Thanks Marc. As always an informed and informative response.
German\Italian Invasion of Egypt 1940
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Would a single German Panzer division been enough to help the Italian invasion?
I read that the 3rd Panzer was originally intended for North Africa in 1940, is this true?
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Germany should have committed half a million troops to Africa. That would have got it done.
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Germany should have committed half a million troops to Africa. That would have got it done.
amen!
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I think one Panzer Division would have made all the difference. The UK’s 1940 offensive only had limited objectives, but turned into a massive advance as the Italians were totally unprepared for mobile warfare(or any kind of warfare!).
A Panzer Division could have been spared after the fall of France and the British would have never have advanced as far as they did.
Was not aware one was slated, Worsham. Cannot help you there, sorry.
The 21st Panzer was formed in the field(Summer of 41)from parts of the 3rd Panzer. Its Panzer regiment was the 5th.(The number of PDs were doubled before Barbarossa by halving their tank strength.)
Perhaps that is where you got that idea. -
Of course the Germans would have needed some Tacs to counter the British Mathildas, as their 20mm and 37mm armed Mk IIs and IIIs were ineffective tank vs tank.
I do think it would have been a sound military move though.
Good question and poll again Worsham. -
From my reading Hitler offered a Panzer Division to assist the Italian invasion of Egypt, however Mussolini jealous of the German success turned down the offer.
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Thank you Worsham.
Makes sense. -
Germany should have committed half a million troops to Africa. That would have got it done.
But Germany wasn’t able to supply the troops they had (150,000 IIRC). These would have starved before reaching victory.
A better plan would have been Malta instead of Crete.
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Malta makes total sense 221B. Italy tried.
Crete was a mistake. -
What if you committed serious Luftwaffe elements?
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What if you committed serious Luftwaffe elements?
This would have helped. But both Malta and Crete were needed for the Axis to have complete air and naval domination of the region. Think of all the supplies lost to Rommel because of Malta! If serious attention was paid to Malta and a German assisted invasion was planned… the African campaign would have turned out different. IMHO
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Hard to believe that Italy’s first move in going to war was not taking Malta.
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It could have made a difference I think, the brits could still not beat the blitzkrieg then.
And their army was 10x smaller then the italian, whose moral would raise by the arrival of the germans/first defeats of the british.
But of course, malta should be taken first.
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