BATTLE OF eL aLAMEIN
h The Allied Eighth Army under General Claude Auchinleck had retreated from Mersa Matruh to the Alamein Line, a forty mile gap between El Alamein and the Qattara Depression, in Egypt.
On July 1st, the German-Italian Afrika Korps led by Erwin Rommel attacked. The Allied line near El Alamein was not overrun until the evening and this hold up stalled the Axis advance.
On July 2nd, Rommel concentrated his forces in the north, intending to break through around El Alamein. Auchinleck ordered a counter-attack at the center of the Axis line but the attack failed. The Allies also attacked in the south and were more successful against the Italians. As a result of the Allied resistance, Rommel decided to regroup and defend the line reached.
Auchinleck attacked again on July 10th at Tel el Eisa in the north and over one thousand prisoners were taken. Rommel's counter at Tel el Eisa achieved little. Auchinleck then attacked again in the center at the Ruweisat Ridge in two battles - the First and Second Battles of Ruweisat on July 14th and July 21st. Neither battle was successful and the failure of armour to reach the infantry in time at the Second Battle led to the loss of 700 men. Despite this another two attacks were launched on July 27th. One in the north at Tel el Eisa was a moderate failure. The other at Miteiriya was more calametous, as the minefields were not cleared and the infantry was left without armor support when faced with a German counter-attack.
The Eighth Army was exhausted, and by July 31st, Auchinleck ordered an end to offensive operations and the strengthening of the defenses to meet a major counter-offensive.
The battle was a stalemate, but the Axis advance on Alexandria (and then Cairo) was halted.
Click below to play the animation of the attack of El Alamein.
On July 1st, the German-Italian Afrika Korps led by Erwin Rommel attacked. The Allied line near El Alamein was not overrun until the evening and this hold up stalled the Axis advance.
On July 2nd, Rommel concentrated his forces in the north, intending to break through around El Alamein. Auchinleck ordered a counter-attack at the center of the Axis line but the attack failed. The Allies also attacked in the south and were more successful against the Italians. As a result of the Allied resistance, Rommel decided to regroup and defend the line reached.
Auchinleck attacked again on July 10th at Tel el Eisa in the north and over one thousand prisoners were taken. Rommel's counter at Tel el Eisa achieved little. Auchinleck then attacked again in the center at the Ruweisat Ridge in two battles - the First and Second Battles of Ruweisat on July 14th and July 21st. Neither battle was successful and the failure of armour to reach the infantry in time at the Second Battle led to the loss of 700 men. Despite this another two attacks were launched on July 27th. One in the north at Tel el Eisa was a moderate failure. The other at Miteiriya was more calametous, as the minefields were not cleared and the infantry was left without armor support when faced with a German counter-attack.
The Eighth Army was exhausted, and by July 31st, Auchinleck ordered an end to offensive operations and the strengthening of the defenses to meet a major counter-offensive.
The battle was a stalemate, but the Axis advance on Alexandria (and then Cairo) was halted.
Click below to play the animation of the attack of El Alamein.