The North African Campaign 1940-1942
The allied campaign in North Africa began in 1940 to protect the tactical opportunities and natural resource (mainly the oil fields of the Middle East) as well as the traditional colonial interests of Britain from the invading Italian army, which invaded with 350,000 men on the 13th of September in 1940.
Initially the Western Desert Force did well against the Italians. Although outnumbered, they were better trained, equipped and led, and these factors allowed them to push the Italians back into Libya under Operation Compass, taking thousands of prisoners and all but annihilating the Italian 10th Army, capturing 130,000 troops. However this success changed when Rommel and his Deutsches Afrikakorps/Afrika Korps (DAK) joined the Axis effort in February 1941. It was around the same time that much of the original allied force was re-deployed to Greece and replaced by far more inexperienced and ill equipped troops. Rommel quickly made his mark at El Agheila and over the following months the Allies were pushed back to the Egyptian border. However, the fortified port of Tobruk and its garrison of some 27,000 men held out despite the German siege, proving a constant thorn in Rommel’s side. The Germans needed to capture the port not only to remove the threat of its garrison, but also for the chance at shortening their stretched supply lines, as it was one of the only major ports on the coast line.
The port held out for several months of siege while the Allies recovered from their losses. However, in June they launched Operation Battleaxe, an attempt to relieve Tobruk from the Axis siege. Although it was one of the first battles in the desert war where the Germans were on the defensive, Battleaxe was a near total disaster. Over half the Allied tanks were lost on the first day and only narrowly avoided being encircled by German tanks and were forced to withdraw. Following this failure, Claude Auchinleck replaced Archibald Wavell as Commander In Chief of the allied forces, a position he would retain until he too failed to satisfy Churchill’s demand for a desert victory.
With Auchinleck in command, there were several changes in the Allied war effort. The Western Desert force was reorganised into the 8th Army, now containing the New Zealand Division. Auchinleck was also determined to relieve Tobruk, and so in the closing months of 1941 Operation Crusader was launched. The plan was ultimately successful and the Axis forces were driven back to El Agheila, finally freeing the city. The victory, however, came at a heavy cost to the Allies as Rommel had inflicted heavy casualties on their Armoured Divisions. The New Zealand Division was also badly bloodied, losing 879 dead and 1700 wounded and making Operation Crusader their most costly battle of the war so far.
The success of Crusader, however, did not last. Reinforced and resupplied from Tripoli, the Axis struck back, routing the 8th Army at Gazala and, in a devastating blow, captured Tobruk. Rommel now looked to advance into Egypt and to many it seemed like he would do just that. The allied forces retreated in disarray to Mersa Matruh where they awaited the attack that would make or break the North African Campaign.
Initially the Western Desert Force did well against the Italians. Although outnumbered, they were better trained, equipped and led, and these factors allowed them to push the Italians back into Libya under Operation Compass, taking thousands of prisoners and all but annihilating the Italian 10th Army, capturing 130,000 troops. However this success changed when Rommel and his Deutsches Afrikakorps/Afrika Korps (DAK) joined the Axis effort in February 1941. It was around the same time that much of the original allied force was re-deployed to Greece and replaced by far more inexperienced and ill equipped troops. Rommel quickly made his mark at El Agheila and over the following months the Allies were pushed back to the Egyptian border. However, the fortified port of Tobruk and its garrison of some 27,000 men held out despite the German siege, proving a constant thorn in Rommel’s side. The Germans needed to capture the port not only to remove the threat of its garrison, but also for the chance at shortening their stretched supply lines, as it was one of the only major ports on the coast line.
The port held out for several months of siege while the Allies recovered from their losses. However, in June they launched Operation Battleaxe, an attempt to relieve Tobruk from the Axis siege. Although it was one of the first battles in the desert war where the Germans were on the defensive, Battleaxe was a near total disaster. Over half the Allied tanks were lost on the first day and only narrowly avoided being encircled by German tanks and were forced to withdraw. Following this failure, Claude Auchinleck replaced Archibald Wavell as Commander In Chief of the allied forces, a position he would retain until he too failed to satisfy Churchill’s demand for a desert victory.
With Auchinleck in command, there were several changes in the Allied war effort. The Western Desert force was reorganised into the 8th Army, now containing the New Zealand Division. Auchinleck was also determined to relieve Tobruk, and so in the closing months of 1941 Operation Crusader was launched. The plan was ultimately successful and the Axis forces were driven back to El Agheila, finally freeing the city. The victory, however, came at a heavy cost to the Allies as Rommel had inflicted heavy casualties on their Armoured Divisions. The New Zealand Division was also badly bloodied, losing 879 dead and 1700 wounded and making Operation Crusader their most costly battle of the war so far.
The success of Crusader, however, did not last. Reinforced and resupplied from Tripoli, the Axis struck back, routing the 8th Army at Gazala and, in a devastating blow, captured Tobruk. Rommel now looked to advance into Egypt and to many it seemed like he would do just that. The allied forces retreated in disarray to Mersa Matruh where they awaited the attack that would make or break the North African Campaign.