Rommel's reward for his success was to be promoted and appointed commander of the 5th Light Division (later reorganised and redesignated "21.Panzer-Division") and of the "15.Panzer-Division" which, as the "Deutsches Afrikakorps,"() were sent to Libya in early 1941 in Operation Sonnenblume to aid the Italian troops which had suffered a heavy defeat from British Commonwealth forces in Operation Compass.
