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Battles of El Alamein
The First Battle of El Alamein was fought in Egypt in July of 1942 as part of World War II. Though this battle ended in stalemate, it stalled the advance of the Axis Powers in Egypt and led to the Second Battle of El Alamein, which was fought in October and November of 1942. The Second Battle ended in victory for the Allies, and it was a major turning point in World War II.
136 Questions
Why was the battle of El Alamein important?
The battle was a significant victory for the British , one from which the Afrika Korps never fully recovered .
Where was the battle of El Alamein fought?
Near El Alamein. (Surprised?)
El Alamein is a town in Egypt on the Mediterranean coast. It's about 100 km west of Alexandria.
British and American troops were led by who in the Battle of El Alamein?
No. There were no American troops at El Alamein and the British and Commonwealth troops were commanded by General Auchinleck and General Dorman Smith during the 1st defensive battle but were replaced by General Alexander in overall command and General Montgomary. commanding the 8th Army in the field, for the 2nd decisive counter attack.
Number of people killed in the battle of El Alamein?
November 8th 1942- Battle of El Alamein
British forces totaled 230,000 men and the Axis forces totaled 108,000 men, with Italians making up 42 of the 70 battalions. The losses at El Alamein were heavy for both sides: Rommel lost 25,000 dead and wounded and 30,000 captured; Montgomery lost 4,610 dead and missing and 8,950 wounded. The bulk of Rommel's casualties were Italian.
The exact numbers of dead is not easily available.
The Axis losses during the Campaign in North Africa since June 1940 totaled 975,000 men, 7,600 aircraft, 6,200 guns, 2,550 tanks, and some 600 ships of all sizes.
Why did the battle of el alamein happen?
Because Rommel was essentially trying to get to Suez and wipe out British forces on the way.
Who won the battle of El alamein?
The first was more or less a draw (even ) The Second was a decisive victory for the Allies.
What is the casualities of the Battle of El Alamein?
The Second Battle of El Alamein from 23 October to three November 1942 resulted in the loss of 13,500 British Empire troops killed or wounded and almost half of their tanks. It was hower a resounding victory for Montgomery in the Desert Campaign. The Germans and Italians lost 50,000 men killed, wounded and captured.
What was the importance of the battle of El Alamein in 1942?
It was extremely important as the possession of Suez was critical to the war.
What countries were involved in the Battle of El Alamein?
Italy, Germany and Great Britain plus its colonies countries.
How did the the Battle of El Alamein contribute to the Allies victory in World War 2?
The second battle of El Alamein was a defeat for Rommel and was the beginning of a general retreat of the Axis in North Africa, which eventually ended up in Tunisia. There were of course many battles after El Alamein, notably the sound thrashing that Rommel's panzers gave green U.S. troops at Kasserine Pass in 1943. But any Axis victories were minor tactical ones that were short-lived. Victory in North Africa allowed the Allies an excellent jumping off point for the invasion of Sicily and later the Italian mainland. Even though the Italian campaign was often considered to be a secondary theater of war, hundreds of thousand of troops fought there and many German divisions were forced to fight there instead of being available to fight in the USSR or France. Ever since the first presence of German troops in Africa in 1941 they had a two front war, after the invasion of France it was a three front war along with Italy and the USSR. It proved to be impossible to devote so many resources to so many places at once and so they inevitably lost the war. Sorry for the long winded answer.
Answer
A great answer, concise and to the point.
The 2nd El Alamein destroyed Hitler's power in Africa.
Why did the Battle of El Alamein start?
During late 1941, the 8th Army launched Operation Crusader and drove the Axis forces eastwards, in the process relieveing Tobruk. They could then go on no further due to lack of supplies etc
During early 1942 the German and Italian forces after reinforcing there losses and supplies attacked and drove the 8th Army back to Gazala, there they defeated them yet again and captured enough supplies to drive them further into Egypt then they ever had before.
The 8th Army had however enough time to pull back enough forces from the Gazala positions and dig in at the El Alamein position, basicaly there last stand before there supply base of the canal zone and utter defeat.
The Axis forces, with no opporunity to flank the position due to the mostly impassable Qattara Depression had to hit stright on. If i remember correctly the full weight of the attack fell upon the South African brigade boxes and they held firm.
Because of this stand, the Axis forces dug in to build up there supplies again, while the 8th Army also dug in and prepared to counter attack, which happened later that year being the Second Battle of El Alamein.
How did the second battle of El Alamein contribute to the Allies victory in World War 2?
It wasn't one of those battles involving vast numbers of men. The significance of El Alamein in October 1942 was that it meant (in the context of the time) that the Germans would not reach Cairo and would not take the Suez Canal or disrupt British communications with India and the Persian Gulf. Moreover, from that point on the Axis was on the retreat in North Africa.
What was the outcome of the battle of El Alamein?
It was a decisvie victory for the UK which would lead to the expulsion of AXIS forces from Africa (exposing Italy to invasion and protecting the oil fields in the Mideast).
The Allies defeated the Axis Powers
When was the Battle of El Alamein?
There were two battles of El Alamein, both during 1942. The Battles occured in Egypt in an around an area named after a Railway Stop called El Alamein. During the Battles, Allied (primarily British Empire) forces were lead by British Field Marshalls Claude Auchinleck during the first Battle and Bernard Montgomery during the second Battle. The first Battle ended in a stalemate in which the British finally stopped the eastward advance of the Germans and Italians who were under the command of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. These two battles are considered by many World War II historians to be the turning point in the war against Germany and the Axis Powers. Although much fighting remained in Africa and the European Continent, the importance of these battles might best be summed up in the words of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who in November 1942 stated that: "The Germans have received back again that measure of fire and steel which they have so often meted out to others. Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
- First Battle of El Alamein - 1-27 July 1942
- Second Battle of El Alamein - 23 October-4 November 1942
Deleted the Trash === A World War II battle in the Egyptian desert in late October 1942.
For the source and more detailed information concerning this subject, click on the related links section (Answers.com) indicated below.
What started the Battle of El Alamein?
General Montgomery (British) got hold of Rommel's (German) battle plans, which also showed the route of his supplies. So, the British sabotaged the supply trucks, and by August 1942, only 33% of what Rommel's troops needed was getting through to them. Rommel was also acutely aware that while he was being starved of supplies, the Allies were getting vast amounts through as they still controlled the Suez and were predominant in the Mediterranean. To resolve what could only become a more difficult situation, Rommel decided to attack quickly even if he was not well-equipped.
pffft, yeah
as if that was the ACTUAL start of the battle of EL Alamein.
I believe the whole bat-man, cat-women, santa, tooth fairy thing.
sooooooooooooooooo much more realistic :D
Ahhh but that bit no longer exists coz I eated it :D
Yeah i agree ^^ is not true that some how the English got the German plans they dindnt manage to sneak past a whole army... but did win... evenually :-)
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The war in the Western Desert was dominated by the fact that there was an open flank in the interior while the other flank was anchored on the coast.
Time and time again the army with the most resources simply moved around the line and forced the other side into retreat.
Rommel proved more effective at this than his British rivals and the British had been forced back almost to Alexander and the Suez canal.
After the Battle of Gazala the British had virtually no tank forces left so there was no way to counter a German encircling movement
The British line stabilized at El Alamein because to the south there was an area of shifting sand called the Quattera Depression. This was impassable to vehicles and would prevent Rommel from utilizing his superior tank mobility.
The British simply had to dig in and face a head on assault.
If Germans broke through. They could take Alexander, less than 70 miles away, capture the Suez canal and possibly Cairo too. The Middle Eastern Oil fields would be wide open to Hitler, so even if his attacks into Southern Russia failed at Stalingrad, he would have control of the oil he needed to continue the war.
When Rommel attacked, the Germans failed to make any headway and he committed his Afrika Corps units to the main assault rather than keeping them in reserve to exploit a breakthrough. Eventually he was forced to abandon any attempt at further advance and to try to hold his position against counterattack.
At this point resupply was becoming a problem for Rommel. He had advanced a considerable distance from his supply base and also the Russian campaign was recieving priority in resources.
The Battle ended as a stalemate with both sides holding their defensive positions, but in a similar way to Gettysburg the Germans would find this to be the end of their offensive capability.
Auchinleck the British Commander understood that the Germans would only get weaker, while he had time to build up his offensive capability.
Unfortunately for him Churchill was impatient for a victory and replaced him as Commander, first by Gort and when his plane was shot down on the way to Egypt, Montgomery took over.
Montgomery also favoured a delay in attacking and waited even longer than Auchinleck had proposed. The British, using their ULTRA intelligence were able to prevent the resupply of Rommel's army even by sinking the ships before they reached North Africa. By the time the British attacked in October they had nearly twice as many men and twice as many tanks. Rommel had over 500 tanks and the British over 1000, including 300 brand new American Sherman tanks. The British outnumbered the Germans 3 to 1 in anti tank guns.
One of Rommel's favoured tactics was to use his Panzers to draw the British tanks into a killing ground for his anti tank guns. With the limied resources available and without the open battlefield that typified the desert war there was no oppertunity to do this.
In 10 days the British destroyed Rommel's armoured force and sent him into full retreat into Tunisia.
Who was the British general at El Alamein?
-- Answer --
Bernard Montgomery, known as 'Monty'
Phil
The first battle of El Alamein was commanded by General Sir Claude Aukinlech. The Auk was a very good soldier and was respected by his troops for his no-nonesese, no-thrills lifestyle during campaign but he was dreadfull at picking good subordinates and when he took command in the field himself his plans were complicated and confusing and lead to people not understanding what they were supposed to be doing. He stopped Rommel at the El Alamein line but by then Chuchill had lost all confidence in him and he was replaced as Theater Commander by Harold Alexander and as Army commander by Bernard Montgomery.
General Bernard Law Montgomery (later Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery - 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein) commanded the 8th Army at the battle of Alam Halfa and the second battle of El Alamein. Monty was the most professional soldier in the British Army and had clear and precise ideas and theories on how and army should be run and how the soldiers should be treated and how campaigns should be fought. Simplicity was the key in orders, playing to the strengths of his own side was another and morale building and maintaining was essential. What annoyed people about Bernard Montgomery was his clarity of thought and uncompromising nature and, even more, his occaisonal tactlessness. He stopped Rommel's last attack in the desert at Alam Halfa, decisively defeated Rommel again at Second El Alamein and successfully crossed the desert to beat Rommel once more at Medinine and then beat the Afrika Korp, without Rommel, once again at the Mareth Line. In doing this Montgomery became the single most successful Desert Commander of World War 2.
What was the importance of the Battle of El Alamein?
The Second Battle of el Alamein pushed all German forces out of North Africa and opened up the way for the Invasion of Sicily and Italy. It was a major defeat for Rommel's Desert Army.
Winston Chuchill was quoted as saying: "before Alamein we never won a battle, after Alamein we never lost one".
== The Battle was a turning point in the North African campaign. Just prior to this, the British changed their commanders. Gen. Alexander took over the command of the British forces with General Montgomery under his command. Under their command, they formed 2 mobile armored divisions that were trained for desert war. The Allied air forces and navy began cutting off the Axis supply lines.
All these changes lead up to the victory at El Alamein and the battle resulted in a change of attitude for the British 8th Army. The German army began to realize that they could not win without more supplies reaching their ports.
it was a good and first win for britain and they had now got 1 step closer to destroying germany
What were the conditions of the terrain in El Alamein in World War 2?
It was open hard desert with sand dunes to the south.
Were Panzer IVs used at El Alamein?
Yes, from elements of the 21PD's Panzer Regiment 5's 4th and 8th Companies... Go here for more... http://www.afrika-korps.de/forum/ Co-Moderator : Nacht
