Auchinleck called off the attacks at the end of July to rebuild the army. The depression was impassable and meant that any attack had to be frontal Axis attacks in the First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July) had been defeated.Įighth Army counter-attacks in July also failed, as the Axis forces dug in and regrouped. General Claude Auchinleck withdrew the Eighth Army to within 80 km (50 mi) of Alexandria where the Qattara Depression was 64 km (40 mi) south of El Alamein on the coast. The Axis advance threatened British control of the Suez Canal, the Middle East and its oil resources. Panzer Army Africa ( Panzerarmee Afrika/ Armata Corazzata Africa, Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel), composed of German and Italian tank and infantry units, had advanced into Egypt after its success at the Battle of Gazala (26 May – 21 June 1942). The end of the battle coincided with the Allied invasion of French North Africa in Operation Torch on 8 November, which opened a second front in North Africa.įurther information: Second Battle of El Alamein order of battle Erwin Rommel (left) in his Sd.Kfz. The battle revived the morale of the Allies, being the first big success against the Axis since Operation Crusader in late 1941. The Allied victory at El Alamein was the beginning of the end of the Western Desert Campaign, eliminating the Axis threat to Egypt, the Suez Canal and the Middle Eastern and Persian oil fields. Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery was appointed and led the Eighth Army offensive. In August 1942, General Claude Auchinleck had been relieved as Commander-in-Chief of Middle East Command and his successor, Lieutenant-General William Gott was killed on his way to replace him as commander of the Eighth Army. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa had prevented the Axis from advancing further into Egypt. The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian railway halt of El Alamein.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |