Operation "Skorpion" ( German Operation Skorpion ) - a counter-offensive by German troops in North Africa during World War II, carried out in the period May 26-27, 1941.
| Operation Skorpion | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Conflict: War in North Africa World War II Mediterranean Theater of War | |||
 War zone | |||
| date | May 26 - 27, 1941 | ||
| A place | Egyptian-Libyan border | ||
| Total | German victory | ||
| Opponents | |||
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| Commanders | |||
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Content
Background
In mid-May 1941, British troops in Egypt tried to take advantage of the local weakness of the German-Italian forces in the Egyptian-Libyan border, but did not succeed, however, managed to capture the important mountain passage Halfaya. On May 20, British commander General Wavell received information that part of the 15th Panzer Division had begun approaching the Germans from Tripoli. Thus, the opportunity to defeat Rommel before receiving reinforcements was no longer available. A Tiger convoy managed to break through the Mediterranean Sea, but the technical condition of many of the tanks it delivered turned out to be unimportant, and therefore the preparation of the British troops for the resumption of hostilities was greatly delayed.
In the meantime, the Germans, expecting a serious offensive to alleviate the situation of the besieged Tobruk, decided to recapture and keep Halfway pass. To this end, almost the entire 15th Panzer Division, which had recently arrived, was concentrated between Capuzzo and Sidi Omar. Halfayu was held by a battle group of the 3rd battalion of the Coldstream Guards regiment, a field artillery regiment and two armored squadrons.
Event
On May 26, the Germans advanced to Halfaye, and that very evening captured the height north of the pass. The British counterattack attempted to repulse her was not successful. In the morning of May 27, after strong artillery preparation, the Germans launched an attack with two battalions and 60 tanks. The British were forced to retreat, losing 8 officers and 165 soldiers; only two British tanks remained in service.
Summary and Consequences
Having captured the pass, the Germans prepared anti-tank positions there, digging 88 mm anti-aircraft guns into the ground. They turned out to be a serious obstacle to the British offensive that followed three weeks later.
Literature
- W. Churchill. The Great Union // World War II. - M .: "TERRA - Book Club", 1998. - V. 3. - ISBN 5-300-01671-3 .
- B. Liddel-Garth. The Second World War. - M .: LLC "Publishing house AST", 1999. - ISBN 5-237-03175-7 .