 The Sirte, Tmed Hassan and Buerat strongholds were reinforced from Italy, which brought the 10th and 5th armies up to about German reinforcements were sent to Libya to form a blocking detachment () under Directive 22 (11 January), these being the first units of the "Afrika Korps" ("Generalleutnant" Erwin Rommel).In 1936, General Alberto Pariani had been appointed Chief of Staff of the army and begun a reorganisation of divisions to fight "wars of rapid decision", according to thinking that speed, mobility and new technology could revolutionise military operations.In 1937, three-regiment (triangular) divisions began to change to two-regiment binary divisions, as part of a ten-year plan to reorganise the standing army into twelve mountain, three motorised and three armoured divisions.