The War in the Western Desert,
El Alamein, |
In september 1940 Egypt was invaded by Italy from Libya.
By february 1941, little British armoured forces inflicted
heavy defeats, thousands prisoners of war were taken.
But, under General Rommel's aggressive leadership the German
Africa Korps won a brilliant series of Axis victories.
Rommel threatened Egypt at the summer of 1942.
This was the high
point of his campaign. He became shortages of equipment and fuel
and his supply lines were exposed by Allied attack and too long.
Lieutenant-General Montgomery commander of the Eight Army in august,
won a decisive victory over Axis forces in November at El Alamein.
This battle from 23 octobre until 4 november cost the British
Eighth Army nearly 13.500 men killed, wounded and missing, while
the Axis had 25.000 and 30.000 prisoners.
Life in the desert war was a series of extremes, from burning
hot to very cold, and from noisy life in the front line to the
ease of life conditions in Cairo. The forces went to considerable
lenghts to keep the men as much in touch with home as possible.
