Battle of Alam el Halfa
Part of the North African Campaign(World War II)
Date August 30–September 5, 1942 Location Near El Alamein, Egypt Result Allied victory
Combatants
Allies: United Kingdom New Zealand	Axis: Germany Italy
Commanders
Bernard Montgomery	Erwin Rommel
Strength
XIII Corps (Eighth Army): 4 Divisions	Panzer Armee Afrika: 6 Divisions
Casualties
1750 killed, wounded or captured 67 tanks 67 aircraft[1]	2930 killed, wounded or captured 49 tanks 36 aircraft 395 other vehicles

The Battle of Alam el Halfa took place between August 30 and September 6, 1942 during the Western Desert Campaign of World War II. The combatants were Panzer Army Africa, commanded by Erwin Rommel ("the Desert Fox") and the British Eighth Army, commanded by Bernard Montgomery. During World War II, the North African Campaign, also known as the Desert War, took place in the North African desert from September 13, 1940 to May 13, 1943. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... is the 242nd day of the year (243rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... El Alamein is a town in northern Egypt on the Mediterranean Sea coast. ... A representation of the changes in territory controlled by Allies and Axis powers over the course of the war. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... This article is about the independent states that comprised the Axis powers. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany_1933. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy_(1861-1946). ... Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC (17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976) was a British Army officer, often referred to as Monty. He successfully commanded Allied forces at the Battle of El Alamein, a major turning point in World War II, and... Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel ( ) (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was one of the most famous German field marshals of World War II. He was the commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps and also became known by the nickname “The Desert Fox” (Wüstenfuchs,  ) for the skillful military campaigns he... The Western Desert Force, during World War II, was a British Commonwealth Army unit stationed in Egypt. ... The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations in World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. ... As the number of German armed forces committed to the North Africa Campaign of World War II grew from the initial commitment of a small corps the Germans developed a more elaborate command structure and placed the now larger Afrika Korps, with Italian units under this new German command structure... The Western Desert Campaign was the primary early theatre of the North African Campaign of World War II. It is sometimes referred to as the Egypt-Libya Campaign. ... Combatants Western Desert Force Italian Tenth Army Commanders Richard OConnor Rodolfo Graziani Pietro Maletti † Strength 50,000 soldiers 120 guns 275 tanks 100,000 soldiers 1,600 guns 600 light tanks Casualties 494 dead 1,225 wounded 3,000 dead 115,000 captured 400 tanks 1,292 guns Operation... During World War II. Operation Sonnenblume (German for sunflower) was the deployment of German troops (the “Afrika Korps”) to the North African Campaign in February, 1941. ... Combatants Australia United Kingdom South Africa Poland Czechoslovakia Germany Italy Commanders Leslie Morshead Erwin Rommel Strength 14,000 35,000? Casualties Britain: 9009 killed 941 captured estimated 12,000 total 8,000 The Siege of Tobruk was a lengthy confrontation between Axis and Allied forces, mostly Australian, in the North... Combatants Germany Italy  United Kingdom Commanders Erwin Rommel Archibald Wavell Noel Beresford-Peirse Strength Afrika Korps: German 5th Light Division German 15th Panzer Division Italian 132nd Armored Division Ariete Italian 27 Infantry Division Brescia Italian 102 Motorised Division Trento XIII Corps: British 7th Armoured Division Indian 4th Infantry Division 20... Combatants Panzer Army Africa British XIII Corps Commanders Erwin Rommel Archibald Wavell Noel Beresford-Peirse Strength 13,000 infantry 150-200 tanks[1] 20,000+ infantry[2] 200 tanks[3] Casualties 685 Germans, 592 Italians[4] 12 tanks[5] 10 aircraft[6] 960 (122 killed[7]) 91 tanks[8] 36... Combatants United Kingdom Australia New Zealand Poland Germany Italy Commanders Claude Auchinleck Alan Gordon Cunningham Neil Ritchie Erwin Rommel Ludwig Crüwell Strength 8th Army comprising XIII Corps, XXX Corps and 70th Division. ... Combatants Panzer Army Afrika Italian Army Eighth Army Commanders Erwin Rommel Claude Auchinleck Neil Ritchie Strength 80,000 390 tanks 175,000 949 tanks Casualties 32,000 dead, wounded, or captured 114 tanks destroyed 98,000 dead, wounded, or captured 540 tanks destroyed The Battle of Gazala was an important... Combatants Free French Forces Afrika Korps Commanders Marie Pierre Koenig Erwin Rommel Strength 3703  ? Casualties 140 Dead, 229 Wounded, 814 Captured 3300 Dead and Wounded, 277 Captured The Battle of Bir Hakeim (May 26, 1942 - June 11, 1942) is a World War II battle following the Afrika Korps 1942 campaign. ... During the siege of Bir Hakeim, and north of it, was a parallel complementary siege. ... Combatants Allies (mostly British Empire forces) Axis Commanders Claude Auchinleck Erwin Rommel Strength 150,000 troops in 3 army corps, 7 infantry and 3 armoured divisions 1,114 tanks, over 1,000 artillery and over 1,500 planes 96,000 troops (including 56,000 Italians) 8 infantry and 4 armoured... Battle of Alam Halfa Conflict World War II Date August 30–September 6, 1942 Place El Alamein, Egypt Result Allied strategic victory Axis tactical victory The Battle of Alam el Halfa took place between August 30 and September 6, 1942 during the Western Desert Campaign of World War II... During World War II, Operation Agreement consisted of ground and amphibious attacks by British, Rhodesian and New Zealand forces on German- and Italian-held Tobruk (Operation Daffodil), Benghazi (Operation Snowdrop), Jalo oasis (Operation Tulip) and Barce (Operation Hyacinth) launched on 13 September 1942. ... For the Battle of Alam Halfa, which is also often termed the Second Battle of El Alamein, see Battle of Alam Halfa Combatants British Eighth Army: United Kingdom Australia New Zealand South Africa India Panzer Army Africa: Nazi Germany Fascist Italy Commanders Bernard Montgomery Erwin Rommel Strength 220,000 men... is the 242nd day of the year (243rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Western Desert Campaign was the primary early theatre of the North African Campaign of World War II. It is sometimes referred to as the Egypt-Libya Campaign. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... As the number of German armed forces committed to the North Africa Campaign of World War II grew from the initial commitment of a small corps the Germans developed a more elaborate command structure and placed the now larger Afrika Korps, with Italian units under this new German command structure... Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel ( ) (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was one of the most famous German field marshals of World War II. He was the commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps and also became known by the nickname “The Desert Fox” (Wüstenfuchs,  ) for the skillful military campaigns he... The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations in World War II, fighting in the campaigns in North Africa and Italy. ... Bernard Law Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (November 17, 1887 - March 24, 1976) was a British military officer during World War II often referred to as Monty. ...

Rommel's plan

Field Marshal Rommel, after the failure of his attacks during the First Battle of El Alamein had not given up hope of defeating the British Eighth Army. His supply situation was precarious, though, as British aircraft flying from Malta attacked Axis shipping in the Mediterranean. Furthermore, all German provisions had to be driven all the way from Benghazi by lorry. Also German intelligence had warned him of the arrival of a 100,000 ton allied convoy bringing new vehicles for the Allies in Egypt^[2]. Realizing that time was against him, and that the arrival of reinforcements for the British would tilt the balance in their favour, he decided to attack. Combatants Allies (mostly British Empire forces) Axis Commanders Claude Auchinleck Erwin Rommel Strength 150,000 troops in 3 army corps, 7 infantry and 3 armoured divisions 1,114 tanks, over 1,000 artillery and over 1,500 planes 96,000 troops (including 56,000 Italians) 8 infantry and 4 armoured... Colourful buildings in the city centre. ...

The Alamein sector did not present such a broad front as had been the case in other desert battles, and any armoured thrust would have to pass between the sea, in the North, and the Qattara Depression, in the South, which was impassable for tanks. The British defences were quite strong but Rommel believed they had a weak point. The Southern sector, between Munassib and Qaret El Himeimat, was lightly held and it was thought the British hadn't had time to build deep minefields as they had done further North. The Qattara Depression (local: Munkhafad al-Qattarah) is a desert basin within the Libyan Desert of north-western Egypt. ... A landmine is a type of mine which is placed onto or into the ground and explodes when triggered by a vehicle or person. ...

Rommel's attack was to be led by his German units, the 15th and 21st Panzer Division accompanied by the 90th Light Division. To cover their flanks, he had the Italian XX Corpo d'Armata, commanded by General De Stefanis. The plan called for a rapid advance through the British front lines, followed by a sharp left hook movement into their supply lines. After this it was hoped most of the Allied units would be surrounded and destroyed. With characteristic optimism, Rommel's final goal was the occupation of Egypt, and in particular the Suez canal.^[3]. For other uses, see Suez (disambiguation). ...

The Allied defences

Allied 25-pounder gun.

The British Eighth Army, since August 13, had passed under the command of Lieutenant-General (later Field Marshal) Montgomery. An Axis attack was expected but Montgomery after visiting the front lines, devised a new plan for meeting it. Realising the featureless southern sector was undefendable, he chose the Alma El Halfa ridge well in the rear of the Eighth Army's front, as his main defensive position. This East-West ridge blocked any enveloping movement from the South. Later on, Enigma intercepts confirmed to British intelligence the direction of Rommel's attack. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Field Marshal Viscount Slim in his Field Marshals uniform, holding a marshals baton. ... The plugboard, keyboard, lamps, and finger-wheels of the rotors emerging from the inner lid of a three-rotor German military Enigma machine (version with labels) The Enigma machine was a cipher machine used to encrypt and decrypt secret messages. ...

Montgomery's plan was simple. He chose to entrench his tanks and anti-tank units on the Alam Halfa ridge and await the Axis attack there. The front lines would be only lightly held, allowing the enemy tanks through, only to stop them in a more favourable sector.

Order of battle

The major land units engaged in this battle were^[4]:

Allies:

Eighth Army: General Montgomery The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations in World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. ... Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC (17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), often referred to as Monty, was a British Army officer. ...

XIII Corps (Horrocks):

• 2nd New Zealand Division (Freyberg):
• 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division (Hughes)
• 7th Armoured Division (Renton)
• 10th Armoured Division (Gatehouse)

The Western Desert Force, during World War II, was a British Commonwealth Army unit stationed in Egypt. ... Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Gwynne Horrocks, (September 7, 1895 - January 4, 1985) was a British military officer. ... The 2nd New Zealand Division was that countrys major land formation during much of World War II. Commanded for most of its existence by Lieutenant General Sir Bernard Freyberg. ... Lieutenant-General Bernard Cyril Freyberg, 1st Baron Freyberg, VC, GCMG, KCB, KBE, DSO and three Bars (March 21, 1889 — July 4, 1963), arguably New Zealands most famous soldier and military commander, also served as Governor-General of New Zealand. ... The 44th (Home Counties) Division was a British Territorial Army division in both World War I and World War II, and for twenty years after World War II. // Formed in 1908, after the outbreak of war in 1914 the Division was used to supply garrison troops in the east, replacing... Composed of regular British Army units, the famous Desert Rats division was originally formed as the Mobile Division or Mobile Force (Egypt) and was one of two training commands used by the British before World War II to develop armoured warfare techniques. ... The 10th Armoured Division was a British Army Second World War armoured division. ...

Axis:

Panzer Armee Afrika: Field Marshal Rommel As the number of German armed forces committed to the North Africa Campaign of World War II grew from the initial commitment of a small corps the Germans developed a more elaborate command structure and placed the now larger Afrika Korps, with Italian units under this new German command structure... Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel ( ) (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was one of the most famous German field marshals of World War II. He was the commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps and also became known by the nickname “The Desert Fox” (Wüstenfuchs,  ) for the skillful military campaigns he...

Deutsches Afrika Korps (Nehring)

• 15. Panzer Division (Von Värst)
• 21. Panzer Division (Von Bismarck)
• 90. Leichte Division (Kleeman)

XX Corpo D'Armata (De Stefanis)

• 132° Divisione Corazzata "Ariete"
• 133° Divisione Corazzata "Littorio"
• 101° Divisione Motorizzata "Trieste"

The seal of the Deutsches Afrikakorps. ... Walter Nehring (August 15, 1892 - April 20, 1983), was a German General of World War II, known for his involvement with the Afrika Korps. ... 33rd Infantry Division 15th Panzer Division 15th Panzergrenadier Division // This unit was created as the 33rd Infantry Division in 1936, and mobilized in 1939, but it did not take part in the invasion of Poland. ... Gustav Fritz Julius von Vaerst (April 19, 1894 – October 10, 1975) was a German General der Panzertruppe during World War II. Vaerst was born in Meiningen. ... The 21st Panzer Division was a German armoured division best known for its role in the Battles of El Alamenein (1942) and Normandy (1944) during World War II. Created as 5th Light Division or 5th Light Afrika Division in Africa in early 1941, from an ad hoc collection of smaller... Division zbV Afrika 90th Light Infantry Division 90th Light Afrika Division 90th Panzergrenadier Division Created in August 1941 as Division zbV Afrika, from units already in Africa under the control of . ... ARIETE Armoured Division was formed in MILAN on February 1939; marked by No. ...

Tank forces:

In August 1942, the Panzer Armee Afrika had 34 light and 193 medium tanks. Of these 27 were the new Panzer IV F2 with a new long-barreled gun, that gave them better range than the Allied tanks. There were also 243 Italian tanks but these were mostly obsolete M13/40s^[5]. Panzer IV is the common name of a medium tank that was developed in the late 1930s by Nazi Germany and used extensively in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen IV (abbreviated PzKpfw IV) and the tank also had the ordnance inventory designation SdKfz 161. ... The 7. ... The Fiat M13/40 light tank replaced the Fiat L6/40 and the Fiat M11/39 in the Italian Army in 1942. ...

At the same time, the Allies had 712 tanks ^[6] of which 500 would figure in the battle. About 170 of these were Grant tanks, the best of the Allied tanks at the time; the balance being taken up by light and other medium tanks(Stuarts,Crusaders) and infantry tanks(Valentines). The Medium Tank M3 was an American tank used during World War II. In Britain the tank was called General Lee named after General Robert E. Lee, and its modified version built to British specification, with a new turret, was called General Grant named after General Ulysses S. Grant. ... The Light Tank M3 was an American light tank of World War II in use with British and Commonwealth forces prior to the entry of the USA into the European theatre. ... One of the primary cruiser tanks of the United Kingdom during World War II, the Cruiser Tank VI Crusader was perhaps the most important British tank of the North African Campaign. ... The infantry tank was a concept developed by the British in the years leading up to World War II. They were generally more heavily armoured compared to the lighter cruiser tanks, which would allow them to operate in close concert with infantry to help them break through heavily defended areas... The most numerous British manufactured tank of World War II, the Infantry Tank III Valentine was known mainly for its inexpensive cost and high reliability. ...

The attack

British Grant tanks in the Egyptian desert. Before the arrival of the Shermans, these were the best Allied tanks in North Africa.

The attack started on the night of August 30 taking advantage of a full moon. From the start things went wrong for Rommel; the RAF spotted the Axis vehicle concentrations and unleashed several air attacks on them. Fairey Albacores of the Royal Navy dropped flares to illuminate targets for Vickers Wellington bombers and for the artillery, the minefields that were thought to be thin turned out to be deep. The British units covering the minefields were the two brigades of the 7th Armoured Division (7th Motor and 4th Armoured), whose orders were to inflict maximum casualties before retiring. This they did, and the Axis losses began to rise. They included General Nehring, wounded in an air raid and General Von Bismarck, commander of 21st Panzer division, killed by a mortar bomb. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... RAF is an three letter acronym for: Royal Air Force -- the Air Force of the United Kingdom (see also Air Ministry) Red Army Faction (Rote Armee Fraktion) -- a German terror organisation Rigas Autobusu Fabrika -- a factory making buses in Riga, Latvia Rapid Action Force in India Računarski Fakultet RAF... The Fairey Albacore is a single-engine carrier-borne biplane torpedo bomber built by Fairey Aviation between 1939 and 1943 for the Fleet Air Arm. ... This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ... The Vickers Wellington was a twin-engine, medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs Chief Designer, R.K. Pierson. ... US soldier loading a M224 60-mm mortar. ...

Despite these difficulties, Rommel's forces broke through the Allied lines by midday the next day and the British units had prudently moved out of their way. It was only in the evening that the first panzers approached the main Allied position at Alam Halfa. The Allied units holding the ridge were the British 22nd Armoured Brigade with 92 Grants and 74 light tanks, supported by anti-tank units with 6 pounder guns and the artillery of the 44th and 2nd New Zealand Divisions^[7]. QF 6 pounder anti-tank gun in Batey ha-Osef museum, Israel. ...

As the Panzer Divisions approached the ridge, the Panzer IV F2 tanks opened fire at long range and destroyed several British tanks. The British Grants were handicapped by their hull-mounted guns that prevented them from firing from 'hull-down' positions. When the Germans came into range, they were exposed to the fire of the Brigade and their tanks were hard hit. An attempt to outflank the British was thwarted by anti-tank guns and with night beginning to fall the panzers pulled back. During this engagement, the Germans lost 22 tanks and the British 21^[8].

The night brought no respite for the Axis forces, as the Albacore and Wellington bombers returned to the attack, concentrating on the Axis supply lines. This added to Rommel's logistic difficulties as he had not received the petrol promised him by the Italians. Accordingly, operations on the following day (September 1) were limited to an attack by 15th Panzer division. Their attack started at dawn but was quickly stopped by a flank attack from 8th Armoured brigade. The Germans suffered little, as the British were under orders to spare their tanks for the coming offensive but they could make no headway either and were heavily shelled.

Air raids continued throughout the day and night and on the morning of 2 September, realising his offensive had failed and that staying in the salient would only add to his losses, Rommel decided to withdraw^[9].

Rommel withdraws

In a message to OKW, Rommel justified his decision to abandon the offensive by the lack of fuel, Allied air superority and the loss of the element of surprise. On September 2, the situation continued to deteriorate for the Axis. Armoured cars of the 4/8th Hussars (of the 4th Armoured Brigade) broke into the Axis supply echelons near Himeimat and attacked a group of 300 lorries, destroying 57 of them. As a result, Italian armoured units had to be moved to protect the supply lines and prevent further attacks. The command flag for the Chief of the High Command of the German Armed Forces (1938 - 1941) The command flag for a Generalfeldmarschall as the Chief of the High Command of the German Armed Forces (1941 - 1945) The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht or OKW (Wehrmacht High Command, Armed Forces High Command... Military armored cars A French VBL reconnaissance vehicle. ...

An RAF Baltimore. Baltimore and Boston bombers would fly by day and Wellingtons and Albacores by night, thus keeping a constant pressure on the Afrika Korps.

The 2nd was not an active day on either side, except in the air, where the Desert Air Force flew 167 bomber and 501 fighter sorties^[10]. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 375 pixelsFull resolution (1173 × 550 pixel, file size: 87 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Martin A-30A Baltimore File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 375 pixelsFull resolution (1173 × 550 pixel, file size: 87 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Martin A-30A Baltimore File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Martin A-30 Baltimore. ... The Douglas DB-7 was a family of attack, light bomber and night fighter aircraft of World War II, serving primarily with Soviet, US and British airforces. ...

Montgomery realised the Afrika Korps was about to withdraw. He devised offensive plans for 7th Armoured and 2nd New Zealand divisions, though still under the proviso that they would not incur losses that would jeopardize further offensives.

While the 7th Armoured division's operations never got beyond harassment raids, the New Zealander attack was more serious. It involved two Brigades, with armoured support, to attack southwards across the supply lines of the Afrika Korps and isolate them east of the Allied lines. Starting on the evening of the 3rd, the attack started badly and ended in a fiasco. The Valentine tanks of 46 RTR got lost in the darkness and ended up in a minefield where 12 of them were put out of action. The 90th light division dealt fiercely with the Kiwis who suffered 972 casualties, without being able to prevent Rommel's escape^[11]. The most numerous British manufactured tank of World War II, the Infantry Tank III Valentine was known mainly for its inexpensive cost and high reliability. ... The Royal Tank Regiment is a unit of the British Army. ...

After this failure, Montgomery decided to refrain from further attacks. The Afrika Korps was allowed to retire, though not without being further harried by the Desert Air Force, who carried out 957 sorties in 24 hours^[12]. On the 5th, the Axis units were back almost on their starting positions and the battle was over.

Aftermath and losses

During this battle the Allies suffered 1750 casualties, compared to 2930 for the Axis. The Allies lost more tanks than the Axis but for the first time in this campaign there was no great disproportion in tank losses. Also the constant harassment by the RAF cost the Panzerarmee Afrika many transport vehicles.

It was the last big offensive undertaken by the Axis in North Africa. Ultimately, it was the superior firepower of the Allies and their mastery of the skies that brought them victory.

There has been criticism of Montgomery's leadership during the battle^[13], especially his choice to avoid losses, that prevented the British tank formations from finishing off the Afrika Korps, when it was strung out between the minefields and Alam Halfa. Friedrich von Mellenthin in Panzer Battles painted a dramatic picture of Panzer divisions, paralyzed by lack of fuel, under constant bombardment and awaiting a British onslaught. Friedrich Wilhelm von Mellenthin (30 August 1904 - 28 June 1997) was a Generalmajor in the German Army during World War II. A participant in most of the major campaigns of the war, he became well-known afterwards for his memoirs Panzer Battles, first published in 1956 and regularly reprinted since... Panzerschlachten (Panzer Battles) is the German language title of Major General Frederich W. von Mellenthins autobiographical account of his service in the Panzer arm of the Heer during World War II. The most prominent English language version is Panzer Battles: A Study of the Employment of Armor in the...

Montgomery's answer was to point out that the Eighth Army was in a process of reformation with the arrival of new, untrained units and wasn't ready to take the offensive. In addition Montgomery was keen not to let his own armour waste themselves on futile attacks against Rommel's anti-tank screen, something that they had frequently done in the past, in the process handing the initiative to the Axis forces. Indeed, as Rommel complained to Kesselring, "The swine isn't attacking!" ^[14]

The failure of the New Zealander's attack seems to prove that Montgomery's tactics were right. His refusal to "play to the enemy's tune" allowed him to preserve his forces for the decisive offensive that came to be known as the Second Battle of El Alamein. For the Battle of Alam Halfa, which is also often termed the Second Battle of El Alamein, see Battle of Alam Halfa Combatants British Eighth Army: United Kingdom Australia New Zealand South Africa India Panzer Army Africa: Nazi Germany Fascist Italy Commanders Bernard Montgomery Erwin Rommel Strength 220,000 men...

References

• Buffetaut, Yves (1995). Operation Supercharge-La seconde bataille d'El Alamein (in French). Histoire Et Collections. 
• Carver, Michael (1962). El Alamein. Wordsworth Editions. ISBN 1-84022-220-4. 
• Conetta, Carl; Knight, Charles & Unterseher, Lutz (September 1997). Defensive Military Structures in Action: Historical Examples. Originally published in Confidence-Building Defense: A Comprehensive Approach to Security & Stability in the New Era, Study Group on Alternative Security Policy and Project on Defense Alternatives, Commonwealth Institute, Cambridge, MA., May 1994.

Field Marshal Richard Michael Power Carver, Baron Carver (April 24, 1915 - December 9, 2001) was a British soldier. ...

Notes

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Further reading

• Latimer, Jon (2002); Alamein; John Murray

External links

• A Battle Report: Alam Halfa

• BBC-WW2-People's War-Timeline-Battle of Alam Halfa