to two squadrons; No. 73 Squadron RAF and No. 3 Squadron RAAF. Two days later Erwin Rommel, commander of the German Africa Corps arrived in Tripoli followed by elements of what became the 21st Panzer Division on 14 February. On this date, ZG 26 suffered the first loss in Africa when III Gruppe Bf 110 was shot down and its pilot Unteroffizier Lippski and his gunner captured. A further loss occurred on 15 February, but III./ZG 26 claimed its first success in combat with 3 RAAF on 19 February. The German unit shielded II./StG 2, and at the cost of one Bf 110 and a Ju 87, destroyed two Hurricanes, killing one pilot. With Operation Sonnenblume in the full-swing, III./ZG 26 suffered two casualties on 23 February as Axis forces recaptured Cyrenaica. 7./ZG 26 lost one Bf 110 during the battle of Marsa Brega to 3 RAAF. On 3 April the 2nd Armoured Division retreated from Antelat, deserting No. 6 Squadron RAF which had arrived and been attached to it. The advance caught the squadron off guard and they retreated to Msus. During the day 6 squadron ran into a formation of II./StG 2 Ju 87s and eight Bf 110s from III./ZG 26. They claimed three certain and three probable victories against the Ju 87s; only one Ju 87 pilot was killed, and four of the Bf 110s. No German losses are stated, and ZG 26's claims of three Hurricanes cannot be confirmed for 6 Squadron's records were destroyed in the retreat. On 5 April six Bf 110s from ZG 26 strafed an airfield hitting five Bristol Blenheims, a Hurricane and a Lysander. Two of the Blenheim's and the Lysander were unflyable and burned during the retreat. In early April the frontline consolidated. The 7th Australian Division was landed at Tobruk on 7th and on the 8th the Axis landed the 15th Panzer Division to sustain the drive across Libya and into Egypt. The Allied forces dug in around the port, beginning the Siege of Tobruk. 6 and 73 Squadrons were left in the perimeter of Tobruk, while other Commonwealth units retreated into Egypt. British bomber forces continued long-range support operations; No. 55 Squadron RAF lost a bomber to III./ZG 26 in the process on 8 April. ZG 26 lost two more aircraft and one pilot filled the following day for a single claim, in action with 73 squadron, while