![]() ![]() At Alamein he commanded over 190,000 men from across the British Empire, Greece, Poland and France. Lieutenant-General Bernard Law Montgomery (1887-1976) was one of the most capable and controversial British commanders. Before he could resume the post, however, Gott was killed when his aircraft was shot down and Churchill made what was to prove a momentous decision – he replaced him with Lieutenant-General Bernard Law Montgomery. He decided to replace Auchinleck with General Sir Harold Alexander and entrusted the leadership of the Eighth Army in the field to General Gott. ![]() Prime Minister Winston Churchill himself flew out to Egypt to inspect the posisiotn on 5th August. Their attempts to break through enemey lines were thrown back by heavy losses and Field Marshall Auchinleck was forced to report back to Whitehall that he had to resume the defensive. The assault to become known as the First Battle of Alamein was a disaster for the Allies. Only a frontal attack could break through the line. The El Alamein ‘Line’ stretched 40 miles from the sea on one side to the Qattara Depression on the other, which meant that it was virtually impossible to outflank. The Eighth Army was in a sorry state after its mauling at Gazala, but despite German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel’s confidence, the British now held the best defensive position along the entire North African coast. In 1942 a revived Axis effort saw Rommel defeat the British at Gazala and capture Tobruk. Yet, by late 1941, when Rommel’s forces had overstretched their supply lines, they were forced to fall back in the face of a determined British offensive. Under the bold leadership of General Rommel, the Axis enjoyed startling successes, recapturing Libya and threatening Egypt. However, when the Italians were defeated, Germany intervened on behalf of its ally in the spring of 1941. ![]() This threatened Britain’s vital strategic assets, the Suez Canal and Persian oil fields. The Axis army of Italy and Germany suffered a decisive defeat by the British Eighth Army.Ĭonflict in North Africa had been ignited in 1940 by Italy’s invasion of Egypt from its colony of Libya. Fought near the western frontier of Egypt between 23 October and 4 November 1942, El Alamein was the climax and turning point of the North African campaign of World War Two (1939-45). ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |