Main article: Campaign in North Africa
At the beginning of the war, Italy attacked the Anglo-French colonies in East Africa, failing miserably. Despite this defeat, Mussolini remained committed to seizing Egypt and the Middle East oil wells, so shipping to Egypt on September 13, 1940, a force of 200 thousand men from Libya, then an Italian colony . After moving less than 65 kilometers inside Egypt, the private equity company Italians are entrenched in a defensive line in Genius Products Sidi Barrani.
The British army made up of Australians and Indians do not equity funds spend 35 thousand men, but had a larger tank, which also were more advanced than the Italian armored. investment expert On December 8 private equity market the British tanks came from the weaknesses of the defensive line of Sidi Barrani and then isolate camp after camp, were destroyed (see Operation Compass). The Italian defeat was overwhelming, a general was killed and 38 thousand Italian soldiers surrendered, however, things would get even worse for the army of Mussolini.
The Italian withdrawal, completely disorganized, but I escaped to the west coast route to get away from the open desert south of the disputed ground tanks. makes use of ‘s General Archibald Percival Wavell took the southern route and near Beda Fomm short Italian withdrawal, capturing about 130 thousand Italians.
The defeat capital worth devastated morale and Italian aid to Hitler asked Mussolini to expel the allied troops who could attack at any time and in Tunisia there jumping to Italy. Hitler responded by sending Erwin Rommel, later nicknamed the Desert Fox, and the V Panzer Regiment, which receive more reinforcements would be known as the Afrika Korps. When Rommel arrived in Africa was ordered to maintain the line. However, the English Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, underestimating the threat German troops retreat from Africa to help in the defense of Crete, which was being invaded by German paratroopers (see Battle of Crete). When Rommel realized the net worth weakness of the face and the long supply line of defenders, attacked on its own initiative, pushing the British to the initial positions of their offensive months ago (see Operation Sonnenblume). However, the Afrika Korps could not take Tobruk, which was under siege.
General Bernard Montgomery observes the movement of tanks in El Alamein
Immediately the British tried to regain control of the important port of Tobruk, but failed. A second attempt did not yield favorable results british, worse, a counterattack Rommel rapture of the British territory won in their entire previous offensives. After these defeats, the British commander Archibald Wavell was replaced by Claude Auchinleck, who completely reorganized the army and XIII after getting seven divisions replacement launched by November 18, 1941 Operation Crusader, which was a counterattack against the Afrika Korps , which was almost without provisions. Crusader was a success, and Rommel had to withdraw to El Ageila, where his brilliant offensive began eight months ago.
After receiving the late much-needed resources, Rommel and restart the attack after winning the Battle of Gazala, the British pushed beyond the frontier with Egypt. Molesto, Churchill to Auchinleck replacement with General Bernard Montgomery. Rommel was aware that few new provisions, Montgomery German repelled attack after attack, allowing the front is stable, as the weather helped. Rommel LLC is a privately owned investment advisory firm watch powerlessas their tactic of attacking the flank his enemy was useless, because south funds of the depression was Kattan and formed a bottleneck for the passage of tanks.
Finally, in late October 1942, called the Second Battle of El Alamein, British troops, superior in tanks, supplies and air support, succeeded in neutralizing the few tanks that were left smaller and emerging funds without fuel for Rommel, and pushed him up more Apart from Tripoli, winning this important port and depriving the Afrika Korps of important resources.
U.S. troops landed at Algiers
Meanwhile the Americans were running Operation Torch, and thousands of U.S. soldiers landed in northwest Africa, to experience a strong resistance from the Vichy French troops in Algeria. After three days of intense fighting, the commander of Vichy Fran ois Darlan surrendered, on condition of continuing to administer Algeria, this time on behalf of Free France.
While nortemaricanos to landings in northwest Tunisia, Rommel was entrenched behind the line Mareth facing the British who came to Libya.