Axis commandersBritish commanders Axis commanders
British forces Axis forces Orders of battle
The position at Mareth The battle of Medenine Assaulting the Mareth Line
The break-in attack The New Zealand Corps’ left hook Forcing the Tebaga Gap
FURTHER READING AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. September 1940, an Italian army under Maresciallo Graziani crosses the Egyptian/Libyan border, but is confronted by British forces under the command of Gen. Wavell who pushes the Italians back across Cyrenaica to El Agheila.
2. February 1941, Gen. Rommel arrives in North Africa and attacks from El Agheila to force the British into retreat. They withdraw to the Egyptian border leaving Tripoli under siege.
3. May/June 1941, Gen. Wavell launches two attacks, Operations Brevity and Battleaxe, to relieve Tobruk; both fail.
4. November 1941, British forces, now formed into Eighth Army under Lt. Gen. Cunningham launch a major offensive, Operation Crusader. Tobruk is relieved and Rommel’s forces are pushed right back to El Agheila.
5. January 1942, Rommel goes onto the offensive once more and pushes Eighth Army, now under the command of Lt. Gen. Ritchie, back to prepared positions at Gazala.
6. May 1942, Rommel launches a major offensive that retakes Tobruk and pushes Eighth Army back to El Alamein in Egypt. Gen. Auchinleck replaces Ritchie at the head of Eighth Army.
7. July 1942, Rommel attacks positions at El Alamein but is defeated by Auchinleck.
8. August 1942, Montgomery replaces Auchinleck as commander of Eighth Army who reorganizes the formation ready to go on the offensive.
9. August/September 1942, Rommel tries again to break the line at El Alamein in the battle of Alam Halfa but fails through lack of strength.
10. October/November 1942, Montgomery launches his attack at El Alamein and defeats Rommel’s army which is forced to retreat right back to El Agheila.
11. December 1942, Montgomery’s planned attack on the El Agheila positions meets only enemy rearguards; Rommel has retreated to Buerat.
12. January 1943, Rommel employs delaying tactics at Buerat and then withdraws to a new line at Homs.
13. End of January 1943, Rommel withdraws from Homs when reports reach him that the British are outflanking the line through the desert.
14. January 1943, Tripoli is given up and Rommel withdraws into Tunisia.
15. March 1943, Axis forces under Gen. Messe make their last attack in North Africa when they launch the abortive operation against Medenine.
16. March 1943, Eighth Army breaks through the Mareth Line defences.
17. April 1943, Eighth Army breaks through the defences at Wadi Akarit.
18. May 1943, Tunis falls and all Axis forces in North Africa surrender to the Allies.