Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign was the primary early theatre of the North African Campaign of World War II. It is sometimes referred to as the Egypt-Libya Campaign.
It was continuous back-and-forth struggle fought by the Axis powers — at first only from Fascist Italy, although Nazi Germany later became the dominant partner — against the Allies, represented primarily by Commonwealth forces. After entering World War II, the United States supplied a small US Army Air Force contingent in support of the campaign.
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Pre-War
The United Kingdom had forces in Egypt as a result of the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936. Mostly this was in order to protect the Suez Canal, which was vital to Britain's communications with the Far Eastern territories.
Raids
On 11 June 1940, the day after Italy declared war on the Allies, Italian and Commonwealth forces stationed in Egypt began a series of raids on each other. Among the more notable achievements of this were the capture of Fort Capuzzo by the British Army's 11th Hussars and the death of Libyan Governor-General, Marshal Italo Balbo in a friendly fire incident.
Graziani's Axis offensive
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Benito Mussolini, anxious to link Libya with Italian East Africa and to capture the Suez Canal and the Arabian oilfields, ordered the invasion of Egypt on August 8th. On 13 September, 1940, Italian forces under the command of Rodolfo Graziani, numbering five Italian divisions and 200 tanks invaded Egypt from their Libyan base in Cyrenaica. However, because of the chronic shortages and poor leadership their offensive quickly waned, and by 16 September the Italians started entrenching in and around Sidi Barrani.
Wavell's Allied offense
The Allied Western Desert Force, numbering around 30,000 man, including the Australian 6th Division launched the counter-attack Operation Compass on 9 December. The Italians were caught completely off-guard, and by 10 December the Allies had taken more than 20,000 prisoners. The following day, the Allies then struck against Sollum, then pressed on to capture Bardia and Tobruk. By February the Italians fell back to Beda Fomm where the Allies successfully encircled them, capturing around 25,000 man, 100 tanks and 1500 vehicles. The remainder of the Italian force retreated to El Agheila by 9 February 1941.
After this disastrous defeat, Hitler ordered German reinforcements to prevent total Italian collapse and sent in the newly formed Deutsches Afrikakorps, commanded by Erwin Rommel.
Rommel's first Axis offense
When Rommel arrived in North Africa, his orders were to assume a defensive posture and hold the frontline. Finding that the British defenses were thin, he quickly defeated the Allied forces at El Agheila on March 24. He then launched an offensive which, by 15 April, had pushed the British back to Salum, capturing all but Tobruk which was encircled and besieged. During this drive, he also managed to capture British generals Richard O'Connor and Sir Philip Neame.
In the stalemate that followed, British forces reorganised and the British Eighth Army was formed from units from many countries, including another two divisions from the Australian Army and the Indian Army, but also including divisions of South Africans, New Zealanders and a brigade of Free French under Marie-Pierre Koenig.
Auchinleck's Allied offense
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The Allies launched Operation Crusader on November 18, 1941. All the territory gained by Rommel was recaptured, with the exception of garrisons at Bardia and Sallum. Most significantly the Axis siege of Tobruk was relieved. The front line was again set at El Agheila.
Rommel's second Axis offense
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After being resupplied from Tripoli, Rommel pressed his assault against the British anew, defeating the Allies in the Battle of Gazala in June 1942 and capturing Tobruk. His push was only halted at the Alamein Line on the border of Egypt in the First Battle of El Alamein.
Montgomery's Allied offense
General Bernard Montgomery took over as commander of the Eighth Army and after victory in the Battle of Alam Halfa and in the Second Battle of El Alamein began to the push the Axis forces back, going as far as capturing Tripoli.
Conclusion
With the Axis forces driven out of Libya, they would soon find themselves pincered in the following Tunisia Campaign by American forces to the east.
See also
References
- von Mellenthin, Major General F. W. (1956). Panzer Battles: A Study of the Employment of Armor in the Second World War. First Ballantine Books Edition, 1971. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 0345244400.
| World War II Western Desert operations of North African Campaign edit | ||
| Allied | Axis | |
| Organizational units | Western Desert Force British Eighth Army Desert Air Force | Panzer Army Afrika, PAA Afrika Korps, DAK |
| Principal operational units | British 7th Armoured Division Indian 4th Infantry Division | 15th Panzer-Division 5th Light Division / 21st Panzer-Division 90th Leichte-Division 164th Infanterie-Division |
| Commanders | O'Connor Wavell Auchinleck Cunningham Montgomery | Rommel Crüwell |
| Key weapons | Matilda tank Crusader tank | PzKpfw III PzKpfw IV Sdkfz 232 Armoured Car 88 mm gun |
| Battles and operations | ||
| Compass – Tobruk – Brevity – Battleaxe – Crusader – Gazala – Bir Hakeim – 1st Alamein – Alam Haifa – 2nd Alamein | ||