that the staff were trying to reassemble the units that had been fragmented at Sidi Rezegh. The 3rd RTR still consisted of just six Stuarts, as they were missing A and B Squadrons. They eventually met Alec Gatehouse, their brigadier, at Bir el Haleizen. This was about noontime. After that, they were constantly on the move, never knowing their position. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots.

Pull back and the end of the sixth day

Towards the end of the sixth day of the Crusader Battle, Robert Crisp and his companions were ordered to pull back, abandoning the South Africans. Robert was concerned about the South Africans' exposed position, and hoped they would be supported. They rejoined the 3rd RTR commander, a Colonel, and found that General Gott was there, in his Crusader. The 3rd Royal Tanks were ordered to join the New Zealanders, who were now in the desert. The 3rd RTR had a good impression of the New Zealanders from the Greek campaign, so they were glad that the New Zealanders had joined the fight. The remnants of the 3rd RTR drove in a column through the night until they approached the New Zealand position. Everyone was on edge, until they had safely entered the position without incident. Robert's new tank crew was from the HQ squadron, so they were used to being able to brew a cup of tea, and could do it without showing any light. They settled down for rest. Robert later found out that the German 33rd Artillerie Regiment diary told of his capture of a battery and their subsequent escape. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots.

Out of ammunition, still on the sixth day

While the remnants of the 3rd RTR were fighting with the South Africans, they could see the crossing Germans taking casualties and losses. Occasionally, a soft vehicle would be hit, and the passengers would bail out, as the vehicle would burn. Once, Robert could see a Pzkw III explode. The turret was popped off with the force of the explosion. Suddenly, Robert's pantleg was pulled, and he heard that they were out of ammunition. Very quickly, the entire group of Stuarts was in the same situation. They were ordered to stay in position, with the guns. They sat for ten minutes, while the battle passed them. The 3rd RTR commander then ordered them to pull back to where he was, 100 yards behind the line. They were ordered to slowly reverse, and not make any sudden motions, so as to not demoralize the troops who were holding the position. Despite the gradual movement, the infantry was still dismayed at their departure. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Still on the sixth day: ready to be attacked

Still later on the sixth day of the Crusader Battle, Robert Crisp was back in a Stuart. The Germans seemed to be preparing to attack the South African Brigade, where the remnants of the 3rd RTR had sought shelter. The battalion commander had the few remaining Stuarts take position, facing out, positioned between 2pdr antitank guns. The antitank guns were still on their portees, firing over the back end. They were facing south, towards the impending attack. A gunner explained to Robert that they had been constantly on the move, during the day, and that they kept their guns on the portees, as the ground was too hard to dig in, anyway. They could see a German combined arms force approaching, with about 20 tanks in the lead. They realized that the Germans would cross some distance away, headed northwest towards Sidi Rezegh. They started firing, as the range closed, and they took fire. The 2pdr to the right was hit on the shield, which broke apart, and the gunner at the sight was brutally killed by the pieces. They removed his remains and commenced firing, again. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

The exposure of the 4th South African Brigade was a shame and a disgrace

I put the blame for the exposure of the 5th South African Brigade on General Gott, the 7th Armoured Division commander, and probably on General Norrie, the 30th Corps commander. The South African Military History site has a page about this episode and the sad result. The situation arose because neither General Gott nor General Norrie understood what was happening on the ground. Both proceeded as if nothing were wrong, when they had already come close to losing the battle, by dispersing their forces and allowing the concentrated Afrika Korps to decimate them in turn.

Robert rejoined his unit, still on the sixth day

Later on the sixth day, Robert rejoined his unit, the 3rd RTR, or its remains. In the South African leaguer, he saw Stuarts and then found his Colonel. He found that A and B Squadrons were out of touch. Robert was told that both the other 4th Armoured Brigade battalions, the 5th RTR and 8th Hussars, were in similar straits. They believed that there were strong enemy forces to the south and southwest. They had been ordered to stay with the South Africans and to support them against attack. General Gott, 7th Armoured Division commander, seems to have started to understand how desperate and perilous the situation was. Robert told his battalion commander how he had lost his tank. He told him that he would like to go and recover the tank he had just abandoned. He Colonel told him to use one of his HQ troop tanks. While they were eating and brewing up, Robert heard that the armoured cars had seen the enemy approaching. The Stuarts were distributed "between the antitank guns". There orders were to fight the enemy to keep them out of the leaguer. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

After running out of petrol on the sixth day

After Robert Crisp's Stuart ran out of petrol in a dicey situation, he and his crew, along with the recently freed British prisoners started to frantically wave at the second Stuart. That second Stuart was starting to withdraw, not realizing that they were in trouble. The other tank commander finally realized that they needed help, and headed towards them. When that tank arrived, they discovered that they were without a tow rope. They finally had to jump on board the other tank, from the 5th RTR, and tney took off, headed away from danger. They had left their erstwhile German prisoners, who suddenly were prisoners no more. They were approaching friendly lines, and while the tank commander looked back, they were in danger of charging into those lines. The tank commander realized the problem and had his driver abruptly stop. Robert and his companions didn't stop, however, and landed on the ground, in front of some "puzzled antitank gunners". This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

The survival of the Stuart as a battle tank up to July 1942 is amazing

Given the 37mm gun, the survival of the Stuart as a battle tank up to the fighting in early July 1942 is amazing. The 37mm gun at least had capped shot, so it had a chance of penetrating German face-hardened armour at close range. As we responded to the question about the British armoured brigades in early July 1942, the lists of tanks that included show that the Stuart was still a factor. That is probably due, in part, to the losses that had been incurred in the fighting since May 1942 and the continued supply of Stuarts sent to the Middle East. They still were superior in mechanical reliability and mobility to any other tank to date. They were finally eclipsed by the arrival of Shermans and relegated to the reconnaissance role for which they were intended.

Back to Brazen Chariots: Robert Crisp gets a German field gun

Robert Crisp ordered his gunner to fire at the nearest German field gun. That gun was being repositioned and the barrel lowered to fire at his tank. As Robert said: "The Jerries never had a chance". Before they had actually got the gun trained at his tank, the gun was fired by someone in a panicked state. The shot missed, over their heads. Robert's gunner took about three seconds to get a bead on the target and fired. He could almost immediately see the red hot metal on the gun, where the 37mm shot had hit. Two men were left for dead, while the other raised one arm in surrender and hobbled off. A second Stuart arrived and that caused all the remaining Germans to surrender. A couple of British prisoners, apparently tankers, jumped from a truck and ran towards them. He contemplated abandoning the prisoners when German tanks appeared and he put the prisoners between him and the tanks. Robert's tank suddenly ran out of fuel. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

The Armoured Brigades on 26 June 1942

Perhaps by looking at the composition of the 4th Armoured Brigade and 22nd Armoured Brigade on 26 June 1942, we can see close to what they a week later. This is what Note 1, from page 289 of Vol.III of the Official History says:

4th Armoured Brigade, Brigadier Fisher
1st RTR
6th RTR
8th RTR
one squadron, 9th Lancers

22nd Armoured Brigade
3rd County of London Yeomanry
4th Country of London Yeoman

There was also the 2nd Armoured Brigade, which was re-equipping
and was not in the field. In the event, the Queens Bays joined
the 22nd Armoured Brigade on 28 June, instead.

The 4th Armoured Brigade and 22nd Armoured Brigade on 3 July 1942

I was looking to see if I could name the regiments in the two armoured brigades, the 4th and 22nd, in early July 1942, but the best I can do is to list their tank strength. The 4th Armoured Brigade had 18 Grants, 33 Stuarts, and 12 Valentines. The 22nd Armoured Brigade had 20 Grants, 28 Sutarts, and 8 miscellaneous cruiser tanks. These must have been the remnants of various marks of Crusaders, A13 Cruiser Mk.IVA, and whatever was left from the A10 Cruiser Mk.IIAs (presumably). This is drawn from Note 1 on page 343 of Vol.III of the Official History.

Forces involved at Ruweisat Ridge, starting 14 July 1942

Pardon the jump in time, but I had received a question about the forces involved in the fight in July 1942 near Ruweisat Ridge. General Auchinleck was in command, and he wanted "to break through the enemy's centre and destroy his forces esat of the track El Alamein--Abu Dweis and north of the Ruweisat Ridge". 13th Corps and 30th Corps would be involved. The west end of the ridge would be taken by 13th Corps while 30th Corps would take the east end. They had artillery, but initially, the assault would be done without artillery fire, apparently to achieve surprise. 30th Corps had the 5th Indian Brigade, from the 5th Indian Division. 13th Corps had the 5th NZ Brigade "on the right" and the 4th NZ Brigade "on the left". General Gott decided that they should arrive at their objectives at 4:30am on 15 July. The 1st Armoured Division was to the left of the NZ Division. The division had 2nd and 22nd Armoured Brigades. In addition, "Wall Group" would support 30th Corps. The units involved were:

Wall Group, Brigadier Waller

3rd Regiment, RHA
2 batteries of the 104th Regiment RHA
one battery 11th HAC Regiment RHA
11th Field Regiment RA (less one battery)
Composite Guards Battalion 
  (from 3rd Coldstream Guards and 2nd Scots Guards)
1/4 Essex Regiment
9th Rifle Brigade
detachments of the 1st Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
   and 1st The Buffs

2nd Armoured Brigade
6th RTR with one squadron from the 10th Hussars
3rd/5th composite RTR
9th Lancers with one squadron of the 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
(46 Grants, 11 Stuarts, and 59 Crusaders)

22nd Armoured Brigade
3rd County of London Yeomanry
the Royal Scots Greys (only arrived in the afternoon)
(31 Grants, 21 Stuarts, and 23 Crusaders)

This is drawn from pages 347 to 349, including notes, from Volume III of The Mediterranean and Middle East (September 1941 to September 1942) "British Fortunes reach their Lowest Ebb" (1960).

Robert Crisp decides to attack on the "Sixth Day"

On the sixth day of the Crusader Battle, Robert Crisp had seen German field guns firing on some unseen target. He resolved to attack them, especially after seeing that the guns seemed unprotected. Robert looked around and saw a Stuart. He went over to the tank and found a lieutenant from the 5th RTR. He told him to follow him in the attack. Robert remembered that he was low on fuel, but decided to go forward with the attack. The circled around and came up behind the German field guns. The advanced at 30mph and waited to see if the Germans saw him. Only at 150 yards was he noticed. The Germans panicked and Robert had his driver stop at 50 yards and told the gunner to open up with the Browning MG. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

A break in the action on the sixth day

Robert Crisp, after capturing the German armoured car, was going to line up with the other Stuarts on the edge of the B-Echelon leaguer, when his tank came to an abrupt halt. They were out of fuel. He told his crew to "dismount" and he went to ask the South Africans if they had any petrol. The South Africans were short of fuel, as well, but gave Robert a "four-gallon tin". The petrol was not the high-octane stuff that the Stuart really needed, but he took it back to the tank. He was amazed to see his new driver. The driver was in a panic, having been in action "for the first time". He was running in circles. Robert came up and gave him a kick, and this seemed to calm him. Robert told the driver to take the tin and pour it into their tank. As they were looking into the distance, they saw three vehicles drive up and stop "two miles away". They saw "a troop of German field guns going into action". Robert and his companions saw that the Germans were firing "towards the Sidi Rezegh escarpment", which was to the north. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots.

Robert Crisp's gunner gets a Pzkw III

On the sixth day of the Crusader Battle, Robert Crisp had commandeered a 4th Armoured Brigade HQ signals tank, and headed the tank off towards a roaming Pzkw III that had blundered into the 5th South African Brigade "B" Echelon. The driver apparently knew how to drive, as they were headed in the right direction and he heard the gunner load the gun. The gunner was able to fire, although he took three shots to get a hit, but the hit. He saw the "tracer go into the engine louvers", which caused a fire and the German crew to bail out. They wanted to surrender to Robert, but he motioned them towards some nearby South Africans. He reached the rest of the battalion on the south side of the leaguer. He immediately got involved in a fight with some crossing German tanks and vehicles. He saw three German armoured cars nearby and headed for them. He cornered one which surrendered. A South African Marmon-Herrington armoured car approached and they escorted the German into the leaguer. Robert was afraid that someone would fire on them, but they were able to enter the leaguer without incident. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

A flap (on the sixth day of the Crusader Battle)

On the sixth day, as the small group of 3rd RTR drove across the desert, they ran into a large mass of transport that was in a panic. Robert Crisp, still riding in his adjutant's Stuart, realized that they were South Africans. The transport was "rushing" to the "north and east". The adjutant warned Robert to jump off, as they were going to fight German tanks. He did so and found he was in the "5th Brigade 'B' Echelon". He looked and saw Panzer III's and II's and saw why they were in a panic. While the South Africans went into their slit trenches, Robert headed "for the nearest Honey" (Stuart). He jumped on a tank that proved to be from the 4th Armoured Brigade HQ. The tank proved to be the signals tank, which had never fired a shot. Robert ordered the enlisted tank commander out and took over from him. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Victoria Cross winners at the Battle of Sidi Rezegh

Ian Paterson, on his 7th Armoured Division site, has a page devoted to the three "Victoria Cross winners" at the Battle of Sidi Rezegh. The winners were:

1. Brigadier John Charles ("Jock") Campbell, Support Group commander
2. 2nd Lt George Gunn (posthumous), 3rd RHA
3. Rifleman John Beeley (posthumous), 1st KRRC

Lt Gunn fought an anti-tank gun from a portee until he was shot dead. Rifleman Beeley single handedly attacked a German anti-tank gun while he carried a Bren gun. He killed or wounded the entire German gun crew, and this allowed his platoon to advance.

The sixth day of the Crusader Battle: "Totensonntag"

The Deutsche Afrika Korps called Sunday, the sixth day of the Crusader Battle, Totensonntag, after the day "in the German church calendar". The day was fated to be a "bad day" for South African troops. During the night, more Stuarts arrived so that by morning, the 3rd RTR had seven tanks. The battalion remnants was sent off on a compass heading to nowhere. As day broke, they could see columns of smoke in the distance. Robert Crisp was riding on the battalion adjutant's tank, wishing he had his own tank. He didn't want to be a spectator to the Battle of Sidi Rezegh, which he didn't expect to last long. The came upon a densely packed unit which proved to be "the H.Q. area of the 5th South African Brigade". Robert jumped down and immediately saw some of his fellow South African crickateer friends. He had a chance for a quick shave and then his adjutant called to him that ehy needed to roll. They were to keep on the compass heading, to join up with the 4th Armoured Brigade HQ. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Robert Crisp on the fight at Sidi Rezegh

Robert Crisp had long wondered about why the Germans had not rolled over the Sidi Rezegh airfield and kept on going. There was nothing in their way but knocked out British tanks. Eventually, Robert was able to read the German war diaries, where he found the answer: they had run out of fuel and ammunition. In Britain, on the morning of the sixth day, newpapers blared Australian General Blamey's comment that "Britain has won the tank battle in Libya". Too bad it was not true. Robert Crisp remembered that wild day. He only felt fear twice: once when he saw the line of German tanks approaching and the second was when he looked back, and did not see the rest of his battalion. Finally, he was annoyed as the mismanagement of the battle that left that small band on the airfield without the support that should have been there. The night between the fifth and sixth days of the Crusader Battle, Robert slept "alongside the adjutant's tank". He felt lucky to still be alive. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

"Withdrawal from the gun positions on the edge of the airfield"

After the end of the war, Robert Crisp read the account in the Royal Artillery Commemoration Book, written by Brigadier Hely about "Withdrawal from the gun positions on the edge of the airfield". The Germans had advanced across the airfield, and the German infantry were almost onto the guns. The Brigadier said that suddenly, British "light tanks" (Stuarts) came hurtling into the fight, firing their guns, and this allowed the gunners to hook their gun tractors to the guns and tow them out of the battle. Robert says that the Rifle Brigade account made it seem as if a whole regiment was in the fight with Jock Campbell, when it was just a few tanks, at most a troop. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Late on the fifth day of the Crusader Battle

Alec Gatehouse was ready to go and recover his HQ from the Germans. At this point, Robert Crisp was glad to be able to not participate. Brigadier Gatehouse was determined, however, and assembled "about a dozen Honeys" and went looking for the HQ. Robert Crisp says that the small "armoured phalanx" "had a wild Guys Fawkes encounter with an enemy column". They were not able to recover the 4th Armoured Brigade HQ. By this time, night had fallen in the desert. There was little light, but he could see men walking through the machine gun fire. He saw the Medical Officer with "Cape coloreds". He realized that they were a South African brigade. The remnants of the 3rd RTR camped in the night. He wondered what had happened to his friend, Tom Eynon. Later in the war, in Normandy, Robert had written an account of the fifth day and the fight at Sidi Rezegh for a British newspaper. In response, he received a letter from Tom. Robert was relieved to hear that he was alive. When he met Tom at Ipswich station, he found Tom walking on crutches with only one leg. He had lost his leg at Sidi Rezegh when his tank had been hit while following Robert and Brigadier Jock Campbell. Tom's driver had been killed, and when he went around to inspect, the tank rolled forward over his leg and then moved off with his "crew hanging onto the side". The Germans had rescued him and taken him to a hospital. He was exchanged by the Germans about three years later. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

A page from the 4th Armoured Brigade history

A page from The History of the 4th Armoured Brigade, Chapter Two, includes a narrative of the Battle of Sidi Rezegh, and the brigades involvement there.

Generals Gott and Norrie frittered away their tank strength

Reading Robert Crisp's account of the first five days of the Crusader Battle, I was struck by how easily Generals Gott and Norrie frittered away their tank strength. General Gott, the 7th Armoured Division commander seemed to ignore basic teachings about warfighting, and sent his tank brigades off to fight unsupported. Even worse, the brigades were apparently broken up into the battalions, at least based on the story in Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots, about the experience of the 3rd RTR. Generals Gott and Norrie almost lost the battle by the end of the fifth day, in fighting around the Sidi Rezegh airfield. That battle wrote off the 7th Armoured Brigade and caused it to be withdrawn from the Western Desert. Only by aggressively recovering and repairing tanks, as well as by supplying spare tanks were the 22nd Armoured Brigade and 4th Armoured Brigade able to continue the battle.

Robert Crisp's tank is knocked out

Robert Crisp finally got in contact with his battalion CO. He told him about the 70 German tanks and that the battalion should line up on the eastern side of Sidi Rezegh airfield, facing the German tanks. When some tanks arrived, two immediately fell into the "anti-tank ditch". The battalion CO eventually told the battalion to gather on the escarpment. Robert's tank started taking fire, and then he could tell that something was wrong. His tank was on fire. He and his crew bailed out, taking what they gather up off the hot metal. Suddenly, he saw his friend Harry Maegraith. He and his crew were also climbing up the escarpment. Harry told Robert how the battalion had encountered the 5th RTR, and in all they dust, no one could see. They finally circled. Robert and Harry finally saw a few Stuarts ("Honeys") drive up. It was their battalion CO. As they were talking, Alec Gatehouse drove up in his Stuart. He told them that his brigade HQ (the 4th Armoured Brigade) had been overrun by Germans. As there were only four Stuarts in the 3rd RTR, he went looking for the 5th RTR. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Robert Crisp's fight, alone with his crew, at Sidi Rezegh

Robert Crisp and his crew were left on their own to fight a large number of German tanks. His gunner was able to knock out a Pzkw III, whose crew bailed out. The capped 37mm shot could penetrate, but did not do that much damage. Robert's gunner and loader were doing good work. His driver was left to be scared at the odds, and was leaning as far as he could from the open vision slit. The tank would rock at hits by shots that did not penetrate and from the 37mm firing. Robert called on the radio to his battalion CO: "Hullo JAGO, JAGO one calling". The call was not acknowledged, so perhaps no one heard. After a bit, when he could see the 25pdr shells falling, he told his gunner to stop and told his driver to "go like hell". This fight occurred on 22 November 1941. They zig-zagged across the field at high speed, until they were free. They slowed as they got across the field and then stopped so Robert could decide what to do next. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Charging towards the Sidi Rezegh airfield with Jock Campbell

Robert Crisp and his companions followed Brigadier Jock Campbell in a wild charge towards the Sidi Rezegh airfield. Robert wasw able to speak briefly with his battalion CO and told him that there were friendly forces on the east side of the airfield and that he would be too late to help, if he arrived in 15 minutes instead of 10. Robert thought that they were somewhere near Point 176 on the map. They raced past infantry men and gunners, who waved encouragingly at them. The followed the touring car driven by the blonde driver with the brigadier (Jock Campbell) holding the blue and white flag (blue stripe on top and white on the bottom). They past burning Crusader tanks, along with a few knocked out German tanks. Artillery fire started to rain down on the rapidly moving Stuarts. Robert thought it miraculous that the touring car escaped a hit. The car stopped at the western side of Sidi Rezegh airfield, and Robert told his driver to halt. Brigadier Campbell motioned to follow. Robert gasped at the 60 to 70 German tanks ahead. They could see the gunfire from the tanks. Robert told his gunner to pick a tanka and start firing until he knocked it out. He saw his buddy Tom's Stuart swerve wildly and then lost sight of it. There was no sign of his brigade and his "spirits dropped" when he realized that he was alone in a field of knocked out tanks. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Saturday morning at Sidi Rezegh: the 5th Day of the Crusader Battle

Robert Crisp, the 3rd RTR, and the remainder of the 4th Armoured Brigade were headed for Sidi Rezegh airfield. The airfield was occupied by the remnants of the 7th Armoured Brigade and the Support Group. The two German armoured divisions, the 15th and the 21st Panzer Divisions, were attacking from the southeast, intent on destroying British forces. Due to the rising smoke columns marking the battle, Robert Crisp altered course towards the smoke, so that he was pointed correctly. They could see burning Crusader tanks and men digging slit trenches and widely scattered motor transport. Robert was able to get his battalion CO and he was told to treat anything he saw on airfield as an enemy. Apparently, the Germans had retaken the airfield and destroyed the defenders. Bob and his companions apparently saw British prisoners being held, as well. Bob wrote "On the other side of the depression the opposite escarpment was full of men, less active than those below". As Bob and his companions decided what to do, a touring car with a tall, lean brigadier pulled up. The brigadier asked him if he was in charge and what his unit was. Bob told him "Third R.T.R., 4th Armoured Brigade". The brigadier responded that there was a German tank moving in from the west and that he was needed to fight the tank. Bob tried to tell him to wait for the whole brigade, but the brigadier, the legendary Jock Campbell, told Bob there was not time to wait, and they needed to move now. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

The fifth day of the Crusader Battle for Robert Crisp

The first half of the fifth day of the Crusader Battle saw the Stuarts off on three "wild-goose chases". There was never even any time for brewing tea. By 1:30pm, the entire 3rd RTR, with C Squadron in the lead, was to head off "on a bearing of 283 degrees". The Battalion CO told them that other British tanks were under attack, and needed their support. The battalion was short of men and tanks, so the organization was rather ad hoc. Another officer was acting as Robert's troop sergeant. Instead of another wild-goose chase, the bearing lead them towards an ongoing battle. They could see columns of smoke, and tanks moving. They were the remnants of the 4th Armoured Brigade. With the 3rd RTR, they now numbered about 100 tanks, the largest armoured force left in 30th Corps. They found that they were headed for the battle at Sidi Rezegh. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots.

Generals Norrie and Gott didn't understand how bad their situation was, perhaps four days into the Crusader Battle

By about four days into the Crusader Battle, General Gott, the 7th Armoured Division commander, and General Norrie, the 30th Corps commander did not understand the dire straits they had reached. They still thought that 7th Armoured Brigade and 22nd Armoured Brigade had more strength left than they actually had. General Cunningham, 8th Army commander, had much better information than the others, and he was extremely nervous, with good reason. Gott and Norrie were still issuing orders as if they had more force left than they did, so that put them in a very bad position in the battle around Sidi Rezegh airfield was fought. That caused some very unnecessary infantry losses, as South African and New Zealand infantry brigades were left exposed to German attack. They did not have much chance against the concentrated panzer divisions, in a classic German sword-shield-battle. They used tanks to attack infantry and anti-tank guns to fight British tanks. Robert Crisp would be eventually severely wounded, in one case, by 50mm PAK38s.

From late on the fourth day of the Crusader Battle

As darkness was about to fall, the 3rd RTR had received word that they should be prepared to mount an attack on a column of enemy transport that "moving to the northwest". The order to attack never came, night fell, and they went back to their camp. But Rommel had changed his agenda. Now, he was sending the two armoured divisions against the British to destroy them. He had decided to take the Sidi Rezegh airfield, south of Tobruk. In the night, before the fifth day dawned, all the troop commanders were pulled together, out of a sleep, to meet with their commanding officer. The plan for the morning was that they would attack an enemy camp. They would be supported by a Royal Horse Artillery troop. They moved out at 4am, but the Quad gun tractors of the RHA were bogged in a swamp created from the last rain. That meant that by the time they reached the enemy encampment, there was nothing there but signs of vehicles. They attacked a group of vehicles, but they proved to be abandoned. This had happened in the early morning light, when visibility was poor. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Light on the fourth day of the Crusader Battle

As the sky got light, Robert Crisp and his compatriots could see a rapidly moving column of transport. They must have been German, as they suddenly turned to the west. A battle erupted on the right. Robert Crisp was in C Squadron, 3rd RTR, and by mid-morning, they were moved to support A and B Squadrons. Robert heard that the second-in-command of B Squadron had been killed. Robert later found that his tank had been hit from behind by friendly fire. They found that they could always fight Italian M13/40s, German Pzkw IIs and armoured cars with Stuarts. They learned that they would have trouble with Pzkw IIIs and Pzkw IVs in a straight-on fight. They had to be beat "by subterfuge". Robert learned that the Stuart could take 20mm shot hits from Pzkw IIs with impunity. He also realized that the German tankers "were some very windy soldiers". This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

The night, after the BBC announcement

Once the Germans had heard the BBC announcement about the Crusader offensive, they totally changed their posture at night. The British continued to sit quietly at night, hoping to avoid attention. The Germans lit up the skies so that they could seen any approaching British forces. This, at least, allowed the British to know where the Germans were, which was a positive development. Robert Crisp got his troop up before dawn, as they were to reconnoiter north, ahead of the battalion (the 3rd RTR). Robert's breakfast consisted of a hard biscuit with marmalade, while his men ate breakfast inside their tank. Everyone was on edge, at the start of the fourth day of the Crusader offensive. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Robert Crisp says that the BBC gave away vital military secrets to the Germans

About 9pm on the third day, the British troops in the desert heard the BBC announce "The Eighth Army with about 75,000 men excellently armed and equipped, has started a general offensive in the Western Desert with the aim of destroying the German-Italian forces in Africa". Robert Crisp says that the Germans also heard the broadcast. Until then, he says, they had not known that there was a "reconnaissance-in-force". Rommel now knew that this was the feared offensive that he could not believe could be mounted. Rommel had his forces essentially sit for two days while he tried to gather intelligence on what the British were doing. The worst aspect of British operations in the first three days is that they had dispersed their armoured formations into the separated brigades that were inferior to the concetrated German armour, with its supporting anti-tank artillery, mobile field and medium artillery, and motorized infantry. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

The third days proves to be very confused and problematic

The 3rd RTR, at daylight on the third day of the Crusader Battle was being shelled from somewhere unknown. The battalion was forced to disperse without the opportunity for brewing tea. They heard a report of tanks attacking their right flank, so they took position, hull down, to fight. A half hour later, they got a report of tanks on the left flank. Neither attack materialized. The battalion sat in place for two hours, and could see vehicles refueling in the distance. No one could tell if they were British or German. At noon, they received word that an enemy combined arms force was being organized to the north. They were told that the RAF would bomb this force. From their position, the men of the 3rd RTR could not see that any bombing was happening. Suddenly, there was a real attack, hitting B Squadron first. They reported 100 German tanks attacking. B Squadron, along with some soft vehicles came rushing into A Squadron. They wanted to keep on going, and A Squadron commander threatened to shoot those who did not turn and fight. Robert Crisp saw the enemy, and thought that there were 40 to 60 tanks, not 100. Robert Crisp thought that his troop needed to move, but did not want to move back. He moved to one side with his men, to be hull down behind a ridge. He could see that the attack had fizzled, due to the 3rd RTR moving out of their way. The Germans commenced milling around, aimlessly. Two other Stuarts had joined Robert's troop. He saw several armoured cars, presumed them to be German and moved closer to attack with the accompanying Stuarts. He turned suddenly to the left, but someone did not see his hand signal, and they collided with his tank. Robert's drive squadron was bent and his tank had to be towed back to the battalion leaguer. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Robert Crisp on the third day of the Crusader Battle

By the third day of the Crusader Battle, the British had been able to bring their armoured forces into the planned positions. From this point, the situation was to become worse. The Germans had not reacted the way the British plan had anticipated, so they were forces to make some changes. One immediate problem is that rumours were flying through the armoured battalions that Crusaders and Stuarts were no match for the German Pzkw III and IV tanks. Crews were also starting to dread the German 88mm FLAK guns that were being used in the anti-tank role. Robert Crisp says that after a week into the battle, the calculation became that it took three Stuarts to beat one Pzkw IV. Throughout the battle, the German use of sword and shield tactics, where they used forward anti-tank guns to fight the British tanks and used their tanks against British soft transport and infantry was used with impunity, as the British had not immediate answer about what to do to defeat that tactic. This is base on the account in Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots.

There should not be any surprise about Robert Crisp seeing Bardia

The copy of Brazen Chariots that I have shows a map of teh Crusader Battle. Bardia is less than 10 miles north of the eastern end of the Trigh Capuzzo. In the chase after the attack on the motorized transport on the Trigh, Robert's squadron ran farther north and he and his troop came up to the drop from the plateau down to the sea, overlooking a town. The map shows that the town he saw had to be Bardia, just to the northwest up the coast from Sollum. And yes, the Stuart tank was a good adversary for German armoured cars and light tanks. The Stuart was fast enough to compete with the armoured cars and had a better gun and greater speed than the Pzkw IIs that the Germans were using. They also had a few of the very inadequate Pzkw Is with just machine guns. At least the Pzkw II had a 20mm cannon.

The end of Robert Crisp's second day of the Crusader Battle

While the mechanics worked loudly on Robert Crisp's Stuart, he tried to sleep. They were not able to finish the repair to his tank, so he and his crew had to transfer to a new tank. This would not be the last time that this happened. Randolph Churchill had gotten wind of Robert Crisp's exploits, and put out a dispatch that said that "Bob Crisp, the South African fast bowler, had got the first hat trick of the Crusader campaign by knocking out three enemy tanks with three shots." Robert seems to have been mildly amused by the exaggeration. He had gotten one tank and two armoured cars, but that was close enough. The diary of the German 3rd Reconnaissance Unit recorded that they had encountered very fast British tanks, and had to retreat at high speed to escape, while they were still under fire. The British had "forced the unitl farther north over the Trigh Capuzzo and the first escarpment". This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

The NZ account of the "Sunday of the Dead"

The online NZ official history is really useful. They have Chapter 10 devoted to the "Sunday of the Dead" (or Day of the Dead). This talks about the battle leading up to the surrender of the 5th SA Brigade in the Crusader Battle.

Events of the second day in retrospect

When Robert Crisp had tracers shot into the air, the fuel truck found them, and his troop was able to refuel. They apparently followed the fuel truck back to the battalion leaguer. Robert Crisp briefed the battalion commander, who was pleased with the results of the raid on the transport on the Trigh Capuzzo. It transpired that the other half of C Squadron was still missing. They showed up after sunrise on the third day. The battalion commander told them that the 8th Hussars had been heavily engaged in the afternoon of the second day, and the brigade commander had been looking for reinforcements for them. The other officers described the 8th Hussar's fight to Robert. The battalion adjutant described the 8th Hussars attack as "It looked like the run-up to the first fence at a point-to-point". The cavalry units were apparently not used to fighting with tanks, and they very quickly took many losses while learning the lessons. Robert Crisp returned to his tank to find the LAD crew at work on his tank. He found that his tank had "a whole bogie wheel shot off". This based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

The Official History (on the Crusader Battle): "Cruwell's Attack"

This must have been on 23 November 1941. Rommel had intended that General Crüwell join the 5th Panzer Regiment with the 15th Panzer Division, but General Crüwell made a command decision to send the 15th Panzer Division "to meet the Ariete Division". The 7th Support Group was in the unfortunate position of being in the 15th Panzer Divisions path, so it was "scattered". Teh next victims were the transport for the 5th South African Brigade. They succeed in hitting back, while taking considerable damage. The 15th Panzer Division joined the Ariete Division "north-east of Bir El Gubi". They 5th Panzer Division also arrived on the scene, but the planned joint attack did not start until 3pm, an hour later than had been hoped. The plan was to hit the South African troops with "150 tanks". The 22nd Armoured Brigade had tried to support the South Africans, but they were overcome and went into the German bag. The 22nd Armoured Brigade lost another third of its meager 34 Crusaders. The Germans paid for their success, as they lost between 60 and 70 tanks. The German personnel casualties were quite great. This is based on the account in Vol.III of the Official History.

A link promoting the book Bomber Pilot, by Don Macintosh

Alastair sent me a link to this page promoting Don Macintosh's book about his experience in World War Two, called Bomber Pilot. Alastair interviewed Don Macintosh about his experience flying bombers in the RAF in WWII, and has audio as well as a transcript.

The Second Day: lost

After their encounter with anti-tank guns, and their escape, Robert Crisp and his campanions were lost. Their squadron and the 3rd RTR were nowhere to be seen. Robert's friend, Harry McGreath, had tried to radio their commanding officer, with no luck. The day was getting late, and the sun would set soon. They were getting short of fuel, and didn't relish getting stuck, alone. Fortunately, to the south, they saw a group of armoured cars. They approached, and the cars proved to be a patrol from the King's Dragoon Guards. The KDG men had recognized the distinctive "Honey" profile, so they knew that they were friendly. The armoured cars were part of the screen for 30th Corps. The young subaltern gave them rough directions to the 4th Armoured Brigade HQ, and they drove off. Suddenly, Robert's Honey ran out of gasoline (he would have said "petrol"). They all stopped and formed a circle with guns pointing outward. The night was interrupted when Robert's radio operator was able to raise their commanding officer. He sent a fuel truck to them. They established radio contract with the officer in the vehicle, who asked them to fire tracer into the air. They did, and he found them. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Attack on the convoy on the second day of the Crusader Battle

This is Robert Crisp's account of the second day of the Crusader Battle.
When the A and C squadrons of the 3rd RTR reached they Trigh Capuzzo, the came over the hill and attacked. C squadron had sixteen tanks, side by side, and they were ordered to attack the head of the column. Robert Crisp knocked out two armoured cars and what must have been a Pzkw II light tank. They came across a third armoured car that had been abandoned. There was a pool of gasoline underneath, so they shot tracers and set the whole thing on fire. The bulk of the column had escaped over the escarpment to the north. They had moved past the Trigh Capuzzo and came to an steep decline. Robert Crisp took his tank to the edge and looked down. He could see the Mediterranean Sea and a town. He realized that he was looking at Bardia. His friend, Harry McGreath called to him to watch out for the anti-tank guns. Robert Crisp felt his tank shake and heard a bang. He called to his driver to reverse, to get out of the guns' sight. When he stopped, he looked and saw a puff of white smoke. He heard something whizz by his head. He knew that they had to leave where they were. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

The start of the Second Day of the Crusader Battle: Robert Crisp

The beginning of the second day of the Crusader Battle saw B Squadron of the 3rd RTR being sent off to support the King's Dragoon Guards, who used South African Marmon-Herrington II armoured cars at this date. Robert Crisp's unit was sent north a couple of miles and then sat for two hours, which allowed them to cook breakfast. Eventually, the entire 3rd RTR was orderd to move to the east towards Bir Gibni to intercept an "enemy column moving south". This was the beginning of many random moves towards rumoured enemy movements that more often than not, were bad information. They heard news of B Squadron, apparently was engaging "7 tanks and 3 armoured cars". The battalion was being fragmented, and A and C squadrons were sent off to the Trigh Capuzzo to engage 200 enemy vehicles. The Trigh Capuzzo was far to the north, so they had a long journey. When they reached the vicinity, they looked over the crest of the hill, saw the column, protected by a few tanks and armoured cars, and then attacked. C Squadron was to attack the head of the column, and that was where Robert Crisp headed. This is based on the account in obert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

The initial movement to the west from The Wire

This is Robert Crisp's account of the first day of the Crusader Battle.
After they had crossed the border at "The Wire", the British armoured force moved west. Robert Crisp says that they had a reconnaissance screen consisting of armoured cars from the South Africans, the 11th Hussars, and King's Dragoon Guards. He expected that there would be no surprises. By evening, they stopped and the Stuarts had to refuel, as the radial engines used a great deal of fuel, which gave them a rather short range. As the battle progressed, where there were "swift movements", the fuel consumption would become very significant. In any case, on the first day, they moved 65 miles from their last refueling and were south of Gabr Taieb El Esem. They lay at Point 185 on the map. So went the first day of the Crusader Battle. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Robert Crisp early on the first day of the Crusader Battle

This is Robert Crisp's account of the first day of the Crusader Battle. After the 4th Armoured Brigade had brewed their morning tea, they started to move. The time was right after 7am. By the time they had crossed The Wire, they reached the first of the petrol dumps which had been placed for refueling. Each "Honey" (Stuart) filled up and then the unit proceeded. Robert Crisp says that they moved in "battalion open-order formation". The tanks were still concealed beneath their 3-ton truck camouflage. They were ordered to "drop sunshields" at 3:30pm. That allowed their radio antennas to be raised. Near the end were the "twin yellow pennants" that were for identification for British tanks. One unanticipated feature of the battle was that British tanks often lowered their antennas to allow them to better hide behind a rise, and Robert Crisp speculated that this probably led to British tanks shooting at each other. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots.

This blog's purpose

The purpose of the Panzer Abwehr blog is to summarize the literature that is relevant to armoured warfare in World War II and to point out relevant resources on the Internet. I am not currently actively researching this area, except in the sense that I am getting a closer reading of the literature that I have had in the past. Covering the literature in this way gives me an opportunity to comment on the topic, as I have built up a certain amount of expertise, as I had spent close to 20 years in my previous studies. I have had an interest in writing a book or articles for publication, but I would want to be in a position to add to the knowledge of the topic. At this point, there has been so much work done that a further work seems somewhat redundant.

I am currently summarizing two works: Vol.III of Major-General Playfair's book History of the Second World War -The Mediterranean and Middle East and Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

Crossing "The Wire" in the early hours of 16 November 1941

This is from Robert Crisp's account of the start of the Crusader Battle.
Robert Crisp says that late on 15 November 1941, the British forces moved up to "The Wire". While they waited, demolitions exploded, breaking the barrier. They moved under a complete radio silence. Almost immediately, they were engulfed by a thunderstorm that moved down from the north. The Stuarts had their "sun shields" to help keep them dry. At daylight, the column moved forward, including the 3rd RTR and Robert Crisp. Early on, they asked for and received permission to brew hot tea. They called it a "brew". Robert Crisp says that they used gasoline to heat the kettles. There was an attempt to prohibit this practice, but the authorities backed off, when they recognized the importance of letting the troops brew their tea. After 18 November and the start of the offensive, Robert Crisp says that with any lull in fighting you would hear: "Hullo JAGO, JAGO Two calling. May we brew up?" He says that the Germans heard what was happening and at one point, near Bir el Gubi, they heard a German voice say: "Hullo BALO, BALO calling. You may brrrew up" That drew a big laugh from the 3rd RTR. This is based on Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots.

Back to Brazen Chariots: 13 November 1941

On 13 November 1941, the commanding officer came and briefed the 4th Armoured Brigade on the coming operation. The officers watching the presentation marked on their maps in crayon the details that were presented. They went back and briefed the troops on what they had heard. The plan was that the 4th, 7th, and 22nd Armoured Brigades would cross the border, through "The Wire", supported by the New Zealand an South African divisions. They would be to the south, while most German and Italian forces were in the north, near the coast. The idea was that the armoured brigades would move across the Axis lines of communication back to Benghazi. The hope was that the Axis armour would attack the armoured brigades, which would be will-sited, in defensible positions. The 4th Armoured Brigade would be in the center, with the 7th and 22nd Brigades on their flanks. The prospects greatly excited the troops, as it seemed like a good plan. Too bad it was not executed as designed. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

A remark on the last

We need to remember that when General Cunningham found out the depth of the crisis and what had happened to his armoured forces, he was all but incapacitated. When General Auchinleck found out the state of his army and that Cunningham was not able to command, he took over and won the Crusader Battle.

Corps and Army did not know the true state British armoured forces on 22 November 1941

I suspect that if the 7th Armoured Division commander, General Gott, 30th Corps commander General Norrie, or the 8th Army commander knew the true state of the armoured force, they would have panicked and quite rightly so. We can be amazed that General Gott did not know what had happened to his brigades up to this point, but he did not. From his level and up, they were oblivious to the heavy losses that had taken. They continued to order units around as if they were whole. General Cunningham had decided that the New Zealand Division should move towards Tobruk, and told the 13th Corps commander to hold the border area with minimal forces. The 30th Corps would be ready to fight the German armour in the decisive battle. Rommel, meanwhile, ordered the DAK to attack towards the Ariete Division, catch the British armour between them, and defeat it. General Crüwell modified the plan to use the artillery and infantry from the 21st Panzer Division as the anvil and have the Ariete Division, 15th Panzer Division, and 5th Panzer Regiment be the hammer with which they would break the British armoured forces. This is based on the account in Vol.III of the Official History.

The 4th Armoured Brigade Stuarts are fitted to look like 3-ton trucks (lorries)

While the 4th Armoured Brigade Stuarts were at Abar Kenayis, they were fitted with tubing and burlap to make them look a bit like 3-ton trucks (lorries). The cover name for the camouflage was "Sunshields". Robert Crisp's assessment was that in the initial movement forward, the camouflage must have worked, because Rommel did not realize that what he describes as 600 tanks had moved up close to his forces. In the first week of November, the brigade moved forward to Hallequat, to the south of the coast road that ran towards Sollum from Sidi Barrani. In the run up to Hallequat, the rubber blocks in the Stuarts' tracks was damage by the "hard limestone outcrop". John Harding, later a Field Marshall, ordered Alec Gatehouse to take a damaged rubber block to show General Auchinleck in Cairo. Auchinleck responded by ordering every Stuart in rear areas to be stripped of its track blocks, which would be sent to the 4th Armoured Brigade to repair the tracks. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots.

Back to the Official History on 22 November 1941

We will mix in some of the Official History, alongside Brazen Chariots. On 22 November 1941, 70th Division was able to expand his outward penetration. General Norrie had instructed General Scobie not to go to far, until the battle at Sidi Rezegh was resolved. Back at the border, the New Zealanders had taken "Fort Capuzzo and Musaid, cut the Bardia water pipe and all the enemy's telgraph and telephone lines". The ended up astride the Bardia-Tobruk road. They 7th Indian Brigade and infantry tanks had a success. Two of the Indian battalions had taken Sidi Omar Nuovo and most of the Italian Omar. The infantry were supported by the 42nd RTR and one squadron of the 44th RTR. They lost 37 infantry tanks, however, in the effort. These were lost to a combination of anti-tank guns and mines. The Germans had dug in 88's, and these continued to dominate the Btitish infantry tanks. This is based on the account in Vol.III of the Official History.

Robert Crisp got jaundice, which gave him a two-week vacation

After going out and firing their guns, when the 4th Armoured Brigade returned to Beni Yusef, Robert Crisp had jaundice. That gave him a two-week vacation in "the 15th General Hospital, on the Nile opposite Gezira Island". He got to eat good food and recuperate in relative luxary. He could look out at the dhows on the Nile and the 3rd RTR moved forward to the Siwa track for the coming offensive. He rejoined his unit there. They had formed up about 90 miles to the east of the border ("The Wire"). The barbed wire fence had been built by the Italians in an attempt to keep the wandering Arabs out of Libya. The Wire was guarded by a series of strong points. The Italians occasionally patroled on their side, while the British kept up continuous patrols. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots.

Getting ready for battle in early October 1941

The 4th Armoured Brigade was training, in early October 1941, in "the barren spaces west of the Cario-Fayoum road". Robert Crisp says that they were having "battle-practice with live ammunition". He says that they thought that the German 88mm gun could hit a tank at 3,000 yards, while they had the 37mm pop gun that could only reach about 1,200 yards. He says that in fact, they found that the effective range of both the 2pdr and 37mm guns was much less than the 1,200 yards that they had been told.

Robert Crisp had an idea that he wanted to try, to see if he might be able to get close enough to fire without being knocked out. He figured that he would not be able to fire from a moving tank, so he thought that if he could use the mobility of the tanks in his troop to close with the enemy. His idea, which I know is sound, was to have his gunner keep his sight on the target while moving, and when the tank stopped, the gunner would fire. This was to be an automatic procedure, happening without any further orders. Experience in battle practice indicated that this idea could work.

This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots.

The 4th Armoured Brigade

Robert Crisp says that the 4th Armoured Brigade was continuously involved in the Crusader Battle for five weeks. He says that Alec Gatehouse kept records that showed that they were continuosly engaged for two weeks, "with an average of two battles a day". They they went "without rest or maintenance" during this period. The brigade had traveled 1,700 miles, with individual tanks covering as much as 3,000 miles. They lost 172 tanks knocked out, from a total strength of 163 tanks, all Stuarts. Robert Crisp says that he alone lost six tanks. By the end of two weeks, they must have been exhausted, running on adrenaline alone, as Robert Crisp says that commanders got about 1-1/2 hours sleep per day. By the end of the Crusader Battle, Rommel's tank strength had been reduced to 58, from a starting number of about 400. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots.

A new army and the 4th Armoured Brigade

Robert Crisp mentions that the 3rd RTR and the 4th Armoured Brigade starting having stream of VIP visitors. They included Lt-General Cunningham, and oddly, the Maharajah of Kashmir. Robert and his comrades could tell that something was happening to cause this. They eventually found out that the new command was formed, called the 8th Army, with General Cunningham as its commander.

Within the 8th Army, the 4th Armoured Brigade was organized as an all-arms brigade group, with tanks predominating. There were the three armoured battalions, a troop of the RHA (equipped with 25 pdrs), "a detachment of the Scots Guards", and "antitank and antiaircraft units". Alec Gatehouse was the brigade commander, and he was actually a tank officer, rather than a converted cavalryman. Robert Crisp says that the 4th Armoured Brigade was the first all-arms "combat team" in the Army. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book Brazen Chariots.

The "new urgency"

The 4th Armoured Brigade was located far enough from Cairo to not receive much news about what was happening. Robert Crisp says that they were "astonished" at Wavell's removal and replacement with General Auchinleck. Robert says that A squadron's major had served under General Auchinleck in India and said of him: "Bloody good chap, the Auk". The remoteness of their location was not appreciated and was considered to be an unnecessary hardship.

By the end of September, the 3rd RTR was completely equipped with Stuarts and had a full complement of men. The new battalion commander was "Bunny Ewins", and he confirmed Robert Crisp as a captain and "second-in-command of 'C' Squadron". He still commanded a troop of "Honeys" as he called the Stuarts. He appreciated the better pay received as a captain. A lieutenant's pay had cramped his lifestyle.

This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots.

The 4th Armoured Brigade is formed

At the end of August 1941, the 3rd RTR joined the 8th Hussars and the 5th RTR to form the 4th Armoured Brigade at Beni Yusef. Beni Yusef was located 20 miles past Cairo, apparently towards Libya. The time was spent in re-equipping and training on the new tanks and equipment. They had American techicians to help prepare the Stuarts. The British wanted 14 modifications made to better fit British needs. Robert Crisp had to censor his batman's letters home, to his great amusement. The batman must have been a Scot, as he referred to someone he called the "auld-wife". An officer of the Scots Guards who visited said that this referred to the batman's mother-in-law. After a three week stretch without a letter home, Robert Crisp prodded his batman to write. The batman wrote a letter to his wife blaming the carrying ship having been sunk for the three weeks without a letter. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots.

The "Honey"

Robert Crisp put his crew into a new Stuart and took it out for a spin. He took the tank to the sandy desert and did things like try to lose a track. He also found that the Stuart could make 40mph. I am not sure if they had removed the governor, or what. Most British tanks were governed down to a rather low speed to reduce the chances of mechanical failure, as well as breaking a track. Robert Crisp instructed his driver Whaley to "make a few fast turns", and the Stuart responded without a problem. He finally told Whaley to attempt to "shed on eof these tracks". They found that the tracks always stayed on the tank. When they arrived back at the camp, Whaley dubbed the Stuart: "It's a honey, sir". Robert Crisp says that from then on, the Stuarts were known as honeys. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots.

Ian Paterson has a page that shows the 7th Armoured Division organization as changes happened over time

Ian Paterson has another page that gives the changing organization of the 7th Armoured Division from late 1939 until the Normandy campaign in 1944. This sort of information is at least a starting point for wargamers.