This episode looks at the lead up to the 2nd Battle of El Alamein, including the Gazala Gallop, the ‘Flap’ and Ash Wednesday in Cairo.
This episode is part of our series looking at decisive artillery battles in the history of Australia and is part of our 150 years of Australian Artillery commemoration.
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I commend to you Alan Moorehead’s book ‘A Year of Battle’ published in 1943. He was a war correspondent covering the north Africa campaign (mostly) and writes a contemporary account of 1941-42, when the Axis forces were winning the war. He is a fabulous observer of people and events, and had access to some senior people- his wife was Auchinleck’s secretary.
In it, he states that El Alamein was not taken by Rommel because his forces had run out of fuel, and his lead elements had been fighting for 19 days straight- they simply fell asleep and ran out of gasoline. El Alamein was Rommel’s for the taking for about a week, if only he could. It was this failure, rather than any military prowess from the allies that halted his advance. The way to Cairo was wide open for about a week before Auchinleck was able to mass a force to fill the gaps. Just imagine how the war would’ve turned if Rommel had been able to fight on for another week. The oil fields in Persia (Iran) were his for the taking. The chapter describing the chaos in Cairo and Alexandria in this week of peril is illuminating- rats leaving the ship is a good description.
It makes for interesting reading because nobody wants to talk about the lean years of 1940-42, and this gives a great account.
The other point worth noting is the Afrika Corps was mostly Italian. Rommel only had 3 German divisions and (if memory serves me correctly) 5 Italian divisions. One of the Italian divisions was exceptional- can’t recall the name of it.
Moorehead asks a good question about halfway through the book about Wavell- how does a general who is bested in north Africa, then loses Greece and Crete, is sent to command the far east and loses Malaya and Singapore, then goes to India, and proceeds to lose burma and Bengal…and almost loses India at Kohima…..how does he keep getting promoted and appointed into key positions- when he has been beaten by the Italians, Germans and Japanese at different times…
What power of sway and confidence had he kept with Churchill et Al to keep getting appointments…
Anyway, find a copy of the book. It’s a riveting read, even as solid background to colour in the black and white facts of the war in North Africa.