On 23 October-4 November 1942, the Battle of El Alamein was fought in North Africa between the Allies under Bernard Montgomery against the Axis under Erwin Rommel during the Second World War.
Why did it happen?
Beginning in March 1941, the Axis forces of Germany and Italy landed in North Africa and advanced from Tunisia through Libya towards British-controlled Egypt, where they hoped to move on to capture the oilfields of Iraq and Iran. In July 1942, Axis forces under Erwin Rommel defeated the British at the Battle of Gazala and drove them back towards Egypt, where the Axis threatened the port city of Alexandria and the Suez Canal. However, the Axis advance was halted by a defensive line located 100km west of Alexandria that stretched from El Alamein in the north to the impassable Qattara Depression in the south. Despite repulsing Axis forces on 27 July, General Claude Auchinleck was dismissed as Eighth Army commander and replaced by General Bernard Montgomery, who began to build up his forces for a major offensive. On 31 August, Erwin Rommel was defeated at the Battle of Alam Halfa and was replaced by General Georg von Stumme. While Rommel was granted sick leave and taken to Austria for treatment, Stumme faced Montgomery at El Alamein in late October.
Who was involved?
The Allied army at El Alamein numbered 195,000 infantry, 1,029 tanks and 900 artillery. The Allied army comprised the XIII Corps under Brian Horrocks on the left wing, the XXX Corps under Oliver Leese on the right wing and the 1st and 10th Armoured Divisions in reserve. As stated by R.G. Grant, the Allied plan at El Alamein was “a frontal offensive closer in spirit to World War I than to Blitzkrieg. An artillery barrage would prepare the way for infantry to advance through the minefields, clearing a path along which tanks would follow” (Grant, 2005, p.302). The Axis army at El Alamein numbered 104,000 infantry, 489 tanks, and 500 artillery. Unlike Rommel, who excelled at manoeuvre warfare, Stumme planned to hold the line along the Axis minefields stretching from the North African coast to the Qattara Depression with his infantry. Stumme also stationed the 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions in reserve, ready to exploit any attempted breakthroughs by Allied forces.
What happened?
At 9.30 am on 23 October, Bernard Montgomery ordered a powerful artillery bombardment of the Axis positions. Twenty minutes later, at 9.50 am, Brian Horrock’s XII Corps thrust towards Jebel Kalakh and Himeimat. With Axis forces distracted in the south, Oliver Leese’s XXX Corps tore corridors through the Axis minefields towards Kidney and Miteirya Ridges, opening the way for the 10th Armoured Division. On 25 October, Erwin Rommel returned from Austria to take command of the Axis forces after Georg von Stumme died from a heart attack. On 31 October, Bernard Montgomery, undeterred by his lack of progress, ordered his central forces toward Tel el Aqqaqir where, supported by tanks, the attackers punched holes in the Axis defences, breaking out into the desert behind Axis lines. Finally, on 4 November, with just 35 tanks remaining, Erwin Rommel ordered a general withdrawal and abandoned most of his Italian troops. Throughout the battle, the Allies suffered 13,500 casualties, along with 500 tanks and 100 artillery destroyed. In contrast, the Axis suffered 20,000 killed or wounded, 30,000 captured, and 454 tanks destroyed.
What changed as a result?
The Battle of El Alamein was a decisive Allied victory. Along with the battles fought at Midway and Stalingrad during the same year, El Alamein is seen as a turning point in the Second World War. If Axis forces had won at El Alamein, not only would Britain have suffered one of its worst defeats in history, but the Germans and Italians would have been free to drive towards the oilfields of the Middle East from where they could support their forces fighting Russia in the Caucasus. In addition, command of the Suez Canal would have enabled German and Italian warships to cut Britain off from its territories in Southeast Asia and allow Germany to join forces with the Japanese in the Indian Ocean. The Axis defeat at El Alamein, combined with the German defeat at Stalingrad in February 1943, meant that the tide of the Second World War shifted decisively in favour of the Allies. As stated by Winston Churchill, “Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat” (Regan, 2002, p.201).
Bibliography
Grant, R.G. 1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History. London, Cassell Illustrated, 2011.
Grant, R.G. Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5,000 Years of Combat. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2005.
Regan, Geoffrey. Battles That Changed History: Fifty Decisive Battles Spanning Over 2,500 Years of Warfare. London, Andre Deutsch, 2002.
Robinson, Tony. Battles That Changed History. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2018.