| 4th | Top Axis named operations in the European Theatre: 1940 |
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Operation Sunflower (German: Unternehmen Sonnenblume) was the deployment of German troops (the “Afrika Korps”) to North Africa in February 1941, during the Second World War. These troops reinforced the remaining Italian forces in Libya after the Italian Tenth Army was destroyed by British attacks during Operation Compass.
The order for Unternehmen Sonnenblume was issued by Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (German High Command) to OKH and OKL (army and airforce commands, respectively) on February 6, 1941. Two days later the first units departed Naples for Africa and arrived on February 11. On February 14 the first units of the 5th Light Division (later renamed 21st Panzer Division) arrived in Tripoli, Libya. These units were the 3rd Reconnaissance battalion and Tankhunter unit 39; they were sent immediately to the front line at Sirte.
During the following months, more 5th Light Division units arrived and in May the 15th Panzer Division was embarked for north Africa.
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The 5.leichte-Division's (mot) (5th Light Division) tank regiment, Panzer-Regiment 5, arrived in North Africa aboard two convoys between the March 8 and 10 1941.[1] The regiment, 155 tanks strong, consisted of 25 Panzer Is, 45 Panzer IIs, 61 Panzer IIIs, 17 Panzer IVs, 3 kleine Panzerbefehlswagen and 4 Panzerbefehlswagen.[2]
While the tanks of the regiment were being loaded onto Italian cargo ships in the port of Naples, the cargo ship Leverkusen caught fire and sank resulting in the loss of the 10 Panzer III's and 3 Panzer IV's on board. 10 Panzer III replacements (a mixture of Ausf F and G models) were requisitioned from Panzer-Regiment 6 and 3 newly produced Panzer IV Ausf E were shipped to Libya[2] between April 10 and 14.[3] However they did not reach the regiment until April 29.[2]
A further 25 Panzer I Ausf A were shipped over to North Africa to reinforce the regiment arriving in Tripoli on May 10.[2]
The on paper peak strength of the 5th Light Division in North
Africa was therefore:
50 Panzer I, 45 Panzer II, 71 Panzer III, 20 Panzer IV, 3 kleine
Panzerbefehlswagen, 4 Panzerbefehlswagen.
All the tanks in Panzer-Regiment 5 were still painted dark grey (RAL 7021 dunkelgrau) and carried the 3.Panzer-Division's divisional emblem (inverted Y with two strikes)[4]
Panzer-Regiment 8 was previously subordinate to the 10.Panzer-Division before being reassigned on January 18 to the newly created 15.Panzer-Division, itself created from the 33.Infanterie-Division.[2]
Panzer-Regiment 8 was shipped across to North Africa in three convoys between April 25 and May 6 1941. The regiment, 146 tanks strong, consisted of 45 Panzer II's, 71 Panzer III's, 20 Panzer IV's, 4 kleine Panzerbefehlswagen and 6 Panzerbefehlswagen. By May 28 1941 the entire regiment had assembled at the front[5]
Following the fighting which had taken place during 1939 and 1940, the German Army was in the process of increasing the armour thickness on all of its tank designs thus factories were producing tanks with increased armour thickness. However for those tanks already in service, field modifications were made where armoured plates were bolted onto the tanks to bring them up to the new specifications.
The majority, but not all, of tanks from the 5 and 8 Panzer-Regiment’s shipped across to North Africa during Operation Sonnenblume had received these field modifications and a small number were from the new factory production run.[6]
All tanks which were sent to North Africa were also modified for the tropical conditions, this included improving the engine air cooling circulation, the speed of the radiator fan increased and holes cut into hatch covers on the rear decks on the tanks.[6]
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