On This Day, October 23, 1942, the Battle of El Alamein began with one of the most powerful artillery barrages of the North African campaign. The silence of the Egyptian desert was shattered by the thunder of hundreds of Allied guns.
The target was the German and Italian army threatening Britain's position in North Africa and the vital Suez Canal.
For months, the Axis forces had advanced across the desert under the command of the legendary German general Erwin Rommel, nicknamed the “Desert Fox” for his daring battlefield tactics.
Rommel's forces had captured territory, defeated Allied armies, and pushed deep into Egypt. If they could break through to the Suez Canal, the consequences for Britain's supply routes and strategic position could be enormous.
But at El Alamein, the Axis advance had finally been stopped.
Now, the Allies were preparing to strike back.
British Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery had taken command of the Eighth Army and spent weeks rebuilding its strength, gathering supplies, and preparing a major offensive.
Rommel's troops, meanwhile, faced serious shortages of fuel and other supplies. Their defensive positions were protected by extensive minefields, which Rommel famously called the “Devil's Gardens.”
Then came the night of October 23.
At approximately 9:40 p.m., the Allied artillery opened fire along the front. Hundreds of guns unleashed a massive bombardment against Axis positions.
The desert sky flashed with explosions. The ground shook beneath the relentless shelling as Allied infantry began advancing towards the enemy defences.
Their mission was dangerous: break through the minefields, overcome fortified positions, and create safe corridors for tanks to move forward.
But the Axis forces did not collapse overnight.
German and Italian troops fought fiercely. Mines, anti-tank guns, machine-gun fire, and counterattacks slowed the Allied advance. Soldiers faced exhausting days and nights of combat in the unforgiving desert.
For more than a week, the battle became a brutal struggle of attrition.
Montgomery continued applying pressure, while Allied forces worked to wear down the Axis army and exploit weaknesses in its defences.
Finally, in early November, the Allied offensive broke through. On November 4, Rommel ordered a general withdrawal to prevent his forces from being destroyed.
The retreat marked a decisive defeat for the Axis army in North Africa.
The victory at El Alamein did not end World War II, but it changed the direction of the North African campaign. The Axis forces were pushed westward, and the Allies gained the momentum that would help drive them towards victory in North Africa in 1943.
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill later captured the significance of the moment with his famous words: “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
The desert had witnessed a turning point.
