Italy Invades British Somaliland On the 25th June 1942, following the Eighth Army’s rout at Gazala, its further defeat by Rommel at Mersa Matruh and the fall of Tobruk, Claude Auchinleck, the Commander in Chief of British forces in the Middle East, dismissed Lt General Neil Ritchie as commander of the Eighth Army and assumed direct command himself. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. He was also hampered by supply issues particularly fuel. HMS 'Hood' Sunk by 'Bismarck' Allied infantrymen had varying opinions regarding armoured support, feeling that sometimes the tanks provided welcome support and protection, but also that sometimes they failed them completely. Axis: Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's Panzer Armee Afrika (German and Italian troops).Outcome: Allies halt Axis drive into Egypt. In reality there were limited gains for the British on the opening days. With the Axis forces stubbornly holding their lines intact, Montgomery worried that his offensive was becoming bogged down. public. Kennedy Hickman Updated March 05, 2020 The First Battle of El Alamein was fought July 1-27, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945). In June Expecting the worst, Auchinleck was preparing defences as far east as the Gaza Strip in Palestine, and these very visible contingency plans did nothing to boost the 8th Army's morale. W. Churchill Coalition Government leadership of Nation in wartime. Evacuation Liberation of Belsen Despite these difficulties, Rommel’s armour had crossed the British minefields by the following midday and had wheeled left ready to carry out their main attack. German’s batteries were continuously starved of ammo during the Montgomery was now piling on the pressure. Men of the 2/3rd Australian Pioneer Battalion behind the railway embankment near the Blockhouse.     “Monty” – as he was universally known – set about making positive changes in the Eighth Army, training it and preparing it for the battles to come. Burma-Thailand Railway The Blitz The remaining 600 machines were Valentines and However, at this point Montgomery hesitated and Rommel was able to break away with the German 90th Light Division securing the German retreat. with us and joining us in our global online community. WAAF The British victory at Alamein and, a few months later, the Russian victory at Stalingrad mark the watershed of the Second World War in Europe. This was followed by a tense stand-off lasting until the Second Battle of El Alamein, with neither army giving up much ground. battle was entirely his but in fact it was prepared by Auchinleck staff before Gunners of 2/8th Australian Field Regiment firing a 25-pounder during the July battle. close range. They would open paths in the minefield through which the armoured divisions of 10th Corps would pass. registering for a free account Here, the battlefield narrowed between the coast and the impassable Qattara Depression. Formation of the Home Guard Amiens Prison Raid anti-tank weapon. Fall of Singapore and Malaya was 800 of this potent small guns to s give British infantry effective This was expression of heavy criticism of Persia Invaded A few days later, on the 13th August Montgomery arrived and took command of the Eighth Army. Channel Islands Invaded Operation Crusader Battle of Gazala By the end of the month, both sides had fought each other to a standstill. To find out more about the Battles of Gazala & Tobruk mentioned above, click below on Other British Battles of World War Two. Churchill arrived in Cairo in early August and appointed Harold Alexander in place of Auchinleck as Commander-in-Chief Middle East. Successful Operation Torch will force Rommel to withdraw his army Antwerp Captured Monty superiority in amour was enormous. Ruhr Air Offensive   Madagascar Captured It was fought between two of the best commanders in World War II, Montgomery for the Allies and Rommel for the Axis between 23 October – 4 November 1942 . On 4 July, Rommel acknowledged in a letter to his wife that things were not going well - his army was exhausted and the Allied resistance simply too great. Second Moscow Conference But again Rommel counter-attacked. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. Arnhem (Market-Garden) Women's Volunteer Groups, Battle of the Atlantic Beveridge Report Declaration of War on Germany VE Day On that day he asked Hitler for permission to withdraw. Fighting then spread to other parts of the front and continued for most of July. Together with the Battle of Stalingrad in Russia, it also proved to be the turning point of the entire war in Europe. For his political masters, Auchinleck’s efforts in North Africa were too little too late. Channel Dash Even though the enemy’s counter-attacks were largely unsuccessful, Montgomery’s plan was not entirely going to plan and he was forced to change and adapt as the battle progressed. Auchinleck and de Guingand had already drawn up contingence plans to deal with such an attack but it was left to the new commander of the Eighth Army to execute the plans. Battle for Sidi Barani, East African Campaign Use this login for Shop items, and image, film, sound reproductions, throughout Australia.   Changing tactics from the drive westwards, he ordered the Australians of 9th Division to switch their attack northward. Deception plans were now employed by the British. Coalition government of Mr. Churchill was rapidly loosing popularity. Battle of Arras The bombardment started on the night of 23 October, but crumbling the German defences proved more difficult than expected. Ho The Battle of El Alamein (second battle), was one of the most decisive victories in WWII. Cairo Conference About de Guingand, Montgomery was later in the war to write, “I do not know what I should do without him as he is quite first class”. With his lines compromised and no further reply back from Germany for his second request to retreat, Rommel ordered a general withdrawal. 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. Victory here was a strategic necessity for Britain who desperately needed to defeat Rommel and take control of the Mediterranean while also needing to prove to their new partner, the USA that they were capable of fighting and winning. Allied and Commonwealth Forces After five days trying to break the British defensive position around Alam el Halfa, Rommel decided to abandon the offensive citing a lack of fuel, Allied air superiority and the loss of surprise. Dodecanese Islands Conference and were not fully battle worthy in open desert warfare due to archaic sponson Places such as Thompson’s Post, the Fig Orchard, the Blockhouse and the Saucer became an inferno of fire and steel as the Australians weathered the storm of bombs, shells and bullets. The Axis forces comprised German and Italian troops and were known as Panzerarmee Afrika, led by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, “The Desert Fox”. First Battle of El-Alamein Battle of the Bulge, Battles of Mandalay and Meiktila Both sides were tired and their resources depleted. Third Battle-was By the end of June, Rommel had forced the Allies back deep into Egypt, and the capture of Cairo and the Suez Canal seemed a very real possibility. The Second Battle of El Alamein, Egypt (23 October–11 November 1942) was a decisive battle in the Second World War. and victory. Fall of Hong Kong Washington Conference, Formation of the Pacific War Council St Nazaire Raid The number of tanks was greatly increased with the arrival of the Sherman. Italy Invades Egypt Come and see why. This include 300 new Sherman which could not be matched by any of By committing German Panzer Divisions to counter-attacks to protect his lines, he sustained further tank losses from Allied artillery and anti-tank guns. De Guingand just happened to be a man who got along with the next commander of the Eighth Army, Bernard Montgomery, a man known for being difficult with colleagues. Battle of Mareth Line Closing the Falaise Gap Within days of the start of the battle the Australian 9th Division had entered the line in the north, and a further two Indian Infantry Brigades arrived to further bolster the defences. All three battles are highly controversial; First Battle-General Auchinleck saved the situation but he and appointing Montgomery mounted of the main armament. The Eighth Army was enlarged in size from two Corps to three. Civilian Internment The infantry units cleared the way for the armoured divisions, and Rommel, his army depleted and his petrol almost finished, decided the battle was lost. In this last and desperate attempt to oust the Allies from the Alamein line, German and Italian armoured forces massed in the southern sector and made a sweeping hook that drove the Allies back to the Alam el Halfa Ridge. In five days the successful withdrawal to El Alamein was achieved in spite of some difficult and worrying moments en route. Merchant Navy First Battle of El Alamein (1st July 1942 – 27th July 1942) For five days, from the 1st July, Rommel attacked the British defensive position which held despite all his efforts. He also improved relations between the army and the Desert Air Force, ensuring a more unified attack plan. Allies: General Claude Auchinleck's 8th Army consisting of 30th Corps, 13th Corps and 10th Corps (British, Australian, South African, Indian, New Zealand and French troops). The Second Battle of El Alamein was a turning point in the North African campaign. Lt Gen Montgomery (wearing slouch hat) shortly after taking command of the Eighth Army in August 1942. V-weapons Attack Britain In addition, they faced incessant Allied bombing from the DAF, an acute shortage of petrol for their tanks, and a diversionary raid by Australians in the north. Operation Bluecoat anyway. This was a British re-designed American tank, which was to become the armoured backbone of the British and American armies for the remainder of the war.

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