Red Flood

[Franconicus]

Chapter 46 – Calm Before The Storm
28th April - Mai 12th 1941

After a long discussion with Ramcke, Paulus decides to stop any offensive operations. All units receive the order to stop any advance and to defend their positions. At the same time, the Germans and their Italian allies are trying to get reinforcements as soon as possible and to improve the supply situation.

Ramcke contacts the Italian navy command to ask for better escorts of the convoys. The Italian admirals promise to send a cruiser with every convoy. This would reduce the threat from English destroyers. However, the Italian command is not able to do anything to protect the supply route against British battleships. Ramcke also gets the promise that the Italians will use small motorboats to ship supply. These small boats can discharge at the harbour of Benghazi.

Ramcke calls the commander of the II. Air Corps to ask for a better air cover. Lörzer agrees to have more air patrols now that the operations at Greece are coming to an end. Ramcke also discusses the problems with raids against supply convoys at Libya. Lörzer promises to send more air patrols along the southern flank, but he also says that the air force is already overused.
Hoth has the idea to set up a task force for special operations deep in the desert and behind the enemy lines. Now that mobile warfare has come to a halt, this may become an important factor. There are already some targets identified: Kufra, Jarabub, Siwa and Fort Maddalena.

Good news from Naples. The fist units of Model’s 3. Panzerdivision arrive. Additionally, 2 units of heavy artillery are shipped to Tripoli.

At Tobruk, the war cools down. German planes keep on attacking the harbour facilities, while the British are trying to supply the town with night time transports. The front solidifies in a static warfare. Only at night raiding patrols from both sides are trying to do harm. Slowly, all units of the 15. Panzerdivision arrive; Panzer Rgt 8, Rifle Rgt 104, Rifle Rgt. 115, Motorcycle Bat. 15, Art. Rgt 33, AA 33, Pioneers, ATGs and supply troops.
The Panzer Rgt. has its full strength: 4 command tanks, 22 Panzer II, 22 Panzer III, and 15 Panzer IV, in total 63 tanks.

At the front of Solum Hoth forms a combat detachment with the 5th Light Division, Ariete and Brescia. The commander is Generalleutnant Streich. The 5th Light has only 20 % of its tanks ready for combat, Ariete about 35%. Both divisions receive repaired tanks. This eastern front is threatened by constant raiding patrols of the 7. Australian Infantry Division. Reconnaissance planes spot British concentrations at Sid Barrani and Rabia. There are probably one infantry divisions and one or two armoured brigades. The English get also more planes, including Bristol Beaufighters and Blenheim bombers.

The RAF dominates the sky east of Tobruk.

End of April, the war at Greece comes to an end. The British forces have to leave the country, the Greek defence collapses.

Ramcke writes a report to Keitel. He suggests to prepare an airborne operation against Crete, but to wait until the airborne divisions have reached their full combat strength again.

At the beginning of May the situation of the 41. Army Corps is improved. Supply situation is much better, most of the tanks are repaired and the soldiers could regenerate. The mechanics order sand filters to prevent further engine failures.

On the opposite side, the Australian 9. Infantry Division is still holding the fort, doing everything to fortify its positions.

The British try to run a convoy through the Mediterranean from Gibraltar to Egypt. There are five transports. On May 6 they pass Gibraltar and are joined by one battleship, a carrier from Force H and another battleship which. With these heavy units are four cruisers and seven destroyers. Six more destroyers join the convoy from Gibraltar. Cunningham takes the whole of the Mediterranean Fleet out in support with three battleships, his single carrier, three cruisers and 19 destroyers.

The Italian surface ships don’t try to intercept, the Italian submarines are not capable getting into a good position. The Italian and German air forces fly some interception missions, but most of the bombers and all divers have been transferred to Libya. Bad weather prevents the bombers from being successful.

On the way, Cunningham’s ships shell Benghazi and sink two ships. Once again the British demonstrate that they do not accept the dominance of the Germans in this area of the sea. On May 12, the convoy reaches Alexandria.
After the event, German intelligence is able to give more details about the operation. The transports were carrying 238 tanks; 21 Mark VIC light tanks, 82 cruiser tanks (including many of the new Crusaders) and 135 Matilda infantry tanks, and 43 Hawker Hurricane fighters.

It is obviously, that the British are planning an operation to liberate Tobruk. The commanders meet for another briefing. After a short discussion there are three opinions – again!

1) Rommel wants to use the 15. Panzerdivision for a preventive strike. He wants to transfer it to the Solum front and then attack with 5. Light, 15. PD and Ariete. Trieste could be the strategic reserve. The goal of this operation would be an advance to Mersa Matruh and the distraction of the British forces west of this place. He says that it is crucial to beat the British before reinforcements come to the front.

2) Cambara suggests to use the time before the British are ready to strike for the assault of Tobruk. This town is still the main target. With the new divisions – the 15. and Trieste – together with the old ones – Trento and Bologna, it is possible to take this town. Arite, Brescia and 5. Light can secure the eastern flank.

3) Hoth is more sceptical. He sees that the detachment Streich at Solum has a very unfortunate position that can be bypassed easily. The British have already tank forces there and they constantly receive more units. Therefore he suggests withdrawing the complete tank group to the Gazala position. There, it would be easier to supply the troops and to repel any British invasion. Afterwards, Egypt would be easier to invade. With the pioneer regiment and the heavy artillery another assault against Tobruk would be successful.