crusader tanks at 2nd battle of el alamein

After a number of alternative plans came to nothing, Auchinleck was replaced by the partnership of General Alexander as Commander-in-Chief in the Middle East and General Montgomery as commander of the Eighth Army. He had decided to change the command structure in the Middle East, although at first Auchinleck was to retain his position as commander-in-chief. Churchill visited the Middle East on his way to a meeting with Stalin in Moscow. This first battle of El Alamein (1-27 July 1942) was a clear British victory, and stopped Rommel's victorious march into Cairo (Mussolini had been so confident that he had flown to Africa ready for his victory march in Cairo, but then had to fly home on 20 July when it became clear that the attacks had failed).Īuchinleck's time in command soon came to an end. The fighting continued for the rest of July, and was largely dominated by a series of British counterattacks, which also made little if any progress. By now Rommel's army was also exhausted, and skilful handling of his troops on Auchinleck's part meant that the attack failed. Fortunately a new defensive position was already under construction at El Alamein, but it was by no means complete when Rommel launched his first attack on it (1-5 July). General Auchinleck, the Commander-in-Chief in the Middle East, took command of the Eighth Army soon after the end of the battle, but his first time in command began with a further defeat at Mersa Matruh (27-28 June 1942), until then seen as the last defensive position before the Nile Delta. After some hard fighting the British were forced in a fairly chaotic retreat back towards Egypt. Rommel moved first, and the battle of Gazala (26 May-14 June 1942) turned into one of his most significant victories.

A period of stability then followed, as both sides prepared for their next offensive. The British retreat ended at Gazala, just to the west of Tobruk, where they were able to take advantage existing Axis fortifications to stop Rommel's advance. When Rommel launched a minor raid to improve his position he discovered how weak the British position was, and turned the raid into a major offensive ( Rommel's Second Offensive, 21 January-4 February 1942). At the start of 1942 Rommel had been pushed back to El Algeila, at the western end of Cyrenaica, but the pursuing British forces were badly stretched.

Crusader tanks at 2nd battle of el alamein