El Alamein, 1942

General Auchinleck, British C-in-C Middle East and commander of the 8th Army, chose to stop Rommel's advance into Egypt in 1942. The first battle of El Alamein halted Rommel's advance cold, and his attempt to resume the advance was defeated by Montgomery, forcing Rommel to wait for the Allied offensive. On 23 October, a 1,000-gun barrage launched the third battle of El Alamein. Although Rommel tried to hold the Alamein line, he had to retreat westwards when his forces were in danger of being surrounded. Never again did the Afrika Korps threaten Egypt. This book provides an in-depth analysis of the battle that turned the tide in favour of the Allies in Africa.

Table of Contents

Origins of the campaign; Chronology; Opposing Commanders; Opposing Armies; Orders of Battle; Opposing Plans; First Alamein; Battle of Alam Halfa; El Alamein: The First Phase; El Alamein; The Breakout; The Pursuit; The Battlefield Today

Author Biography

Ken Ford was born in Hampshire in 1943. He trained as an engineer and spent almost thirty years in the telecommunications industry. He now spends his time as an author and a bookseller specialising in books on military history. He has written a number of books on World War II subjects. Ken now lives in Southampton. Howard Gerrard studied at the Wallasey School of Art and has been a freelance designer and illustrator for over 20 years. He has worked for a number of publishers and is an associate member of the Guild of Aviation Artists. He has won both the Society of British Aerospace Companies Award and the Wilkinson Sword Trophy and has illustrated a number of books for Osprey, including Campaign 69: 'Nagashino 1575' and Campaign 72: 'Jutland 1916'. Howard lives and works in Kent.