The Battle of El-Alamein and Operation Torch - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

The Battle of El-Alamein and Operation Torch

Aaron Correya, Harel Mizrahi, Emmett Gruber, Evan Minicucci, and John LeitchSlide2

Thesis

The Battle of El-Alamein and Operation Torch both expelled the Germans from North Africa, and sprouted Allied dominance in the Mediterranean Sea to create another front, of Southern Europe, for the Allies to attack from.Slide3

The Battle of El-AlameinSlide4

Axis:

Capture the Suez Canal and the Middle Eastern Oil Fields

Without the Suez it would be very hard for the Allies to supply themselves

Allies:

Stop Germans from reaching the Suez

Churchill wanted a victory to improve moral

Wanted to relieve pressure off the Red Army in the East

Objectives of El-AlameinSlide5

Quick Overview

It was fought between one of the two of the best commanders in WWII…

Bernard Montgomery

--

British

general

Erwin Rommel

--

German

general

In the summer of 1942, the Allies were getting spanked by the Axis forces in Europe

If the Afrika Korps got to the

Suez Canal

, the Allies would have lost an

extremely important

supply route

, and Germany would have access to tons of oil from the Middle EastSlide6

First battle of Al-Alamein

1942

July 1- July 22

July 1st- General Erwin Rommel attempts to breakthrough the Allied defense

August 1-30 German forces get support by another Italian division

September 2nd- Rommels assault is thwarted, his tank forces suffering high losses and pushed back to Bab el Qattara

October 23rd- Allies start break through with “Operation Lightfoot”

October 25th- Four Allied brigades breakthrough the German Defense lines

October 25th- Montgomery enacts “Operation Supercharge”

N

ovember 4th- Allies defeat Rommel's troops by making them retreat throughout North Africa

El-Alamein Timeline

Slide7

Switch to Evan’s fancy presentationSlide8

El-Alamein was a bottleneck between the Mediterranean and the Qattara Depression

Montgomery got ahold of Rommel’s plans and supply lines

August 1942 Germans are low on fuel so Rommel attacks quickly

He attempts to attack in the South but there are a lot of land mines and he is forced to retreat

The BattleSlide9
Slide10

Rommel retreats and the British decide not to follow him

This angers Chihill as he thought Montgomery was giving up the win

Decide to enact “Operation Bertram”

Set up dummy tanks in south to convince Germans they will attack there

Execute Operation Lightfoot in the North

The Battle (cont.)Slide11

An Allied attack in the north were infantry would attack first

They cleared out mines and made a path wide enough for tanks to get through

This attack eventually failed as the tanks and infantry were not able to get as far as they initially thought

Caused a large backup in the Tank line

Infantry was forced to dig in

Operation Lightfoot

oct. 23 1942Slide12

Dummy tanks

Operation LF

Operation LFSlide13

Starts after Germans are occupied with Australians near the Mediterranean

British then flank Rommel and attack him south of his troops

Heavy losses by the Germans and they are forced to retreat back to the east

Operation Supercharge

oct. 25 1942Slide14

Germ

Aus

BritSlide15

Nov 8 1942 Allies reach African shores

Operation Torch Timeline

Nov 12 1942 British Paratroopers land in airfield near Bone

Nov 17-18 1942 Allies capture Beja and Sidi Nsir

Nov 26 1942

Medjez el Bab is taken by the Allies

Nov 26 --> on

Allies Move EastSlide16

British-American invasion of French North Africa during the African campaign.

Started on November 8, 1942.

Goals:

Clear the Axis powers from North Africa

Attack Vichy France (seen as allied with Nazis)

Gain control of Mediterranean to attack South Eu.

Vichy France & Germany

vs.

U.S, U.K, Free France

Operation TorchSlide17

2nd Major attack of North Africa designed to expel Axis troops

Multiple areas that the Allies to attacked

Vichy French troops were more of a nuisance to the Allies (Allies take the areas quickly)

Once they held the land, they pushed further east (right towards retreating Afrika Korps from El-Alamein)

The Operation Slide18
Slide19

By January 1943, Egypt was saved and 8th

Mediterranean army (Allies) won back the gates of Tripoli.

Rommel’s group got the absolute crap kicked out of them and the Axis forces were forced out of North Africa

Allies gain more control over the Mediterranean

“Soft Underbelly” of Europe exposed to the Allies

Turning point in war that also increased morale for the Allies who hadn’t been doing so hot before.

“Unconditional Surrender” idea created

Effects of Operation Torch and El-Alamein Slide20
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http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/battle-of-el-alamein.asp

http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/operation-torch-the-allied-invasion-of-north-africa.asp

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

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www.fortcampbellcourier.com

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/battle_of_el_alamein.htm

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/operation_torch.htm

http://www.thehistoryreader.com/modern-history/unconditional-surrender-questioning-fdrs-prerequisite-peace/

http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=249

http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/art-120701/American-troops-land-near-Algiers-on-Nov

?

http://themellowjihadi.com/tag/operation-torch/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_El_Alamein

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Torch

http://www.39-45war.com/el_alamein.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/9620305/El-Alamein-veterans-gather-in-Egypt-for-70th-anniversary-of-battle.html

http://www.ww2incolor.com/britain/SPIT-EL-ALAMEIN.html

http://www.oldpicz.com/operation-torch/

Works cited