Chapter 44 – Lost and found
Cyrenaica, 3rd – 9th April 1941

Ramcke sends a message to Hoth about the current situation and makes a proposal to meet before the army reaches Tobruk. He also sends this information to Rommel.
Then he decides to visit the front to get a picture of what is really going on. He gets himself a driver and a jeep. His target is the southern route, where most of the tank forces. The adjutant had told him that this group was stranded because of lack of fuel. The adjudant also warns him. The Italians poisoned this route with thousands of mines during their retreat.
Before he starts he hears that Rommel told the Panzerregiment to take all the remaining fuel to mobilize the tanks and to continue the advance. It is almost evening when Ramcke and his drivers leave Sirte. It may be dangerous to drive across the desert at night. However, the Panzerregiment does it and so Ramcke decides to do it, too. Furthermore it will be very unlikely to meet any British soldiers there. At all hazards he takes a radio along with him.
The night-time ride through the desert is certainly a special event. However, soon they loose the road, or whatever they call road in the desert. They struggle through the sands. Many times the jeeps get stuck and they have to dig it out. Ramcke is glad when they finally reach the stony desert. The wheels find solid ground here, but sometimes this ground may be a bit too solid. In the middle of the night the ride comes to an abrupt end; the axle breaks.
Ramcke and his driver are stranded in the desert, all alone in the endless wilderness. Fortunately they have the radio and in the morning a German Storch comes to pick Ramcke up. The pilot lands near the vehicle. He promises that another plane will come to pick up the driver too. Then the plane starts again and they fly to the front close Mechili. From up above Ramcke has an excellent view on the desert. It seems to be endless, but it is not empty. Here and there are German vehicles. The pilot tells him, that many of the cars just broke down like Ramcke’s jeep, or that they had engine failures due to the sand, or that they simply run out of fuel. Or the drivers just lost the direction or the cars stuck in the sand. Anyway, most of the Luftwaffe planes are out to search for dispersed parts of the Panzerregiment and to supply them with water and fuel. The sight is harrowing and reminds Ramcke of an army on the run.
Near Mechili Ramcke has the first contact with the British. Two Hurricanes spot the Storch and try to pick it off. Ramcke thinks that his last hour has come, but the pilot knows how to defend himself. The Storch may be much slower than the hurricanes, but he can almost stand still and he can rise vertically like a lift. The Hurricanes attack several times, but every time the German plane can outmanoeuvre them. However, the Hurricanes do not loose heart and attack again and again. Then they suddenly surcease. They spot a more attractive target.
Four German transport planes are approaching a field with a group of German tanks. Obviously they want to land there. At the moment they touch ground the Hurricanes reach the field too. Four giant torches show that the transport planes had carried fuel for the tanks.
Ramcke’s pilot uses the opportunity to get down. Ramcke is so glad to stand on his own two feet again. He hurries to the commander of the ground forces. It is the Ariet and parts of the 5. Light Division. Here he stays to watch the advance of the Axis troops and to get the latest news.
That day Benghazi is taken by the Italian divisions Trento and Bologna together with the AA3. The force heading for Msus is making only slow progress but the third group, the most southerly, with part of the German 5th Light Division and the Italian Ariete Division, is going well toward Mechili.
On April 5., the Axis advance continues. On the coast Barce is taken while inland Tengeder falls and Mechili is threatened.
The next day, it is a Sunday, the attention is attracted by the events on the Balkans. German forces invade Yugoslavia and Greece. The attack begins with advances by List's Twelfth Army from Bulgaria and with bombing raids on Belgrade and targets in Greece. The main German attack on the first day falls on Greek troops in forward positions. The German 30th Corps attacks the center attacks the center and right of the Metaxas Line. A second corps attacks the left of the line but sends more of its force into Yugoslavia toward Strumica. The third corps moves into Yugoslavia farther north heading for Skopje. There is heavy fighting on the Greek border but the Yugoslav frontier is easily crossed by the Germans. During the night there is an important air raid on the port of the Piraeus in which a British ammunition ship blows up, sinking many other vessels and extensively damaging the port installations.
In North Africa the German and Italian advance is maintained. On the coast the Australian Division is beginning to pull back to Tobruk from Derna. On Monday, April 7, Derna is overrun in the continuing Axis advance. Inland near Mechili an armored battle begins between the German 5th Panzer Regiment and the remnants of the British 2nd Armored Division. April 8, Mechili falls to the German attacks in the morning and Rommel immediately begins to organize an advance to Tobruk.
In the evening of April 8, German officers meet at Derna. There is Hoth, the commander of the Panzergruppe Afrika, Rommel, commander of the 41. Korps, Kuhn, commander of the 15. PD, Cambara, commander of the Italian 20. Motorized Corps and Lörzer, commander of the II. Air Coprs and Ramcke.
Ramcke gives a short status report:
“Gentlemen, our advance has been very successful so far. Within two weeks we marched 300 km. Yesterday we captured important documents. They give us a clear picture of the situation of the British forces. The enemy had sent several divisions to Greece. The 9. Australian Division and the 2. Armoured Division remained at the front. The Australian are currently retreating to Tobruk while the 2. Armoured has cease to exist. Currently there are no armoured divisions against us. The enemy is desperately trying to reinforce his positions. The 6. Infantry Division and the 7. Australian Divisions are on the way west. Additionally the British are forming a new armoured unit with the core of the 7. Armoured Division. They have left the delta and will arrive soon. After the defeat of the Italians in East Africa another division is coming from there. Maybe there is another Australian Division, but information in uncertain. To make a long story short, today we have one division against us, but the enemy has called 4 to 5 new divisions, including an armoured one. Recon observed a lot of transport ships in the harbour of Tobruk.
On our side there is the 5. Light Division, currently approaching Tobruk and Sollumn from the south. There is also the Italian Divisions Bologna and Trento marching along the coast, currently moving to Gazala. Ariete and Brescia are coming from Mechili and march to Gazala too. They will arrive tomorrow. Division Pavia is still near El Agheila. The German 15. PD landed at Tripoli and will arrive at Tobruk in about a week. Trieste is on the way, too. In total we have three Tank Divisions and five Infantry Divisions. Supply situation has been tight sometimes, but as we have conquered British supply magazines, we have enough fuel. However, we are still not able to repair the damaged vehicles. The 5. Light Division has only about 20 tanks. I know that everybody did his best, that everybody is exhausted. However, now is not the time to relax. We have to push further and finish what we started. Otherwise, the British will enforce their positions and it will be much harder to break through then!”
After Rommel ended, General Lörzer gives a review of the situation in the air: “Gentlemen, the II. Air Corps arrived at Africa and entered the battle immediately. I have to say that neither our equipment, nor the organisation suited to the conditions here. Currently we have one Stuka Group, one Bomber Squadron and two Fighter Groups to support the operations. However, only a small percent of the planes is actually ready to fly. We too have problems with supply. Of course we are fighting together with our Italian comrades.
In the first phase of the operation there were not many contacts with British planes. Lately we meet them more frequently. They received reinforcements, especially bombers.”
Rommel: “Gentlemen, listen to the plan for the next operations. Bologna and Trento will approach Tobruk from the west. Ariete and Brescia will approach it from southwest. The 5. Light Division will give one battalion to support Ariete, the rest will attack Solumn, Fort Capuzzo and Bardia. They will cut off the British and secure our eastern flank. Then the Italian Divisions and the German battalion will attack Tobruk from several sides. If we succeed we will control this important harbour before the British reinforcements arrive. With the fresh divisions, especially the 15. and Trieste we will be able to push through and to invade Egypt.”
The Italian General Cambara has a different opinion: “I do not think that we should split our forces. The British are not able to attack us now and we should concentrate our forces on the main target, Tobruk. My proposal is that Bologna and Trento attack Tobruk from the west, Ariete and Brescia from the south and the 5. Light advances to the coast and the attacks Tobruk from the east. This concentric assault will manage to break through. Do not forget that Tobruk is well defended, with strong fortifications.”
Rommel: “Yes, that is exactly the reason why we should make a surprise attack rather than besiege the town,”
Hoth: “Well, to be honest, I do not see the need to act so carelessly. We have gained a good position. I suggest stopping in front of Tobruk and to wait until the 15.PD and Trieste arrived. Then we will have superior forces. In the meantime we can bomb the harbour and the fortification and improve our supply situation.”
Now it is time for Ramcke to tell what he wants to support.
A Rommel’s proposal
B Cambara’s plan
C Hoth’s suggestion