Rommel’s Deutsches Afrika Korps 1941-1943 by Castle Rock Publishing

Author:Castle Rock Publishing
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2015-05-31T16:00:00+00:00

Mersa Matruh fell on 29th to a thrust by 90th Light and more than 6000 prisoners were taken. With Matruh fallen the advance swept forward towards El Daba and XX Corps followed closely behind the armoured spearhead now approaching close to the Suez Canal.

Less than 2 hours drive from the point unit's position at midnight on 29 June, lay the British fleet base of Alexandria. Only 60 miles separated the African Panzer Army from the objectives for which it had been fighting for over a year but already the ground conditions were deteriorating. East of Mersa Matruh the Libyan plateau is cut by numerous steep-sided and deep wadis and the passable country begins to narrow until at El Alamein it is only 40 or so miles wide. This was a natural barrier for one flank rests on the sea and the other on the impassable sand seas of the Quattara Depression. The only route to Alexandria was across this cut-up, stony desert whose narrow width had been set with strong fortifications and extensive mine-fields. As at Gazala these fortifications were a line of mutually supporting boxes and at Alamein they pivoted around the principal box bearing that name. Into these defences streamed the remnants of 8th Army and, passing through the lines of boxes, held by fresh and untried troops the formations which had been shattered at Gazala and at Knightsbridge halted for breath and within a short time had turned, once again, at bay.

The strengths of both armies was about equal at that time, but the morale of the Panzer Army was decidedly higher than that of 8th Army for the Germans could see before them the successful end to the campaign. Leaving little time for proper planning Rommel decided to make a quick thrust in the hope of penetrating the Alamein line and planned that the heaviest blow would fall in the north while the Italian Motorised Corps carried out a feint attack in the south. A British spoiling attack came in during the afternoon of 30 June under cover of a sand-storm but 21st Panzer struck back and the British armour withdrew.

On 1 July after an all-night drive the Africa Corps was ordered into the attack at first light. Three-quarters of an hour after that time at 06.46hrs, the assault rolled with troops who were desperately tired. Rommel could see before his eyes the glittering prizes of the Middle East and drove his men on. But the British, too, realised that this was the preparation for the final battle and fought with a bitterness that was born of desperation. All through the long July day the fighting swung back and forth; the box at Bir el Schine was taken but 90th Light Division lost all its artillery without making any im­pression upon the British defenders. Throughout 2 and 3 July the battle continued and into the fight the British flung the Royal Air Force to carry out an intensive, almost continuous, bombardment of the Axis troops. British

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