Tank Massacre - Destruction Derby in the Second Battle of El Alamein
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- čas přidán 17. 06. 2022
- Despite the Italo-German force’s attempts to hold back the Allies in Egypt by laying over half a million mines over the desert in late 1942, their enemy was steadily closing in on the once-mighty Afrika Korps.
Led by the infamous General Erwin Rommel, the Axis forces in and around El Alamein were beginning to crumble due to General Bernard Montgomery's ingenious yet controversial war techniques.
What’s more, Rommel's health was quickly deteriorating, opening an opportunity for the Allies amidst the lack of solid leadership in Egypt.
By then, the Allied forces were ready to seize the Mediterranean town of El Alamein after a first attempt to take it in July ended in a stalemate.
The second battle broke out in October with a severely outnumbered Axis force that was immensely weakened due to a lack of supplies. Still, the confrontation took off with a slow start and heavy resistance, but a major tank engagement soon gave the Allies the upper hand.
It was the beginning of the end for the Axis powers in the desert, as two of the most legendary World War 2 generals faced off for the fate of North Africa and their own pride...
- As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Docs sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Docs is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas. -
My Father was in the British Eighth Army. He was born on June 6th 1921 in Yorkshire England. Thus he turned 18 month's before the war broke out. He signed up right away and didn't return to England until 1946. One served the duration of the war plus 6 months. My Dad didn't speak about the war much. I found old photos of him by the Pyramids In Egypt. Saw a few others in his Eighth Army uniform. I am proud of the fact that my Dad served in the British Eighth Army. I only wish I knew more. Sadly he passed away on November 7th 1997. Not a day goes by I don't think of him. ❤️
What a time to be alive.
@@BinaryMekhanika yes both my parents had fond memories of growing up then.
My father too. He was a signaller attached to the London Scottish in the 56th London Division. He talked about the war a bit, enough for me to work out where he went and how he ended up in the Western Desert. The 56th was not at Alamein, but did take part in chasing the Africa Korps along the coast.
@@stevenfarrall3942 my Dad said fresh water was always a concern in the North African campaign. Plus one could hear the German tanks coming at night across the desert. That was not a great noise to hear he remarked once. 💪🏻
@@thomasgumersell9607 Yes. And 'bully beef' aka corned beef. It was always a sort of liquid in the tin. He never ate corned beef again...
I was doing a report in high school on Rommel when my mother told me to go talk to my grandmother. That's when I found out Rommel was my great grand uncle. That was a bit surreal.
I knew the grandson of field Marshall Friedrich von paulus (german commander of 6th army that surrendered at Stalingrad)
Should be proud! We was a great soldier who fought a clean war!!! He didn't kill Jews soldiers who were taken prisoners by order of Hitler!!!
My Uncle was in Northern Africa in late 1943 and early 1944. He was KIA in July 1944 near Florence Italy. He received the Silver Star. He was in the US 91 Infantry “ Powder River, let ‘r buck!”
My daddy was hit by a German 88 he was in the 504th PIR 82nd Airborne. In Italy said he pissed an big bertha the rail gun. Late in 43 he was wounded.
I'm sorry about your Uncle. My Father was almost killed. Guys like that were our "Secret Weapon". God Help Us if we get in a major war these days with the weinies they're raising now.
@@robertbarlow6715 "Devils in Baggy Pants". Lord Love Him
@@robertsansone1680 Yes Sir that was their nickname. Daddy said the worst job was prisoner snatch he said he hated that told us boy's the reason he hated it they took the chance of being shot by both sides. That had to be hell.
@@robertbarlow6715 Thanks for the comment. I read an account of an American sniper in the American Rifleman magazine. He shot a German soldier escorting two American prisoners to the rear. The two Americans broke & ran when the German collapsed. I know, it's a war but I always felt sorry for that German soldier. He was trying to follow the rules of war & was killed for it.
Rommel had an excellent radio intercept unit, that feed him vital intel. on the British. The Italians managed to get a copy of US codes that helped Rommel stay well informed.
... yes, and his luck ran out when the American attache was found to be sending battle plans to Washington, which were intercepted by the Axis. Once this leak was sealed, Rommel was no longer the the 'Desert Fox' who seemed to always be one jump ahead of the Allies.
Yes. It was not until the Desert Rats destroyed that intercept unit did the Allies in North Africa start achieving consistent battlefield success.
The British/American code breakers were great factor in the disruption of resupply efforts of the Italian-German forces by both sea and air.
@@lynnwood7205 actually, it was British Intel that uncovered the internal leak. They set a trap by releasing a bit of info only to the Anerican attache and no one else. When they saw the Germans react to it, they could pinpoint the leak at the American attaché and it came out that the American codes had been cracked.
And then the Enigms machine got captured and used to destroy Rommel army
Same with the Battle of Kursk. The Brits had intercepted German Intel saying the next major armored offensive would take place in the Kursk Salient. Dates, times, troop strength, everything. This info was handed over to the Russians giving them months to prepare antitank traps, zeroed in artillery zones, trenches, gun emplacements, the flying in of fighters and fighter bombers to completely saturate the area, etc.
The capturing and decoding of enemy Intel is worth more than can possibly be imagined.
Another great example is the US breaking Japanese code and winning the battle of Midway.
The Australian 9th division suffered 20% of the casualties at the 2nd Battle of el Alamein despite providing only 10% of the men. Montgomery used them to lead the attack because he knew that they would have to withstand Rommel's counterattack. It was German doctrine at the time.
Montgomery later wrote that without the 9th division to withstand Rommel's counterattack he would not have won.
Australian General Morshead effectively fought three draws against Rommel in 1941/42 at Tobruk and the two battles of Alamein.
Said by the writer Alan Morehead to be the 'finest shock troops in the desert'.
My grandfather/hero was part of the Australian 9th. I had the honour of collecting his 75th anniversary medal from the governor in Hobart. Romal wrote that if he had to storm hell he would use the Australian 9th to take it and the New Zealand 2nd to hold it.
@@goldfeverreliever very grateful for your Grandfather's service in the Australian 9th. I wrote above that my Father joined the British Eighth Army in 1939. He turned 18 on June 6th 1939. I can't imagine being gone in a war for 6 plus years. Thankfully men like our Fathers and Grandfather's did what they had to do. To allow us to live in freedom. 💪🏻
One more thing I forget to mention. The Australians were some of the hardest men in the war. If one needed a difficult task done. Often it was given to the Australians. Unfortunately the causality rate was very high amongst the Aussies. 💪🏼
@@thomasgumersell9607 Alan Morsehead described the Australians as the finest shock troops in the desert.
My father-in-law was a sergeant in the New Zealand Infantry, 1939 - 45, and fought in the desert battles and then in Italy. He wore many medals, and smoked 40 cigarettes a day. His lungs gave out in 1985 and he passed away quite young at age 67.
I was born in the 40's , started smoking at 10, lost a lung in Vietnam in 67 and stopped smoking, ....now I'm 75.
@@hellskitchen10036thank you for your service 🇺🇸
My Father too was there, same cigarettes and died at 67 in 1976. Greatly missed, they were very special.
Rommel's movements were heavily restricted by failed deliveries caused by the sinking of large shipments of fuel, oil, and supplies shipped across the Mediterranean sea. Another fact the historians fail to mention while praising Montgomery's strategies.
@plastic man ... Hitler took Crete, rather than Malta. As you wrote, it cost him the loss of the Africa Corp.
Almost as if in War, you gotta make do with the equipment you have.
Why pray tell, do you think the supplies, fuel, oil, and rest were absolutely obliterated, and the german army starved?
Almost as if it was the main strategy of the allies.
@@honkhonk8009 That's a huge jump from sinking large shipments to totally obliterated and starved. Not my point at all. Thanks for playing anyways.
Logistics were never a German long suit.
My grandad and the rest of the 22nd Cheshire reg, 1st battalion was out there until going to Malta to defend it... Loved hearing my grandad stories about the desert..
I had a "Family Friend" tell me as a young boy of great historic interests in the 80's of his P 38 Lightning getting wounded on night Opps, with a Night landing at what he "Thought" was a friendly air strip, only to find out it was a tent village turned up with his twin props, And the Locals Not to Happy about it! He was Downed Twice behind Enemy Lines and Twice back in the saddle in days! Smuggled out to a US sub in Italy, and to the UK in N. Afrika!
R.I.P! Greatest Generation!!
@@davefellhoelter1343 yeah man amazing stories...as well.as.my grandad I cut the grass for an old guy who was a rear gunner in a Lancaster...told me stories about how they were shot down in the North sea twice and survived...he always brought me a tea and kit kat half way through... 😆
Dunkirk left the British with almost no field guns worth using. Leading to their inability to hold Rommel back. However the Royal Ordnance Factory worked like mad to get new guns into use. Their Six Pounder anti tank gun was incredibly effective and a significant factor in North Africa.
I believe that the 6 pounder was originally intended to be a light artillery piece, but it was accidently discovered to be an incredible anti tank weapon. Must have been a helluva shock to the Germans. Not sure but I think I read somewhere that 25 pounders also changed roles to anti tank, because their accuracy at longer ranges rivalled that of the feared 88.
I had a "Family Friend" tell me as a young boy of great historic interests in the 70's and 80's of his P 38 Lightning getting wounded on African night Opps, with a Night landing at what he "Thought" was a friendly air strip, only to find out it was a tent village turned up with his twin props, And the Locals Not to Happy about it! He was Downed Twice behind Enemy Lines and Twice back in the saddle in days! Smuggled out to a US sub in Italy, and to the UK in N. Afrika!
R.I.P! Greatest Generation!!
The P-38 is one of the most interesting Ww2 era aircraft, and one of the unsung heroes of the war. It loses out to the P-51 and the Spitfire or the heavy bombers in terms of popularity, but was one of the most effective fighters and recon planes of the day. Not to mention it looks absolutely badass.
An excellent video yet again. It is said that Bill Slim was Britain's finest general and doesn't get the recognition that he deserves. How about a video on the Battles of Imphal and Kohima? Maybe General Monash of WW1 fame? He was an Australian general that pioneered combined arms tactics. Possibly the best Commonwealth commander of that war.
Sorry, but the best Commonwealth commander was Sir Arthur Currie, commander of the Canadian Corps.
Monash probably would have been made British Empire CINC in 1919 if the British Prime minister had been able to oust Haig, as Monash had the eye of King George V after the battle for Hammel after which Monash was the only General to receive a knighthood in the field during WW1.
@@bobmcrae5751 Hmm. WW2 I'd go for Slim, or maybe Horrocks. Slim did more with less than any other commander. The 14th Army's successes against the Japanese were as well planned, commanded and executed as you could wish.
@@bobmcrae5751
I am Canadian and have researched both Arthur Currie and John Monash.
Both were excellent.
(Currie was more interesting, though.)
@@richardshort3914 You tease! You can’t say that without some explanation!
Great narrative as always.
My grandfather was an Allied Tank driver in the battle.
It seems that the general at the 1st battle was not so bad. The main difference between him and Montgomery was apparently that Monty was supplied with a lot more equipment. Probably the first general would have done better if he had been so supplied. So the myth of Monty is born.
world against Germany was like 100 against one
@@onlythewise1 1.no wonder they lost by your logic
2.they had many allies, italy for exanple. And mors than a few in the east
Auchinleck was good....but....he was very bad at picking subordinates. And thats a key skill for a General. The disaster at Gazala was due to his choice of Ritchie as 8th Army Commander, by the time he took over (which was also done too late) the damage was done. In contrast Montgomery made very good choices of subordinates and backed them. He'd also had a key role in promoting skilled commanders going back years so had a large number of loyal, tested personnel he could rely on. Ritchie had a similar preponderance of supplies at Gazala as Montgomery had, the difference is Montgomery knew how to use them.
Monty wouldn't move until he knew he had a larger force and better supplies than those he faced. Too many opportunities were lost due to this.
@@kenmelrac If Montgomery had attacked Rommel with a smaller, undersupplied force, he would have gotten his ass kicked. With Montgomery haters, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
these presentations are amazing, and i do not want to take away from that. i met a german soldier who was there at the defeat of the germans. he survived, many with him did not. he spent 3 months in a hospital before being shipped to italy to a pow camp. his story of time there is living history, although i think he has since died.
this program gives you the huge picture, but i ask you to remember there are the stories of the soldiers who fought, some living some dying and the cost of war is way to high for the history that follows.
mir vashe' vam
peace, God willing to you
In 1982-83 as an Australian officer serving as a peacekeep for the MFO in Egypt and Israel I got a change to visit the graveyards at El Alamein.
There are two, one for the allies, and one for the Azis. There were about 8,000 buried in each. The Axis suffered 4,000 German and 4,000 Italian dead.
It was very sad to see so many good men killed. The most memorable for me were was the grave of a 16 year old South African and at of 'Big Bob' of the Australian 9th Division whose tombstone bore the messages of his family so far away in Australia.
Such things stay with you all your life. I was a Major aged 31 then. Now I'm 71 and living in Vietnam. RIP you 16,000 brave men. What a terrible, terrible waste.
There is a serious take down of Rommel on another channel, pointing out that with the Italians beaten, the British high command moved the bulk of troops and equipment to Greece for that disastrous campaign. What 'British' armor was left behind was the machines not seen as reliable enough to take to Greece and whatever Italian equipment had been captured. Small wonder Rommel rolled over the defenses as far as El Alamein. Then there is the use of counter intelligence by the British that led him there despite the terrain (fake maps, etc).
If Auchinleck had been given the resources Monty was given, it is quite possible nobody would have heard of Montgomery.
Auchinleck's problem was that he was excellent as a field commander, but flawed as a theatre commander. He showed too much loyalty to his appointees, but when they failed and he stepped in he showed what he was capable of. He and Dorman-Smith were a formidable pair. He had the capability to take decisive, bold and aggressive action to rescue a situation. Auchinleck knew that his army needed to re-structure along combined arms lines and he was in the process of doing it when relieved. If he had been allowed an uninterrupted spell as field commander and the patience of his superiors he might have achieved great things. If he had a weakness it was perhaps his relationships. The Australians rebelled and refused to fight when the opportunity presented itself to wipe out Rommel's stranded armour at Alamein. The Aussies thought he was deliberately overusing them, when in reality they were the only ones close enought to take advantage of that particular situation. Up to that point Auchinleck's habit was to pitch the Australians at the Italians whenever Rommel threatened, which resulted in the Germans having to redirect men to shore up the Italians.
Excellent video. Great information and well presented.
When an Australian General got to take charge in North Africa for the first time and lead his own troops in WW2 it was Lt Gen Sir Leslie Morshead. German commander Erwin Rommel was even quoted as saying: "If I had to take hell, I would use the Australians to take it and the New Zealanders to hold it. "If I'd had one division of Māori, I would have taken the canal in a week. If I'd had three, I'd have taken Baghdad." Two small Countries, but super smart and tough as steel!
If you had 3 divisions of Maori they'd rob the locals then eat them.
@@stevensko9153 I don’t think so either. The Aussies love repeating it over and over though…
Make up another story.
He never said that. Just apply brains to it. When would he have said, who to why? It’s not a real quote.
@@stevensko9153 - Nonsense. WWII could not have been won without American logistics.
Brilliant doc,s,very informative thank you
Even though my Great Grandfather was a Rat of Tobruk, I love that this was narrated from a view of the Axis Forces!
I think the artillery piece on the thumbnail is a 7.2" howitzer. It reminded me of the late 70's when I worked with a man called Ralph Pickett. He was a gunner in the 7th RA Regt through most of WW11 and was 3 guns down the line from Spike Milligan. He had many funny stories and said Spike was a lunatic back then.
My father was in the BEF and EL Alamein as a driver in the RASC. He nearly died from blackwater fever. He was sick for the remainder of the war and was discharged from Palestine in 1946.
Ive seen so many video on this subject and it amazes me how they differ so very much.
There was little “ingenious” about Montgomery’s three-prong strategy of (1) embracing the luxury not enjoyed by his predecessors of stockpiling of superior quantities of men, machines, munitions and material, (2) using the time-tested tactic of protecting one’s flanks with unpassable geography (the sea on one side, Qatarra Depression on the other), and (3) refusing to come out of your defensive shell until the enemy exhausts himself. Good approach. But nothing ingenious. And arguably Monty’s greatest skill was internal politicking to make his predecessors look bad and himself look”ingenious”.
_Exact!_
Thank You! Since I was a kid in early highschool where I first read about North Africa and Montgomery's "brilliant" achievements, I concluded (at about 16 yrs old) that he was no different than the useless Soviet generals and the tactics of "so long as we have more than them, they'll run out of ammo/petrol before we do men."
How in the hell did Monty manage to pin medals on his wounded without being spit on a thousand times over?
@@danielbradley5255 yeah, my great uncle was in that battle, tanker in Anders Army(Polish Free Forces). I have one photo of him and his fellow soldiers in a Sherman tank. Because of the angle and guys on it hard to tell if it's a firefly variant or not.
Rommel had similar strategies what is your point? Rommel hid behind his anti-tank screens which montys predecessors would run into. Monty didn’t fall for this boring trick and would simply wait. Many other factors to take into account. But the facts say that Rommel was totally outclassed by Monty.
@@commando4481 Wasn't Rummel winning utill his supply line was cut? Hard to keep winning without beans, bullets, and bandaids.
To get a good understanding of the Egypt campaign I recommend Artemis Cooper's 'Cairo in the War'. ( Penguin 1989). She was John Julius Norwich's little girl ( famous medieval historian) and granddaughter of Lord of the Admiralty, Duff Cooper.
Thanks DARK DOCS for yet another amazing video.
Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up
My uncle fought in Lybia and was captured by British in El alamein battle. Many story told me about it. He suffered of PTSD for the rest of his live.
These personal stories are always terrible. I'm glad he survived though.
Do you have any stories that you would be willing to share?
Sure, my father/mother ,granpa, uncles and of fatther of my mate. recounted episodes of the war by both, combatants and civilians, even from ww1
@@angelomontopoli1672 thanks so much! It sounds like your family went through alot. I hope they all made it out safe, and in good health. Is there any stories that stand out to you in particular?
@@andrefromelpasotexas3236 staying on the topic of the war in North Africa: when my uncle and his companions were sent to capture a downed English pilot, they made him get on the motorcycle (he was a motorcyclist bersagliere) and only when they were at the Italian camp did the English pilot take off the helmet and proved to be a woman. she was one of those who transferred planes to the front.
Many years ago I use to drive a truck to what was then West Germany,.. and I was instructed to go to the town of Ulm and pick up a load the next morning from the Abattoir ( Schlacktoff in German ) and on arriving in Ulm I stopped at a fuel station to ask directions....with that.. A very nice German man spoke to me in near perfect English, and I told him I was looking for the Schlacktoff..... ah he said follow me in my car, which I did and he took me to the Schlacktoff, I thanked him very much for all his help and commented on his very good English... He replied he had been held Captive in England during the war,.. I replied oh... were you shot down ?.. To which he replied oh no I was in the Africa corps.... Small world when you think about it isnt it !
Thank you
Excellent film and narrative
Intro keeps getting better. Sounds like a new mic
I think that Montgomery was the most underrated general of the war.
No general is good at every aspect of warfare. Montgomery was an excellent planner who prepared his men to win battles. He was not nearly as effective at responding when his opponent did something to surprise him. He was also less likely to respond quickly to exploit unforeseen opportunities in the heat of battle. The circumstances of the second battle of El Alamein meant that he was the right man, in the right place, at the right time. On top of that the psychological impact of a general who finally achieved a significant victory over the Desert Fox cannot be overstated.
Monty is the definition of "slow and steady wins the race". It can also lose it, but he was on the right side. He had the overwhelming advantage in men and materiel to make slow and steady work. Good planner, good trainer, good strategist, poor tactician, poor reactions. But he knew his strengths and stuck to em well. A quote from a US soldier memoir I read years ago: "Give Germany Monty and they lose in 44, give us Monty and win in 45, Monty never existed and we'd win in 46"
That's a little unfair. In the middle of the Alamein battle he swung his whole army around to exploit a weakness in the German front line. Also, as regards supplies, the Royal Navy and RAF working out of Alexandria and Malta severely interdicted German supplies. And Montgomery had Ultra decrypts. He certainly knew of the German plans for the July battles and positioned his forces accordingly.
@freebeerfordworkers Wasn't that a quote by Gen Ritter von Thoma? One of Rommel's generals? www.krh.org.uk/uploads/4/5/0/9/45090939/20110914-10-hussars-von-thoma_1_pdf.pdf
Montgomery _responded_ brilliantly in the Battle of The Bulge when Ike brought him in to stop everything turning to manure in a hurry.
@@Twirlyhead Eisenhower detail BLM to get a grip on the North of the Bulge and transferred US formations to his command (he was OC 21 Army group). By all accounts he achieved that brilliantly - the perfect foil for Patton's efforts to the South.
Alexander went off script with more innovation. Early on after taking command the British overran a German HQ and found their dispatches were intercepted and read with regularity as the Germans had broken their codes. Rommel was good but it’s not that hard to be good when you have your enemy’s order of battle two weeks before the forces meet. “Blood, tears, sweat and folly,” by Len Deighton, great book.
Monte refused to attack a defensive position until he could accumulate a 4:1 advantage.
Yes that was his ego and that he did not want his name associated with the defeat.
Although a four to one advantage is preferred, a three to one is quite doable.
With a four to one advantage you’ll have fewer casualties because your men will not be spread as thinly however on the other side there is the danger of having a greater amount of casualties simply because you have a greater amount of individuals to become casualties.
This is the first time I've heard anything about Rommel's 'ailing health' !
What I've heard time and again is that lack of fuel caused him severe problems -
Lack of fuel & spare parts, thanks to British submarines based at Malta sinking ltalian(mainly) & German supply ships to starve Rommel of despartely needed equipment & fuel.
Where my uncle, ex RN was based. He loved the Maltese people as staunch Allies.
Thanks from Texas Dark Dude
Thank you for the numerous and informational videos.
Any great military commander owes all glory to their troops. God bless the soldiers of freedom before, during, and after combat.
🏆🏆🏆👍🇺🇲🙏
Thank you for sharing.
I can tell this is new. Your voice is changing! Lol
he got his first pubes and pimpels
My Father served in the western desert Tobruk and El Alamein he spoke so little about it to this day I don't know which regiment he was in
I know all the history about World War I and two Korean Vietnam but I think your your show is great peace.
I am not sure "infamous" (famous for being evil) is the correct adjective for Rommel. He fought for an infamous regime to be sure, but as I understand it he wasn't personally evil.
Good to see so much interest in WWII👍🏾 The battle of the comments is excellent. No blood 🩸 spilled. How all wars shd be fought.
Fascinating history.
Interesting musical score!
I always admired Rommel's respect and care he had for the soldiers under his command. He would never throw them into mindlessly into a meat grinder and would always spare the certain and unnecessary death and would defy Hitler in retreating or surrender.
My great uncle was an Aussie rat who was killed in El Alamein,he’s buried in the war cemetery over there,I hope one day I can visit him there 🇦🇺
Wow. I think Feildmarshal Erwin Romell would apreatiate how fiting are the sinfonic melodys fit well for this short teling of this tale.
I have studied a lot of Monty's "exploits" in WW2 and have come to the conclusion that he was the best General the German Army had. If I look at Africa, his losses were horrible. He missed one after another opportunity by his, "We need to make a major attack." He won in Africa primarily on the back of the Malta convoys, Malta and the airmen and sailors who interdicted the German supplies. Look at how Hitler finally had to sacrifice the only heavy air transports to get supplies in. At one point 10 tons of supplies were shipped to Italy, one ton make it to Rommel, destroyed by air and naval assets. When you have nothing to fight with, feed your troops and drive your vehicles, you are easy to beat. Roll ahead to 6/6/44, that debacle - and it was - a front too long, 25 miles - was the planned by none other than Monty, not Ike. No disrespect to Ike. He did one hell of a job at keeping Patton and Doolittle from killing the prima donna Monty to satisfy the Monty ego. Then the battle of the bulge was the result of giving supplies to Monty's big, complex and workable bridge too far operation that was a fiasco that gave the Germans a breather by denying forces supplies to keep the pressure on the Kraut. The Market Garden offensive ended on December 22 1944 six days after the Watch on the Rhine, the Battle of the Bulge. Every Monty operation was too big, complex and delayed too long. Lives were lost because the Germans had time to dig in. But to blame Monty is to pull on Superman's cape. He was the best General the Germans had.
to be fair, it's not just about the military front, Montgomery couldn't do anything if he was replaced and churchill needed to get a victory for the sake of moral back home and to keep supporters among the Americans on side.
The breaking of Enigma, and the subsequent assault on German supply ships, ..created the weakness Rommel couldn't overcome.
Monty sucked
Many especially Brits will point out Op Market Garden and pronounce this to be “Monty’s only defeat” all the while forgetting
Op Jubilee the raid that turned to a bloodbath. So bad that Lord Mountbatten refused to work alongside “the emaciated fool” for most of the war.
I'm not understanding this comment about Monty, who was a Brit, "...that he was the best General the German Army had."
Modern desert rat here. Fucking fair play to the men on both the Allied and German sides during the battle. Heroes.
Hey, what’s wrong with Dark Docs voice? Am I the only one that thinks it a little off? Another GREAT vid.
My Father was at the second battle of El Alamein commanding a heavy anti aircraft battery. Then on to Sicily and over to Italy.
Sounds like u got a cold, big improvement... Seriously
Music is killer!
I can't imagine going into battle in rough rocky terrain wearing short pants, those were some tough bastards.
Monty got lucky with his better defensive position in the battle. And he proved his not so ingenuousness during the rest of the war. Market garden for example and his slowness after d-day in taking his assigned goals.
Those Germans captured were amongst the luckiest German Soldiers. Spending the rest of the war in Allied Prison Camps was a great way to survive the war.
Monty looked more like a school teacher who hadn't had food for a week rather than a commander.
Outstanding video. Monty was not the Commander he and his huge ego thought he was!
Win with Number, always
may the memory of those men never be forgotten . a yank
Very well made Doc about this Battle Montgomery was dam clever and his arty dam good always was Even WW1 Brit arty was very good
My grandfather killed 13 men during the battle of El Alamein. He was a dreadful cook..
My wife’s Granddad was there - Royal Signal Corps!! He never soon of his time in North Africa! My father in law doesn’t know much about his father’s service in North Africa, Sicily, Italy. These veterans really never spoke much about their service!!
No mention of the "Rats Of Tobruk"
You missed out the pivotal battle fought between the two battles of El Alamein. Alam El Halfa. It was the last time Rommel attempted to attack the allied lines and the first battle Montgomery was in charge of. He set Rommel up for defeat and that did as much damage to DAK armour reserves as Alamein. Three things lead to the victory at Alamein. The massive loss of intelligence that had given Rommel such an advantage. The tactical change in the use of allied tank units and fighting doctrine for the infantry. And Montgomery's ability to motivate his troops while co-ordinating the use of his resources across the board. Of course it didn't hurt that the Royal Navy sent at least 50% of Rommel's supplies to the bottom of the Mediterranean. German U boats were not the only ones sinking shipping by the thousands of tons.
Excellent video 📹
The German military leadership had a fundamental flaw in Russia and North Africa.
The Germans refused to pull back their elite forces and tanks back and ambush the enemy as they ran out of steam.
What always amazes me about so much about ww2 is the fact that the Germans even though outnumbered and outgunned on many occasions always but up a hell of a fight.
We should always keep in mind the strategic goal of the Germans in Africa. If a connection to the Caucasus and the expulsion of the British forces from Egypt were actually the long-term goal, one has to be surprised that there were only 3, later 4 lousy divisions in Africa, together with the Italians (in Russia there were 147 divisions deployed at the same time). So one can assume, that it was a question of maintaining the theater of war, stabilizing the Italians, reintegrating them into the defense and using this proxy war to put Great Britain on the defensive for a certain period of time. The strict stop and hold order and the outrage over the fast advances and land gains of the Afrika Korps during the first phase of the war are not surprising, until the OKW noticed that this fast attacks are the best defense after all. The success of delaying warfare by Rommel was really quite remarkable, as you sayed, considering with how few resources he managed to occupied the Allies in Africa. A full scale land war, initiated by an amphibious landing, in Western Europe was out of the question at this point...
@@mikeromney4712 We should always keep in mind that the Germans struggled to keep the forces they actually did have in North Africa adequately supplied in the face of Royal Navy and RAF attacks on their shipping. More divisions would have required more supplies but the trickle of supplies coming in to them would have remained the same and proportionately more inadequate.
@@Twirlyhead Right. Thats surley also an factor. More troops in Africa would have made a landing at Malta, or the neutralization of Malta as a British base in the Mediterranean a prerequisite (possibly even securing Gibratar) - and that would be very counterproductive for tying down British forces for the duration of the Russian campaign and would expose the own forces and ressources, which were more and more desperately needed in Russia, to an unprecedented risk, as the landing at Crete had shown.
@@mikeromney4712 Taking Malta would have been no certainty for the Axis, very difficult in fact, and Gibraltar would have been impossible for them without a lot of assistance from Spain who were determined not to get drawn in further than their position of officially neutral Axis sympathisers. Really, what we are looking at is Germany's enormous inadequacy as a maritime power compared to the British and the fact that North Africa was literally an _overseas_ campaign. North Africa was never a good place for Germany to be fighting despite some of the tactical successes of Rommel leading many to believe otherwise.
Germany wanted war and had a core of officer elite just itching for a WW1 rematch. They were a vicious military dictatorship. Britain, conversely and despite its empire, was emerging into a liberal democracy that's very social foundation and ethos was shaken to the core by the horror of WW1. They did NOT want a war.
There's your difference.
ON that basis, I am not at all amazed by Germany's initial successes, nor in the fanatical behaviour they exhibited in trying to stave off inevitable defeat. It's a like a bully in a playground that beats a few people up but is ultimately swamped for their audacity, cheek and malevolence.
Half a million mines...... Damn!!!!!!!! Careful where you step
Was the audio somehow slowed or altered??
Me grandad was lead tank at ruistat ridge in the 2nd battle. He was the first tank to be taken out. He was the first to be shot with an AA GUN not used on an Aircraft
The reason why Rommel lacked supplies, tanks and other equipment was that the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force sank over 3,084 Axis Merchant ships from 1939 to 1942. Further, the U.S. supplied many Sherman and Lee tanks which were on par with the Panzer 1 and 2 tanks but not the Panther and Tiger tanks which were in short supply and were largely being rushed to the Russian front.
I understand one of the things with Rommel is that while he was loved by his troops, he did expose them to face high casualties. There is a story that one of his subordinates was upset by this sacrificing of one’s own soldiers and after the failed bomb assassination attempt on Hitler, “dropped a dime” on Rommel’s possible complicity in it to the Gestapo. It was then that Rommel was given the choice of taking the Cyanamide pill or face his family going to the Concentration camp.
ask is it possible to find a general who can make right decisions which doesn't necessarily mean to win a battle
Funny, but 3 battles were at Al Alamein! First was Auckinleck stopped Rommel, the second was Rommel's attack at Alam Al Halfa and the third battle was won by Montgomery. Alam Al Halfa was interesting battle, because Montgomery won with Rommel tactict (+airforce) used artillery against the German and Italian tanks. Funny the most historian videos speak very little about this event.
"However, Gott's transport was shot down by the Luftwaffe"
And so, the flow of history was changed by one small battle.
A friend of mines father used to talk a little about ww2 he was a desert rat also with the LRDG later on I believe he passed away goodfew years ago with all the war stories one of his sons said let's see so he contacted dad's regimental association to inform them of his father's name and his passing away and funeral arrangements thinking he had done the right thing and if it ch ecked out awreath or similar
On day of service the old regiment sent a junior officer and sargeant
.
I once knew a guy who was there at the time - not much could be said really other than it was terrible for every one involved
The Generals didn't square off in battle, the countless men they commanded, and their lives they spent like loose change did. Here's to the gardens of stones with names inscribed, but few remembered. Whilst the Generals are lionized or condemned; but certainly not forgotten. All gave some, and some gave all!
Generals throughout history - "So I sent wave after wave of my own men"
Monty loved his boys just a little too much.
yes, I had heard that
The capture of the enigma machine is really what defeated the Africa corp. knowing your oppositions every move would be a decisive factor.
Would be nice to know what American equipment assisted Montgomery.
The Germans had active vehicle recovery and repair when not fighting and usually during the hours of Darkness.
It sounds like this video is playing at 75% due to the slow narration???
INFAMOUS ! what ?
ROMMEL´S absence from the battle itself, had very moral consequences for both sides. Even that the Africa Korps was in a very bad shape,and against a much superior enemy, in man and material, Rommel being not present during the battle,had a huge impact on Axis troops,with the lack of experience of Von Thoma, made it a lost battle from the start. Nevertheless he was still manage to retreat in good order for 1000 miles,saving the lifes of many of his men,and later giving a very bloody nose to the Americans at Kasserine,even when all the odds where against Rommel were slim,since the American help started to arrive to the 8 army in droves,specialy in tanks and artillary.
it was a fight for survival,but on his terms. It was Rommel,after all.
Kasserine = crumbs of vainglory for Rommel to feed Goebbels' propaganda & Hitler's illusions.
Kasserine = training the hard way for the Americans, who later reminded Hitler that they are not bankers disguised as soldiers.
Tunisia = 2nd Stalingrad defeat for the nazis in the same year.
If Monty had caught the Afrika Korps in hot pursuit,
he would have spared Hitler a strategic defeat.
Instead, the fuehrer seeing that his fetish Rommel had not been caught,
thought that he could still pull a miracle victory.
So he sent more troops & his new Tiger tanks to Tunisia where they tanked miserably.
Only Rommel & Stauffenberg escaped.
The former to be completely disillusioned with Hitler.
The latter to put a bomb under Hitler.
Rommel put in command of German forces North of Napoli, refused to bring them to help Kesselring who at Salerno was battling desperately to reject the Anglo-Americans to the sea.
Yet Hitler didn't dismiss Rommel.
For he will suicide him later.
@@Charlesputnam-bn9zy and what a training it was...
@@jpmtlhead39 all the more invaluable.
What amazes me is that Rommel only had a few Tanks and 88s to repel the British attack. The minefield was hellashious too.
My father was a gunner in Matlda tanks in North Africa and said the only thing he feared was the mighty German 88mm.
Monty was just too good for them, he was not liked by the Americans for this reason. When he took over the American 2nd army in the battle of the bulge it made them dislike him even more. Monty was one of the best generalof WW2.
Rommel was not infamous but rather famous and respected by even his enemies. If there was an honorable German general it was Rommel.
thank god for General Motors tanks
Usual anti Monty comments. He planned this as a 10 day battle ans that proved fairly accurate. Desert conditions were appalling with dust stirred up by men and vehicles. Monty also stopped tanks chasing retreating armour as it often turned out to be a trap. Rommel getting intelligence from USA didnt help before then. Rommel was not very into logiostics which didn't help him.
57 mm was the primary tank weapon . Range ? 500 yard's . Standard armor thickness ? Inch or less .
Genuinely constructive criticism... Your voice seems a bit slow and low energy in this video and I sub to several of the "...dark" channels. This is the first one I've noticed it being slow and it feels odd
If the war were left to Montey' we'd still be fighting it.
you don't mention the British had broken Romels spy ring in Egypt and he stopped getting insights in to British troop movements.
Wasn't this battle largely won at sea over the preceding months with the sinking of Axis food, fuel, and ammunition?
This is true. The British had the Ultra project which was reading the German Enigma codes. They intercepted the sailing times and routes for a number of German and Italian ships crossing the Mediterranean to North Africa. In fact, it made the British a bit edgy. They would often fly a recon plane over the ship, then route a submarine to sink it. The assumption was that the ship would radio that they had been spotted by air which would explain the ensuing submarine attack. The British were afraid too many submarine attacks alone might tip off the Axis that it was more than a coincidence.
Sorry forgot Mark Clark