Mediterranean and North Africa · British Commonwealth vs Germany and Italy
Battle of Alam el Halfa
30 August 1942 – 5 September 1942
Rommel's last attempt to reach the Nile ran into Montgomery's prepared defence on the Alam el Halfa ridge. Short of fuel and under constant air attack, the Panzerarmee withdrew after a week and went over to the defensive.
Explore Battle of Alam el Halfa on the interactive map · Wikipedia
Day by day
— Through the minefields
Rommel goes south again, the only open flank there is: at 22:00 the Afrika Korps and the Italian XX Corps start through the British minefields between Bab el Qattara and Himeimat. The fields are deeper than the reconnaissance said and the RAF bombs the gaps all night. By dawn the armour is ten kilometres behind schedule, General von Bismarck of the 21st Panzer has been killed by a mine and Nehring has been wounded from the air.
— The ridge
Behind schedule and short of fuel, Rommel turns his armour north twenty kilometres early, straight at the Alam Halfa ridge, which is exactly what Montgomery has prepared for. The 22nd Armoured Brigade is dug in hull-down on Point 102 with 6-pounders and 88s of its own in support. The panzers attack at 17:00 into a sandstorm and the setting sun, lose 22 tanks and are still on the low ground at nightfall.
— Out of fuel
A second try at the ridge on 1 September gets no further, and the Desert Air Force bombs the massed vehicles by the light of parachute flares all night, every night. Two of the three tankers promised from Italy have been sunk. On the afternoon of the 2nd Rommel orders a withdrawal to the minefields.
— Beresford
Montgomery tries to close the gap behind the retreating armour: the New Zealand Division and the 132nd Brigade attack south from Alam Nayil on the night of the 3rd. The brigade goes in late and off line, the Italian and German rearguards are ready, and the attack costs 697 New Zealanders and about 700 of the 132nd for a few hundred metres. It is called off on the 5th and no pursuit is attempted.
— Back on the start line
The Panzerarmee is behind the minefields again, keeping only the ground round Himeimat and Munassib that it had crossed. It has lost about 2,900 men, 49 tanks and 400 lorries it cannot replace; Eighth Army has lost 1,750 men and 68 tanks it can. Montgomery refuses to chase, and spends the next seven weeks building for a set-piece battle instead.
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