Enormous dust-clouds could be seen south and south-east of headquarters [of the DAK], where the desperate struggle of the small and inefficient Italian tanks of XX Corps was being played out against the hundred or so British heavy tanks which had come round their open right flank. I was later told by Major von Luck, whose battalion I had sent to close the gap between the Italians and the Afrika Korps, that the Italians, who at that time represented our strongest motorised force, fought with exemplary courage. Tank after tank split asunder or burned out, while all the time a tremendous British barrage lay over the Italian infantry and artillery positions. The last signal came from the Ariete at about 15.30 hours: Enemy tanks penetrated south of Ariete. Ariete now encircled. Location 5 km north-west Bir el Abd. Ariete tanks still in action." [...] In the Ariete we lost our oldest Italian comrades, from whom we had probably always demanded more than they, with their poor armament, had been capable of performing.
在指挥部的南侧与东南侧能看到大量烟尘,一小股隶属20军,装备不足的意军坦克部队,正在尽可能的与上百辆攻击他们暴露右翼的英军重型坦克搏斗。冯·卢克少校,作为被我派遣去填补意大利军队与北非军团中间的空隙的营的指挥官,事后告诉我,那里的意大利部队,当时是我们最强的摩托化部队了,顽强而又英勇的战斗着。意军的坦克一辆又一辆的被撕成碎片,或是火光冲天,而英军的炮火连续不断的轰击着意军的步兵和火炮阵地。15:30的时候,我们收到了来自意大利白羊座装甲师的最后一条通信:
“敌军坦克已经突破了白羊座的南侧,我们已经被彻底包围。地点Bir el Abd西北侧5公里,白羊座仍然在奋战。”
我们失去了白羊座,一位我们熟识已久的朋友,我们也许总是要求他们太多,特别是在他们装备如此糟糕的情况下,执行一些远超于他们能力的任务。
这里是隆美尔在第二次阿拉曼战役末尾对于白羊座装甲师的描述