preparation for the invasion of France and the Low Countries. In February 1940, General Erwin Rommel arrived to take command of the division. Mickl remained in charge of the 42nd Panzerjäger Battalion during the invasion. Mickl's battalion fought well but suffered serious casualties during the Battle of Arras on 21 May while trying to stop the heavily armoured tanks of the British 1st Army Tank Brigade with its 37 mm anti-tank guns. His soldiers derided their guns as Panzeranklopfgerät (tank-door knocker), due to their failure to penetrate the British Matilda I and Matilda II tanks. Mickl's battalion tried to protect the exposed flank of the division, but was overrun. The situation was saved by anti-aircraft guns and field artillery which were able to knock out the British tanks with direct fire. On 1 June, Mickl was promoted to Oberst and on 21 June awarded him the Iron Cross 1st Class. After the French surrender, Mickl was attached to the division's 25th Panzer Regiment, and on 10 December 1940 was appointed to command the 7th Rifle Regiment of the division. Mickl remained in command of the 7th Rifle Regiment during occupation duties in southwestern France, redeployment to Germany, and during the division's preparation for the invasion of the Soviet Union. In May 1941, Mickl was posted to a new role in Germany, raising the headquarters of the 155th Rifle Regiment for service in North Africa. The 155th Rifle Regiment was to be a motorised formation of three battalions, one drawn from each of the 106th, 112th and 113th Infantry Divisions. North Africa In August 1941, Panzer Group Afrika was raised, and the newly promoted General der Panzertruppe Rommel was placed in command. The Afrika Korps was assigned to Generalleutnant Ludwig Crüwell. Soon after, Mickl followed the battalions of his regiment to North Africa, arriving there in early September 1941. He found them to be under-equipped, having been furnished with only a few vehicles and only two 37 mm anti-tank guns per battalion. He considered that this would be sufficient for an attack on defensive positions, but completely inadequate for mobile operations. On 6 September, his regiment joined the Siege of Tobruk taking up positions at Ras el Mdauuar until the end of October, when it became part of the composite Afrika (Special Purpose) Division and prepared for an attack on the fortress. When a strong British reconnaissance force was reported far