The Battle of Britain

The Battle of El Alamein

Lieutenant-General Montgomery in Cairo, August 1942; The most famous British general of the Second World War, 'Monty' took command of Eighth Army in August 1942. He led it to hard fought and decisive victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942 and during the ensuing advance to Tunisia in early 1943. Montgomery remains a controversial figure. Often appearing abrasive, egocentric and arrogant, he was a meticulous commander and also very popular with his men.

Lieutenant-General Montgomery in Cairo, August 1942

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The most famous British general of the Second World War, 'Monty' took command of Eighth Army in August 1942. He led it to hard fought and decisive victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942 and during the ensuing advance to Tunisia in early 1943. Montgomery remains a controversial figure. Often appearing abrasive, egocentric and arrogant, he was a meticulous commander and also very popular with his men.

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At 9.40pm on Friday 23 October 1942, the Battle of El Alamein began with a four-hour ground and air bombardment. As it subsided, the troops began their advance.

In the first phase of the battle, (24-25 October 1942), known as 'Break-In', XXX...

At 9.40pm on Friday 23 October 1942, the Battle of El Alamein began with a four-hour ground and air bombardment. As it subsided, the troops began their advance.

In the first phase of the battle, (24-25 October 1942), known as 'Break-In', XXX Corps began its attack in the northern sector while XIII Corps mounted its subsidiary attack in the south. Divisions of both corps penetrated the deep Axis minefields, but X Corps’ armoured divisions were unable to complete the breakthrough.

Montgomery was thus forced to revise his plans, and the second phase of the battle, 'Dogfight', had to be fought within - rather than beyond - the fortified positions. This took place between 26 and 31 October, with Montgomery’s tactic of 'crumbling' away at the Axis defence positions with a series of limited attacks. At the same time, the British fended off German counter-attacks ordered by Rommel.

The third phase of the battle, 'Break-out', was fought between 1 and 4 November 1942, when Montgomery, judging Rommel’s forces at breaking point, ordered the final blows against them. By 3 November it was obvious that Rommel was preparing to withdraw, and the next morning the 5th Indian Brigade attacked, driving a wedge through Rommel’s front, thus enabling the 1st and 7th Armoured Divisions and the 2nd New Zealand Division to go in pursuit of the Axis forces, now in full retreat.

In Britain, the church bells were rung for the first time since May 1940 to celebrate the Eighth Army's success which was, as Churchill described it, 'a glorious and decisive victory'.

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  • Night artillery barrage, 23 October 1942

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    Night artillery barrage, 23 October 1942; A 25-pdr gun firing during the British night artillery barrage which opened the Second Battle of El Alamein, 23 October 1942. For the battle, Montgomery had built up a formidable force of 195,000 men, 1,029 tanks, 1,451 anti-tank guns, and 500 field and medium artillery guns, supported by 530 aircraft. In almost every arm he had a ratio of 2:1 superiority over his Axis opponents in Panzer Armee Afrika. He also had the advantage of having the resource of ULTRA decrypts, which provided vital intelligence on his opponents' aims and intentions.

  • On the Road to Fuka, by Edward Ardizzone

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    On the Road to Fuka, by Edward Ardizzone; On the Road to Fuka, November 6th 1942: Loot, 1942, by Edward Ardizzone. By 3 November, realising the battle was lost, Rommel began preparations to withdraw his forces. Lieutenant General Montgomery sent the 1st and 7th Armoured Divisions and the 2nd New Zealand Division in pursuit of the retreating Axis forces. War artist Edward Ardizzone arrived in Cairo in July 1942, and this drawing is one of a series he made during and immediately after the Battle of El Alamein.

  • Engaging the German armour

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    Engaging the German armour; British tanks move up to the battle to engage the German armour, October 1942. A key element of the start of the Battle of El Alamein was the process of clearing Axis minefields - nicknamed 'the devil’s gardens' by the Germans – to allow Allied armour to sweep through. This opening phase of the battle was code-named Operation 'Lightfoot', reflecting the fact that infantry troops would cross the minefields first to clear them of anti-tank mines, which would not be triggered by troops on foot.

  • Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham

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    Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham; Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham, Commander of the Western Desert Air Force, c. 1942. Working closely with the Eighth Army, Air Vice Marshal Arthur Coningham, developed a mobile, highly effective tactical air force. In August 1942, it began to receive modern fighters, capable of competing with the Luftwaffe for air superiority. By November, the Western Desert Air Force comprised 29 British, Australian and South African squadrons which, augmented by other Allied units, were able to offer overwhelming air support to the Eighth Army's offensive at El Alamein.

  • The Battle of Egypt, by Anthony Gross

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    The Battle of Egypt, by Anthony Gross; The Battle of Egypt: A New Zealand Battery in Action, 1942, by Anthony Gross. The 'Break-out' phase of the battle of El Alamein was fought between 1 and 4 November 1942. During this period, the 2nd New Zealand Division, two infantry brigades from the 51st Highland Division and the 9th Armoured Brigade supported by heavy air and ground bombardments succeeded in punching a hole in the northern sector of the Axis positions, but not without fierce resistance on the part of the German defenders.

  • Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery, 1942

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    Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery, 1942; This iconic photograph shows Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery, commanding the British Eighth Army in North Africa, in the turret of his Grant command tank at El Alamein, 5 November 1942. The battle was the climax of the Western Desert campaign and one of the turning points of the Second World War. It brought Montgomery promotion to General and the award of a knighthood.

  • Field Marshal Erwin Rommel

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    Field Marshal Erwin Rommel; Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (nicknamed the Desert Fox) was perhaps the most famous German General of the Second World War. As commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps, he achieved worldwide fame for his victories in North Africa from April 1941 until June 1942. During the Battle of El Alamein, he was severely hampered by a lack of fuel and transport. This prevented him using the mobile tactics which had contributed to his earlier successes.