why was the battle of el alamein importantaudit assistant manager duties and responsibilities

Some 10mi (16km) to the south lay the Ruweisat Ridge, a low stony prominence that gave excellent observation for many miles over the surrounding desert; 20mi (32km) to the south was the Qattara Depression. It ended the long fight for the Western Desert, and was the only great land battle won by the British and. Rommel attacked this line on July 1, but the next day the British commander, Gen. Claude Auchinleck, counterattacked, and a battle of attrition developed. The fighting for Tel el Eisa was costly, but by the afternoon the Australians controlled the feature. Battle of El Alamein | World War 2 Facts Battles of El-Alamein, (127 July 1942, 23 October11 November 1942), World War II events. The two New Zealand brigades shortly before dawn on 15 July took their objectives, but minefields and pockets of resistance left behind the forward troops' advance created disarray among the attackers, impeding the move forward of reserves, artillery, and support arms. [78], While the 2nd New Zealand Division attacked the western slopes of Ruweisat Ridge, the Indian 5th Brigade made small gains on Ruweisat ridge to the east. However, the supporting anti-tank units became lost in the darkness or delayed by minefields, leaving the attackers isolated and exposed when daylight came. The line the British chose to defend stretched between the sea and the Depression, which meant that Rommel could outflank it only by taking a significant detour to the south and crossing the Sahara Desert. The grim struggle that rolled back and forth across the North African desert from 1940 to 1943 resulted in the first major Allied victory of the Second World War. The British Embassy and GHQ burnt piles of classified papers, showering the city with ash and charred documents. German air units were also exhausted and providing little help against the RAF's all-out attack on the Axis supply lines which, with the arrival of United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) heavy bombers, could reach as far as Benghazi. Captured Afrika Korps troops [109] To the south, the British 69th Brigade set off at 01:30 and managed to take their objectives by about 08:00. The raiding parties were to be provided by 1st Armoured Division. [98], The attack by Indian 161st Brigade had mixed fortunes. Defensive positions were constructed west of Alexandria and on the approaches to Cairo while considerable areas in the Nile delta were flooded. [108] The Australian 24th Brigade managed to take their objectives on Miteirya Ridge by 02:00[g] of 27 July. The Battle of El Alamein - History Learning Site Read more. When we took prisoners we treated them fine and they treated us fine. Now that the British had moved over to the offensive, the proposed battlefield also suited the British Eighth Army, whose main strength lay in its artillery and infantry formations. They ran into 15th Panzer Division just south of Deir el Shein and drove it west. 812, Johnston and Stanley (2002), pp. Soldiers of 4th Indian Division in action, Tunisia, April 1943. Only then did they discover that the withdrawal order had been given. Major-General Gatehousecommanding 1st Armoured Divisionhad been unconvinced that a path had been adequately cleared in the minefields and had suggested the advance be cancelled. Middle East The British would break into the Axis line and force them to counterattack. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. Rommel had about 105,000 men and 500 tanks to the 195,000 men and 1,000 tanks of the 8th Army. Ritchie had decided not to hold the defences on the Egyptian border, because the defensive plan there was for infantry to hold defended localities and a strong armoured force behind them to meet any attempts to penetrate or outflank the fixed defences. [63][64] The next day, 21. Destroyed German tank Thoroughly enjoyed it. When Rommel attacked at Alam Halfa at the end of August he was deftly repulsed. [60] During the day, more than 1,000 Italian prisoners were taken. Rommel's plan was for the 90th Light Division and the 15th and 21st Panzer divisions of the Afrika Korps to penetrate the Eighth Army lines between the Alamein box and Deir el Abyad (which he believed was defended). [106][110] Rommel launched an immediate counter-attack and the German armoured battlegroups overran the two forward battalions of 69th Brigade. [28] Rommel had planned to attack on 30 June but supply and transport difficulties had resulted in a day's delay, vital to the defending forces reorganising on the Alamein line. In fact the actual number on 26 June was 104 compared with 155 tanks in Eighth Army. 3, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1966 Last updated: 27 January 2022 Explore the Collection Recovering and reinforcing, new leadership . Even now it was no easy business, and on 3 November 9th Armoured Brigade lost 102 of its 128 tanks. The landingsbegan on 8 November and forced the Axis to fight on two fronts. [15] As the 21st Panzer moved on Minqar Qaim, the 2nd New Zealand Division found itself surrounded but broke out on the night of 27/28 June without serious losses and withdrew east. It deserves remembering, and with justifiable pride. At 9.40pm on Friday 23 October 1942, the Battle of El Alamein began with a four-hour ground and air bombardment launched by Britain and its allies. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa had prevented the Axis from advancing further into Egypt. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. El Alamein, Battle of a battle of the Second World War fought in 1942 at El Alamein in Egypt, 90 km (60 miles) west of Alexandria. This was deeply controversial when it first appeared, but the passage of time has reinforced many of its judgements. Lieutenant-General Bernard Law Montgomery (1887-1976) was one of the most capableand controversial British commanders. [49][59] By early afternoon, the feature was captured and was then held against a series of Axis counter-attacks throughout the day. [41] By the end of the day, the Ariete Division had only five tanks. The plan was to break the enemy line south of Miteirya ridge and exploit north-west. El Alamein, Battle of. Robcolin line with normal British Army practice for ad hoc formationswas named after its commander, Brigadier Robert Waller, the Commander Royal Artillery of the 10th Indian Infantry Division. Let us know. [31], At about 10:00 on 1 July, 21st Panzer Division attacked Deir el Shein. British and Commonwealth intervention and evacuation followed before a vicious partisan conflict began. [22] The Axis, too, believed that the capture of Egypt was imminent; Italian leader Benito Mussolinisensing a historic momentflew to Libya to prepare for his triumphal entry into Cairo. On the right, the attacking battalion broke into the Deir el Shein position but was driven back in hand-to-hand fighting. On what came to be referred to as "Ash Wednesday", at British headquarters, rear echelon units and the British Embassy, papers were hurriedly burned in anticipation of the fall of the city. However, when the Italians were defeated, Germany intervened on behalf of its ally in the spring of 1941. Last updated 2011-02-17. The British had stopped his drive to overrun Egypt and seize the canal. Brooke and Auchinleck had both thought Montgomery a better candidate than Gott but Churchill had favoured his appointment. There were no civvies mixed up in it. This made him a household name and secured him prestigious commands in Italy and North-West Europe. Thought the presentation & interpretation made the subject accessible". National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Road, London, SW3 4HTRegistered Charity Number: 237902, Bernard Law Montgomery: Unbeatable and unbearable. [98], Compounding the disaster at El Mreir, at 08:00 the commander of 23rd Armoured Brigade ordered his brigade forward, intent on following his orders to the letter. And to the assertion that Montgomery, with numbers of men and equipment on his side, was bound to win at El Alamein, I respond that there were previous occasions when the British should have won the desert war but had failed to do so. During 1944-45, the Allies endured months of fighting against a determined enemy. The German Afrika Korps under Rommel was halted in its advance towards the Nile by the British 8th Army under Montgomery, giving a decisive British victory. [106][111] Meanwhile, 50th RTR supporting the Australians was having difficulty locating the minefield gaps made by Australian 2/24th Battalion. BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. List of German military equipment of World War II, List of Italian military equipment in World War II, List of British military equipment of World War II, List of Australian military equipment of World War II, List of World War II North Africa Airfields, "Commemorations to mark 75th anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein | Ministry for Culture and Heritage", "75 years since New Zealand handed Nazi Germany its first land defeat of WWII", "Street name honouring Mori Battalion commander a 'spiritual return' Granddaughter says", "Scoullar (1955), Chapters 10, 11 and 12", "The Role of the 1st South African Division during the First Battle of El Alamein, 130 July 1942", "Perimeters in Paragraphs: The Axis Invades Egypt", First Battle of El Alamein, from Italian "Comando Supremo", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=First_Battle_of_El_Alamein&oldid=1151339710, 96,000 troops (56,000 Italian, 40,000 German), This page was last edited on 23 April 2023, at 11:59. However, the British were not to know just how weak he was. This was a position that, unlike others in the desert, could not be turned by a flanking manoeuvre. These articles have not yet undergone the rigorous in-house editing or fact-checking and styling process to which most Britannica articles are customarily subjected. By the end of the day's fighting, the Afrika Korps had 37 tanks left out of its initial complement of 55. Military history, like so much else, is prey to the dictates of fashion. We had a go at them, and they had a go at us. [106], This was the third attempt to break through in the northern sector, and the Axis defenders were expecting the attack. The Second Battle of El Alamein was fought from October 23, 1942 to November 5, 1942 during World War II (1939-1945) and was the turning point of the campaign in the Western Desert. Although these articles may currently differ in style from others on the site, they allow us to provide wider coverage of topics sought by our readers, through a diverse range of trusted voices. [92], Auchinleck's plan was for Indian Infantry 161st Brigade to attack along Ruweisat ridge to take Deir el Shein, while the New Zealand 6th Brigade attacked from south of the ridge to the El Mreir depression. Interested in participating in the Publishing Partner Program? The 8.15 to War by Peter Roach. At the same time, the fresh Indian 161st Infantry Brigade reinforced the depleted Indian 5th Infantry Division. As a result, the New Zealand brigades occupied exposed positions on the ridge without support weapons except for a few anti-tank guns. [107] Like the previous attacks, it was hurriedly and therefore poorly planned. However, sometimes the responsibility lay with the generals. His policy was to "hit the Italians wherever possible in view of their low morale and because the Germans cannot hold extended fronts without them. The bombardment began on the night of 23-4 October, and although the sheer depth of the Axis position absorbed much of it, its bowel-loosening ferocity helped inspire the attack and discourage the defence.

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