15. Panzer Division in Africa

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Ron Klages
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Additional Data

Post by Ron Klages »

David,

It is an excellent book but it is also expensive, around $75 and is only 219 pages.

On 8 January 1942 General von Arnim submitted requirements of 150,000 tons a month for all forces in Tunisia. This was based on his estimetae that was necessary to conduct an effective defense as well as counterattacks aganist the First and Eighth Armees of the Allies. This was later reduced to 140,000 tons a month with a bare minimum of 69,000 tons a month. ---I WONDER WHAT A BARE MINIMUM WAS!!!!!!!!!!

At the same time as these requests were being made, the top officer of the transport forces in Italy estimated that 70,000 to 82,000 tons of supplies could be sent monthly but that 25% would be lost in transit. The actual tonnage delivered to Tunisia in January 1943 was actually 69,908 tons but in February this fell to 59,016 tons. In March the figure was down to 43,125 tons and in April only 29,233 tons were delivered. The end was near.

According to the figures in the book by Levine the Germans lost the following in the North Africa Campaign:
240,000 POWs taken by the Allies of which 130,000 were German
155,000 casualities for the Germans in fighting in North Africa
Luftwaffe alone lost 2422 aircraft--888 single engine fighters, 117 twin engine fighters, 128 dive bombers. 734 bombers and 371 transports
506 ships lost since January 1942

Heavy payment for nothing other than an attempt to help out an ally.

Makes you wonder what might have been if these forces had been used in the east from June 1941 and on rather than in North Africa.

best regards to all,

Ron
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Davide Pastore
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Re: More Detail

Post by Davide Pastore »

Ron Klages wrote:Here is a bit more detail on the arrival of the German units in North Africa at Tripoli in the beginning.
I can offer the likely composition of such convoys, according to USMM' 'La Difesa del Traffico con l'Africa Settentrionale'.

I listed only German cargo ships, assuming only them were used. It is possible part of these units traveled onboard Italian ships as well (many convoys listed below contained one or more Italian ships) but listing them too makes the picture too confused.

As shown below, the date claimed for a few convoys may be wrong.

Convoy 1 on 11 February 1941
- Ankara
- Arcturus
- Alicante
From Napoli 9:30 8 Feb to Tripoli 15:00 11 Feb
From Tripoli 11:00 13 Feb to Napoli 12:00 15 Feb

Convoy 2 on 14 February 1941
- Adana
- Aegina
- Kibfels
- Ruhr
Fom Napoli 01:45 12 Feb to Tripoli 18:00 14 Feb
From Tripoli (minus Kibfels) 07:00 16 Feb to Napoli 15:00 18 Feb
Kibfels from Tripoli 00:30 to Napoli 08:00

Convoy 3 on 20 February 1941
- Arta
- Heraclea
- Menes
- Maritza
From Napoli 01:00 17 Feb to Tripoli 06:00 20 Feb
From Tripoli (minus Arta) 08:00 21 Feb
Menes torpedoed en route, towed back, to Tripoli 08:00 22 Feb
Maritza to Napoli 11:00 23 Feb, Heraclea to Napoli 10:30 24 Feb
Arta from Tripoli 05:30 24 Feb to Napoli 22:30 26 Feb

Convoy 4 on 25 February 1941
- Ankara
- Reichenfels
- Kibfels
- Marburg
From Napoli 19:00 23 Feb to Tripoli 20:30 25 Feb
From Tripoli 12:00 27 Feb to Napoli 10:00 1 Mar

Convoy 5 on 27 February 1941
- Alicante
- Arcturus
- Wachtfels
- Leverkusen
From Napoli 12:30 25 Feb to Tripoli 18:30 27 Feb
From Tripoli 13:00 1 Mar to Napoli 11:00 3 Mar

Convoy 6 on 3 March 1941
- Castellon
- Ruhr
- Maritza
From Napoli 04:00 1 Mar to Tripoli 18:00 3 Mar
From Tripoli 12:00 5 Mar to Napoli 15:00 7 Mar

Convoy 7 on 6 March 1941
- Adana
- Arta
- Aegina
From Napoli 18:00 3 Mar to Tripoli 20:30 6 Mar
From Tripoli (plus Heraclea) 7:30 9 Mar to Napoli 06:30 12 Mar

Convoy 8 on 8 March 1941
- Santa Fe
From Napoli 20:30 4 Mar to Tripoli 11:00 7 Mar (not 8)
Return detail unknown

Convoy 9 on 10 March 1941
- Ankara
- Kibfels
- Marburg
- Reichenfels
From Napoli 17:00 5 Mar, stop at Palermo, to Tripoli 12:00 10 Mar
From Tripoli 13:00 12 Mar
Ankara & Kibfels to Palermo 20:00 13 Mar, others to Napoli 07:00 14 Mar

Convoy 10 not recorded There were two different convoys:

Convoy 10A ?
- Alicante
- Arcturus
- Wachtfels
From Napoli 11:30 7 Mar, soon return there
From Napoli 14:00 8 Mar to Tripoli ? Mar
from Tripoli (minus Alicante) 14:00 12 Mar to Napoli 18:00 14 Mar

Convoy 10B ?
- Castellon
- Ruhr
- Maritza
- Leverkusen
From Napoli 03:30 12 Mar to Tripoli 13:00 14 Mar
From Tripoli (minus Ruhr, plus Alicante) 11:00 16 Mar to Napoli 14:00 18 Mar
Ruhr from Tripoli 10:00 17 Mar to Napoli 19:00 19 Mar

Convoy 11 and 12 on 18 March 1941

Convoy 11 ?
- Adana
- Aegina
- Heraclea
- Galilea
From Napoli 20:30 14 Mar to Tripoli 01:00 18 Mar
From Tripoli 07:30 19 mar to Napoli 20:00 21 Mar

Convoy 12 ?
- Marburg
- Reichenfels
- Kibfels
- Ankara
Marburg & Reichenfels from Napoli 20:30 16 Mar to Trapani
All ships from Trapani 03:00 17 Mar to Tripoli 12:00 18 Mar
From Tripoli (minus Ankara) 18:00 20 Mar to Trapani 17:00 21 Mar
Ankara from Tripoli 14:30 25 Mar to Trapani 17:00 21 Mar
Marburg & Kibfels from Trapani ? to Napoli 07:30 22 Mar

There was an additional Convoy not listed
- Arta
From Napoli 21:30 16 Mar to Tripoli 17:00 19 Mar
From Tripoli 00:30 22 Mar to Napoli 18:30 25 Mar

Convoy 13 on 21 March 1941
- Arcturus
- Santa Fe
- Procida
- Wachtfels
From Napoli 02:30 19 Mar to Tripoli 15:00 21 Mar
From Tripoli 08:30 23 Mar to Napoli 13:00 25 Mar

Convoy 14 on 23 March 1941
- Castellon
- Alicante
- Maritza
- Leverkusen
From Napoli 05:30 22 Mar to Tripoli 11:00 24 Mar (not 23)
From Tripoli (minus Leverkusen) 14:00 25 Mar to Napoli 18:30 27 Mar
Leverkusen from Tripoli 12:00 26 Mar to Napoli 12:00 28 Mar

Convoy 15 on 30 March 1941
- Adana
- Samos
- Heraclea
- Ruhr
- Galilea
From Napoli 23:45 26 Mar
02:45 28 Mar Heraclea sunk, Ruhr hit and towed to Trapani 21:00 30 Mar
Other ships to Tripoli 08:00 30 Mar
Adana from Tripoli 21:30 2 Apr, soon return there.
Adana from Tripoli 21:30 7 Apr to Napoli 01:00 10 Apr
Samos later employed on Tripoli-Bengasi route

Convoy 16 on 1 April 1941
- Marburg
- Kibfels
- Ankara
- Reichenfels
Marburg & Kibfels from Napoli 19:30 29 Mar
Ankara & Reichenfels from Palermo 03:30 30 Mar
All ships to Tripoli 14:30 31 Mar
From Tripoli (plus Galilea) 11:00 2 Apr to Napoli 07:30 4 Apr

Convoy 17 on 5 April 1941
- Alicante
- Maritza
- Sant Fe
- Procida
From Napoli 11:30 2 Apr to Tripoli 00:45 5 Apr
From Tripoli 04:30 8 Apr, soon return there
From Tripoli ? 9 Apr to Napoli 10:00 11 Apr

Convoy 18 on 10 April 1941
- Castellon
- Arcturus
- Wachtfels
- Leverkusen
From Napoli 02:00 8 Apr to Tripoli 12:00 10 Apr
From Tripoli 11:00 12 Apr to Napoli (minus Wachtfels) 23:00 14 Apr
Wachtfels to Trapani 10:00 14 Apr

Convoy 19 on 14 April 1941
- Ankara
- Marburg
- Kibfels
- Reichenfels
- Galilea
From Napoli 17:30 11 Apr to Tripoli 10:00 14 Apr
From Tripoli 16:00 19 Apr to Napoli 14:00 21 Apr

Convoy 20 on 16 April 1941
- Adana
- Arta
- Aegina
- Iserlhon
From Napoli 23:00 13 Apr, attacked 01:30 16 Apr, all sunk

Convoy 21 on 20 April 1941
- Alicante
- Maritza
- Santa Fe
- Procida
From Napoli 01:45 14 Apr, stop at Palermo, to Tripoli 05:00 20 Apr
From Tripoli 14:30 21 Apr, soon return there
From Tripoli 19:00 22 Apr to Napoli 06:30 25 Apr

Convoy 22 on 24 April 1941
- Castellon
- Arcturus
- Leverkusen
- Wachtfels
From Napoli (minus Wachtfels) 02:30 21 Apr, stop at Palermo, all ships to Tripoli 17:00 24 Apr
From Tripoli 18:00 30 Apr, Arcturus mined 12:00 1 May, Leverkusen torpedoed 21:00 1 May
Other ships stop at Trapni, to Napoli 07:00 5 May

Convoy 23 on 2 May 1941
- Marburg
- Kibfels
- Reichenfels
From Napoli 23:00 24 Apr, stop at Palermo, to Tripoli 23:00 1 May (not 2 May)
From Tripoli 09:30 5 May to Palermo 06:30 7 May

Convoy 24 on 6 May 1941
- Ankara
From Napoli 01:15 4 May to Tripoli 20:45 5 May
From Tripoli 19:30 12 May to Napoli 16:30 14 May

Convoy 25 on 13 May 1941
- Wachtfels
From Napoli 02:00 11 May to Tripoli 11:40 13 May
From Tripoli 16:00 20 May to Napoli 23:00 23 May

Convoy 26 on 21 May 1941
- Preussen
From Napoli 18:30 16 May, stop at Palermo, to Tripoli 11:00 21 May
From Tripoli 09:00 25 May, stop at Lampedusa, at Napoli 01:30 30 May

Convoy 27 on 25 May 1941 - No German ship reached Tripoli from Italy near that date

Convoy 28 on 28 May 1941
- Ankara
From Napoli 02:30 26 May to Tripoli ? 28 May
From Tripoli 20:00 3 Jun to Napoli 15:00 5 Jun

Convoy 29 Had no new units aboard There were two different convoys:

Convoy 29A ?
- Sparta
From Palermo 12:00 29 May to Tripoli 21:00 31 May
From Tripoli 19:00 2 Jun to Bengasi 19:00 4 Jun

Convoy 29B ?
- Wachtfels
From Napoli 05:30 10 Jun to Tripoli 20:00 12 Jun
From Tripoli 15:00 21 Jun, hit by bombs, to Trapani 01:30 23 Jun

Convoy 30 on 22 June 1941
- Preussen
From Napoli 23:30 19 Jun to Tripoli 19:30 22 Jun
From Tripoli 20:00 1 Jul to Napoli 01:10 5 Jul

Convoy 31 on 28 June 1941 - No German ship reached Tripoli from Italy near that date
Last edited by Davide Pastore on Sun Mar 09, 2008 12:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Davide

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Post by Jason Pipes »

Fantastic information!!! Thank you for sharing this material. :beer:
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Re: 15. Panzer Division in Africa

Post by David W »

Ten years have passed since last we discussed this.

Any update on those port capacity figures for Tobruk & Benghazi?
Thanks. Dave.
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tigre
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Re: 15. Panzer Division in Africa

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; after seeing a picture..........................

PR 8 - Arrival in North Africa 1941

By February 4, 1941, the regiment was assembled in Schwetzingen, where it remained until March 2, 1941, before being transferred to the Baumholder military training area. Untl February 8, 1941, in Schwetzingen, 4 Panzer IV (7.5 KwK short) and 3 Panzer command vehicles were assigned to the regiment. Between February 16 and 22, 1941, 31 Panzer IIIs with the 5 cm KwK/long 42 were taken over and 31 Panzer IIIs with the 3.7 cm KwK were handed over. The equipment is completed in Schwetzingen, new Panzer IIs (Auf C) are taken over instead of the older Panzer IIs, and these are handed over to the depot.

The tank companies are reorganized and given new equipment: For the previous light companies: company HQ with 2 Panzer IIIs, 1 light platoon with 5 Panzer IIs, 3 platoons with 5 Panzer IIIs each; for the previous medium-sized companies: company HQ with 2 Panzer IVs, 1 light platoon with 5 Panzer IIs, 3 platoons with 5 Panzer IVs each. On March 15, 1941, Panzer Regiment 8 finally left the 10th Panzer Division and became assigned to the 15th Panzer Division. On April 11th, the first section begins to be loaded in Schwetzingen for rail transport via the Brenner Pass - Florence - Rome to the port of Naples. From here the regiment is to reach Africa by ship in 3 convoys. The ships of the convoys were: "Leverkusen", "Rialto", "Ankara", "Birmania", "Gritti", "Kybfels", "Poscarini", "Reichenfeld" and "Venerio".

The staff of the I. Abteilung with the 1st company reaches Africa on April 24, 1941. The regimental staff with the staff company, the 2nd, 3rd and 5th companies are unloaded in Tripoli on 5th May 1941, the staff of the II. Abteilung, with the 6th and 7th company arrives in Tripoli on May 6, 1941.

Sources: https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... er/PR8.htm
http://www.ebay.de/itm/15-Panzer-Div-Af ... 7675.l2557

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Arrival of PR 8 at Tripoli; in the picture Pz Kw III Ausf. H and Pz Kw II Ausf. C and Pz Kw IV Ausf. ? with 7,5 KwK kurz.................
Arrival of PR 8 at Tripoli; in the picture Pz Kw III Ausf. H and Pz Kw II Ausf. C and Pz Kw IV Ausf. ? with 7,5 KwK kurz.................
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