Saving Mussolini from the consequences of the loss of the last remaining Italian colonies in Africa was the purpose of the despatch of Rommel with a single division, the 5th Light Division, in early 1941.

The logistical consequences of Rommel launching a major offensive would be to overstretch the capacity of the Italians to be able to supply their forces and the German forces through the main port of Tripoli. Benghazi and Tobruk also had some capacity too. If they were available, they would enable the supply of the Axis armed forces in North Africa to be improved, but both of those ports were vulnerable to air attack by the Royal Air Force – more vulnerable than Tripoli.

What follows is what Adolf Hitler and the German High Command at first expected of Rommel – which grew into something bigger than the German High Command liked.

Tag words: Benito Mussolini; 5th Light Division; Field Marshall Erwin Rommel; Royal Air Force; Adolf Hitler; Operation Felix; Operation Sealion; Operation Attila; Operation Marita; David Irving; The Trail of the Fox; War Directive 22; Afrika Korps; 15th Panzer Division; Erich von Manstein; X Luftwaffe Korps; Marshal Graziani; General Gariboldi;