All Battles

Battle of Alam el Halfa

1942 • Wüste Panzerschlacht
Italian XX Motorised Corps (XX Corpo d'Armata), commanded by General De Stefanis.

Italian XX Motorised Corps (XX Corpo d'Armata), commanded by General De Stefanis.

Author: Unknown authorUnknown authorLicense:PD
Source
British fighter brought down by Italian anti-aircraft fire during the battle.

British fighter brought down by Italian anti-aircraft fire during the battle.

Author: Unknown authorUnknown authorLicense:PD
Source
English fighter downed by Italian anti-aircraft fire.

English fighter downed by Italian anti-aircraft fire.

Author: Unknown authorUnknown authorLicense:PD
Source
Map in German language showing the operations during the Battle of Alam el Halfa (1942). It is based (with several modifications) on a map in Ian Stanley Ord Playfair: The Mediterranian and the Middle East, Vol.III, Her Majesty's Stationary Office, London 1960.

Map in German language showing the operations during the Battle of Alam el Halfa (1942). It is based (with several modifications) on a map in Ian Stanley Ord Playfair: The Mediterranian and the Middle East, Vol.III, Her Majesty's Stationary Office, London 1960.

Author: Memnon335bcLicense:CC-BY-SA-4.0
Source

Historical Overview

The Battle of Alam el Halfa took place between 30 August and 5 September 1942 south of El Alamein during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. Panzerarmee Afrika, attempted an envelopment of the British Eighth Army. In Unternehmen Brandung, the last big Axis offensive of the Western Desert Campaign, Rommel intended to defeat the Eighth Army before Allied reinforcements arrived.

Quick Facts

Outcome:Allied victory.

UK

  • Commander: B. Montgomery
  • Strength: 150000
  • Casualties: ca. 1.700

Afrika Korps

  • Commander: Erwin Rommel
  • Strength: 100000
  • Casualties: ca. 2.900

Strategic Context

Failure against Montgomery's defensive system.

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