Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- World War II - Libya and Egypt , autumn 1941–summer 1942
- Erwin Rommel
- World War II - Egypt and Cyrenaica , 1940–summer 1941
- North Africa campaigns - Egypt and Libya (Autumn 1941–January 1943)
- North Africa campaigns - Montgomery in the desert
- North Africa campaigns - Rommel’s advance and the fall of Tobruk
- North Africa campaigns - The Second Battle of El-Alamein
- Normandy Invasion - Fortress Europe
Why did Erwin Rommel advance beyond his initial orders in Libya in 1941?
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Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel, 1941.
In April 1941, Erwin Rommel advanced beyond his initial orders to stand still for two months because he recognized an opportunity to capitalize on the depleted strength of the British forces in North Africa.
After arriving in Libya to assist the Italian army, Rommel demonstrated his characteristic boldness and initiative by launching an offensive with the limited forces he had available. Despite receiving explicit orders to remain stationary, he resumed his advance on April 2, 1941, with 50 tanks and two Italian divisions. This decision proved rapidly successful, leading to the evacuation of Benghazi by the British the following day and the subsequent reconquest of Cyrenaica—with the exception of Tobruk—by April 11.1