This narrow time period is pregnant with AH opportunity. The Axis mounting a successful campiagn against the ME while Britain was so busy with the BoB, invasion scare, the blitz and the 1st uboat happy time. Or Britain taking all of Libya before Rommels arrival, and perhaps holding Crete as well, destroying the Italian fleet and Bismark/Prinz Eugene and thus removing so much painful tooing and froing from the war. _______________ As for OConnor, he was captured on about the 10th April somewhere near Mechilli, I think, 2 weeks after Rommel had gotten off to a great start and already cut across the Benghazi bulge to surround the weakened Brit forces. His ability to influence the battle if he avioded capture would be limited to stopping Rommels headlong advance from the Mechilli area to the border, by commanding what was left of the already defeated Brit forces. He may have made operations Brevity and Battleaxe more successful later on though.