How did Rommel retake Cyrenaica from the British in 1941?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Map showing the British and Axis military campaigns in North Africa during World War II, with labeled troop movements, key battles, and shifting front lines from Egypt across Libya to Tunisia along the Mediterranean coast. The map includes arrows and dates marking advances and retreats by both sides, and highlights major turning points and defensive lines. — North Africa campaigns Military drives, defensive lines, and key battles during the North Africa campaigns of World War II, 1940–43.

In early 1941, the British position in Cyrenaica was significantly weakened because Winston Churchill redeployed a large portion of the British forces to Greece to counter German ambitions there.12

Taking advantage of this depletion, Erwin Rommel—who had arrived in Tripolitania in February 1941 to assist the Italians—launched an offensive with his mechanized forces. Despite receiving orders to remain stationary, Rommel initiated an advance on April 2, 1941, with 50 tanks and two Italian divisions. The British forces, caught off guard and lacking sufficient strength, fell back in confusion, evacuating Benghazi on April 3. By April 11, Rommel had successfully reconquered all of Cyrenaica, with the notable exception of the fortress at Tobruk, which continued to hold out against his forces.12