Battle of Alam El Halfa (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. 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-a German-Italian force commanded by Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel-attempted an envelopment of the British 8th Army, commanded by Bernard Montgomery. In the last major Axis offensive (Operation Brandung) of the Western Desert campaign, Rommel had planned to defeat the British 8th Army before Allied reinforcements made an Axis victory in Africa impossible.Montgomery-who had been forewarned of Rommel 's intentions by Ultra intelligence-deliberately left a gap in the southern sector of the front, knowing that Rommel planned to attack there, and deployed the bulk of his armour and artillery around Alam el Halfa ridge, 20 mi (32 km) behind the front. In a new tactic, the tanks were used in an anti-tank role, remaining in their positions on the ridge and refusing to sortie out and be destroyed as in the past.