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→Second Battle of El Alamein
==Second Battle of El Alamein==
[[File: El Alamein 2.jpg|thumbnail|270px|Rommel at El Alamein]]
The Germans expected a massive Allied counter-attack. Montgomery used a lull in the fighting to strengthen his position. In particular, he received many new tanks This meant that the allies had the advantage in terms of tanks. Montgomery to build up his forces until he had twice the number of men under his command as had Rommel.<ref> Latimer, p. 145</ref> The Germans mined and fortified a defensive line in considerable depth and strength. Rommel had selected his defensive position well and his flanks were protected by the sea to the north and to the south, by an impenetrable desert. Rommel directed the planning for the second battle of El Alamein. He personally supervised the defensive line that was intended to repel the British counter-attack. The German strategy was to have a set piece battle, one that would draw the British and their allies into a brutal war of attrition that would sap their will to fight. Then Rommel with his panzers would launch a counter-attack and he would go on and seize Alexandria. Montgomery’s objective was simple it was to break the German defensive line, once this was broken the Germans would be forced to evacuate Egypt.<ref> Lucas, p. 118</ref> The British commander of the 8th army placed great faith in his numerical superiority in tanks and men. His army also had the support of the Royal Air Force that was increasingly able to dominate the skies and to nullify the threat posed by the Luftwaffe.
After six more weeks of carefully building up the 8th army it was ready to go on the attack. The Allies had some 200,000 men and 1,000 tanks under Montgomery. They faced some 115,000 Germans and Italians with some 550 tanks. It should be noted that many of the Axis forces were poorly armed and trained Italian soldiers.<ref> Lucas, p. 148</ref> Montgomery began the attack with a massive artillery barrage against the entire German line. Then he ordered his divisions to attack to the north of the German line and to the south. At this stage Rommel was not present at the battle. He had returned to Germany for treatment as he was genuinely ill. His subordinates, followed his plans for the battle very closely. The initial Allied assault only made limited advances and the German lines continued to hold. Montgomery was a methodical men and he used massed artillery with infantry attacks with limited objectives to weaken the German lines. At this time the Axis divisions had begun to run short of supplies and ammunition. Increasingly, it was only the brilliance of the Afrika Korps forces that prevented a British breakthrough.<ref> Lucas, p. 221</ref> The fighting lasted for ten days. The British advances were slowed down by minefields and they sustained many casualties because of mines. Many tanks lost their tracks as they advanced. The battle began to resemble a WWI battle and it was not typical of the North African campaign which was characterized by highly mobile units fighting each other.<ref> Strawson, John. <i>El Alamein: Desert Victory</i> J M Dent, London. 1991), p 234</ref>
After some days of this type of fighting, Montgomery gambled on an assault on a broad front. New Zealand and Australian Divisions backed by British armor attacked some of the most heavily protected areas of the German lines. This caused panic among the Germans as it was unexpected and the defensive line came under increasing strain. The German commander, General George Strumme went forward to inspect the line but died of a heart attack. He was replaced by his subordinate Major-General Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma.<ref> Strawson, p. 89</ref> He managed to steady the line and ordered the panzers into battle. The Germans suffered many losses, but Thoma continued to order further counter-attacks. Montgomery used his forces to continue to make limited advances. Rommel returned to North Africa and had begun to direct the battle. He stiffened the German and Italian resistance. However, the Axis Divisions had sustained unsutianbale losses and the defensive line began to crumble. Montgomery order his forces to attack on a broader front and during this assault the German commander, on the ground Thoma was killed. Rommel asked Hitler for permission to retreat he initially refused but he later gave his consent. This probably saved the Germans and Italians from complete annihilation as it allowed them to withdraw in good order.
