Strategy and alliance were keys in the fighting of World War II. Although there were many different locations of fighting during the war, we learned North Africa was a major influence on the final turnout of the war. While we researched our topic, we found it to be quite confusing. As we read on, we found there were two major leaders in North Africa. Erwin Rommel and Bernard Law Montgomery “were portrayed as tactical geniuses that turned certain defeat into victory.” (War Study)
Erwin Rommel had always been a very skillful teacher about infantry tactics. A book with his lectures was published and read by Adolph Hitler, who was very impressed. A year later he was given command of the German Army. When Benito Mussolini asked for help in North Africa, Hitler sent Rommel to command the new Afrika Korps. (Desert Study) The Afrikan Korps was a group made up of German and Italian Axis powers. (Tunisia)
Being shot in the chest in 1914 didn’t stop Bernard Law Montgomery from becoming a heroic commander in World War II. He started young fighting in India during World War I, until he moved up the ranks and soon became commander of the British Forces. With the outbreak of World War II, Montgomery was sent to France with the British expeditionary forces. In July of 1942 though, Rommel and his Afrika Korps were only 70 miles out of Alexandria, which was a very serious situation. Winston Churchill, British prime minister, traveled to Egypt to see what needed to be done. After seeing the situation for himself, he decided that changes in the command structure needed to be done. With this decided, he sent Montgomery to replace Claude Auchinleck as commander of the Eighth Army, which was made up mostly by the British and American Allied forces. (Desert Study)
The first meeting between Rommel and Montgomery happened when Rommel’s
Afrikan Korps attacked the Eighth Army at Alam
el Halfa. (Desert Study)
Rommel was forced into being on the offensive side because of lack of
supplies. He would have waited
longer for the attack but supplies were needed at a different Italian front.
(War Study) Montgomery ordered his
troops to withdraw to El Alamein in order to set up an effective defensive line.
Over the next six weeks, the Eighth Army would be receiving much needed
supplies. By the middle of October,
they occupied 195,000 men, 1,351 tanks, and 1,900 pieces of artillery.
Deciding this was the time to attack, Montgomery launched the largest
artillery bombardment since World War I with his Operation
Lightfoot.
This happened when Rommel’s illness took him away from battle. (Desert
Study) “Montgomery executed his
plans near perfectly and demonstrated his tactical ability and skills in a set
piece battle, but he did possess a very significant numerical superiority, with
almost double Rommels number of troops, double his medium tanks and double his
number of anti-tank guns, as well as the Afrika Corps being crippled due to the
lack of fuel; it has to be said that Montgomery's had advantages that no other
previous Allied commander had in North Africa.” (War Study)
Even with these advantages, Montgomery didn’t take total defeat.
Winston Churchill accused him of backing down and fighting a
“half-hearted war.” This did
not stop Montgomery from coming back at Rommel with another operation.
This time, Rommel’s defense line no longer had the resources. He
decided to order his troops to withdraw. Nearly half of his men killed, wounded,
or taken to prison. Not only that,
but he also lost over 450 tanks and 1,000 guns.
Montgomery on the other hand only lost 13,500 men and 500 tanks. (Desert
Study) “El Alamein was the
beginning of the end for the Axis powers in North Africa.” (War Study) As for
the British side it was a turning point in the war. “Winston Churchill was convinced that the battle of El Alamein
marked the turning point in the war and ordered the ringing of church bells all
over Britain. As he said later: "Before Alamein we never had a victory,
after Alamein we never had a defeat." (Desert Study)
After the Battle of El Alamein, the Allies quickly fled to capture
Tunisia. Rommel heard of this and
perfectly positioned his troops to keep Tunisia in Axis control. The Battle of
Tunisia wasn’t just one battle, but many.
The campaign in Tunisia was nearly one year long. The
Axis were able to keep control of it for a long time in the beginning due to
more men and supplies, better air power, a strong command structure, and
experienced fighting men. The many battles in this country were fought from
November of 1942 until May of 1943. The
Axis mainly fought a defensive war in Tunisia to keep the Allies out. As time went on though, the Allies’ men gained more
experience on the battlefield and were able to round up more supplies. They also
were able to build up air power and build better coordination between the air
support and ground troops. This cut
the Axis from their supply line and reserves. (Tunisia) Finally in 1943
Germany’s Afrika Korps surrendered. This resolved in the Allies taking control
of Tunisia. (Story Africa)
“Once all the data concerning the North Africa Campaign is analyzed it
can be clearly seen that it was the field of supplies that was the critical
factor for both the Allies and Axis powers.” (War Study) The Axis powers were
starved of essential supplies, which was decisive in bringing about the Allied
victory in 1943. (War Study) The war left troops with experiences, which changed
their lives. (Story Africa) After learning of this war, we realized Montgomery
and Rommel were two extremely skillful commanders.
The work they did in North Africa during this time was heroic.
Montgomery will be forever remembered as leading British and American
forces to victory.