SECOND BATTLE OF EL ALAMEIN 145
Oct 24 The 13th
Corps launches
diversionary attacks.Jan 23 Rommel
crosses into Tunisia.SECOND BATTLE
OF EL ALAMEIN
The key battle of the Western Desert Campaign took place around
the Egyptian town of El Alamein from October to November 1942.
It proved to be a watershed, stopping the Axis advance into Egypt,
ending the threat to the Suez Canal, and forcing Rommel’s troops,
including the formidable Afrika Korps, to retreat into Tunisia.
Axis retreatAllied advance,
with dates of captureKEY3
2
31TIMELINEOCT 1, 1942 OCT 15 NOV 1 NOV 15KEYAfter their failure to break through
British lines at Alam Halfa in August
1942 (see pp.142–143), the Axis forces
were on the defensive, and their
supply lines were badly overstretched.
However, General Montgomery did not
immediately counterattack, choosing
instead to build up his forces, gather
intelligence, and further choke Axis
supplies before launching an attack
that he hoped would be decisive.
By October, the Axis forces were
outnumbered and outgunned. The
Allies fielded 195,000 men, 1,029 tanks,
435 armored cars, 900 artillery pieces,
1,451 anti-tank guns, and 750 aircraft.
In response, the combined German and
Italian forces numbered 116,000 men,and were equipped with 547 tanks,
192 armored cars, 552 artillery pieces,
and up to 1,060 anti-tank guns, as well
as around 900 aircraft. The inevitable
Allied attack finally came on October 23,
1942, with Rommel away in Germany
for medical treatment; he returned
to Africa on October 25. The Axis
forces put up fierce resistance, but by
November 4, Rommel was in retreat
toward Tunisia. The Allies had won,
and plans were underway to clear the
Axis forces from Africa (see pp.146–147).
The second Battle of El Alamein was
a turning point for the Western Allies
and also a boost to flagging morale, as
Britain celebrated a major success, the
first for its land forces since 1939.PURSUIT INTO TUNISIA
Rommel retreated west from El Alamein,
pursued by the British. Temporary Axis
defensive positions collapsed one after
another, and the main defensive line at El
Agheila was outflanked on December 14.
Rommel’s forces were chased through
Libya and entered Tunisia on January 23.ALLIED TERRITORY
On Oct 23 By Oct 29 By Nov 2 By Nov 4BritishFree FrenchALLIED FORCES
GreekIndianTo Tunisia▲South AfricanNew ZealandAustralianAXIS FORCES
German ItalianAerial bombardmentAllied attacksMajor engagementsAxis attacksAxis retreatOPERATION SUPERCHARGE
NOVEMBER 2–4, 1942
Aware that Rommel was short of fuel, Montgomery
set out to break through the final German defenses in
Operation Supercharge—the most intense part of
the battle at El Alamein. A ferocious and protracted
bombardment of Tel el Aqqaqir and Sidi Abd Rahman
helped the Allies achieve a final breakthrough in the
north. On November 2, Rommel told Hitler that he
faced annihilation and was ordered to “stand and die.”
Two days later, Rommel’s forces withdrew.BATTLE IN THE DESERT
The decisive battle in the North
Africa campaign took place some
9 miles (15 km) to the west of the
Egyptian railroad stop of El Alamein.
It proved to be an important victory
for the Allied forces.Dec 24, 1942–Jan 13, 1943
Rommel halts behind a
defensive line at Wadi Zemzem.
Allied supply lines are too
stretched to follow immediately. Nov 24–Dec 13 Rommel halts
behind a defensive line at El Agheila.British
8th ArmyBritish
30th CorpsGerman
Afrika Korps
El AlameinEl ImayidSidi Abd
RahmanBritish
13th CorpsBritish
10th CorpsRuweisat
RidgeKidney
RidgeE
G
Y
P
T
Tel el AqqaqirMite
iriya (^) R
idg
e
El Taka Plateau
Qa
tta
ra (^) D
epression
M e d i t e r r a n e a n
(^)
S
e
a
4 Nov
7 Nov
11 Nov
13 Nov
15 Nov
20 Nov
25 Dec
S
e
a
19 Jan
23 Jan
Qattara
Depression
Wadi
Zemzem
M e d i t e r r a n e
a
n
E G
Y
P
T
L
I B
Y A
TUNISIA
El Alamein
Fuka
Sidi Barrani Mersa Matruh
Bardia
Tobruk
Gazala
Derna
Benghazi
Msus
Agedabia
El Agheila
Meduma
Sirte
Homs
Buerat
Tripoli
US_144-145_British_triumph_Alamein.indd 145 24/05/19 1:16 PM