@@KnightNave unfortunately company of heroes 3 tanked super hard cause they made a worse game than the 2nd so they probably are paying sponsor a ton of money to save their dying game when they should have spent the money on improving what they had done in the second game plus who plays RTS' on console? these dev's are clueless
One thing many don’t realize is that you have a total of like 15 miles between the desert and the coast to operate in across North Africa. Above, ocean, below, killer desert, there’s not a whole lot of room to maneuver without hitting one of those obstacles.
Pretty much, the first Libyan Civil War in 2011 was fought much in the same way with most of the back and forth fighting between Benghazi and Tripoli taking place in the thin strip of coast with the sea to the north and inhospitable desert just a couple of miles to the south.
@@fabiovezzari2895 Coastal Desert, Is Flatter and Harder which makes it easier to travel, "Killser desert" Is softer and very hard to travel on. Like sand dunes
The crazy things is that they used to have stuff like this on the history channel when I was a kid, but it wasn't done as well, and now, well you can see what they play on there...
@@jackryan444 In 2017 I flew to London (from Australia) prior to heading to Ypres for a WWI battlefield tour, and going though customs I ended up with a Sikh asking the whys wheres and what fors. When I said I'd be heading to France and Belgium for a WWI battlefield tour he promptly told me that Sikhs were there too. I said I knew that. He let me pass after a little chat. I remembers to take some photos of Sikh headstones when I came across them.
I'm South African, my wife Australian, and both of our paternal grandfathers fought at El Alamein. Both were wounded, my grandfather lost his hearing in one ear. As far as I know both were evacuated back to South Africa on the same ship. My grandfather was the senior ranking officer of the returning wounded (Major), and led the parade through Durban. I still have a glass bottle bought from a bazar in Egypt that he filled with sand from El Alamein.
Americans and Brits: Defeat 20% of the German military, invade France after the outcome was certain Soviets: Defeat 80% of the German military, win all the most critical battles Americans and Brits: "We beat the Nazis!" "In War II Russia occupies a dominant position and is the decisive factor looking toward the defeat of the Axis in Europe. While in Sicily the forces of Great Britain and the United States are being opposed by 2 German divisions, the Russian front is receiving attention of approximately 200 German divisions. Whenever the Allies open a second front on the Continent, it will be decidedly a secondary front to that of Russia; theirs will continue to be the main effort. Without Russia in the war, the Axis cannot be defeated in Europe, and the position of the United Nations becomes precarious." - Memorandum from Soviet Protocol Committee (Burns) to the Presidential Special Adviser (Hopkins)
Ok family fact: my grandad, from dad family, was a military truck driver for the Italians and German corps in Africa assisting Rommel campaign, also serving during the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. His convoy was one of those raided by the English planes along the coastal route, during the push for Cairo of the Afrika Corps; he jumped off the truck and took refuge under a lucky ditch while planes were doing passes cannoning the convoy. He survived but his co-driver was split in half by a bullet while running to cover, and another bullet managed to miss my grandad him by very little, yet the sound burst was powerful enough to make him deaf from one ear and put him in a state of shock. He was recovered by another convoy passing later that night, and sent back to Italy. Reasonably enough he wanted to have nothing to do with the war anymore, and went back managing and farming his family lands. Later on, he insisted for my father and his brother to go to university abroad and study, whatever they wanted, everything but remain stuck in their small reality, ignorant as he was, and fall for the lies they told him. My father went on and studied architecture, my uncle physics. They both went back to their home region, Calabria, which during the 1970-1980 it was like being an alien, as one of the poorest and most degraded regions of Italy, even before the war. My grandad was a simple man, a master at playing cards, hardworking, with a lot of stories to tell… made wise by the burden of a dumb war. Family fact /end
''Two founding members of the long running BBC radio comedy 'The Goon Show' met on a dark hillside in North Africa during World War II. Both were serving with the Royal Artillary at the time. (Spike) Milligan and the rest of his gun crew had stationed their gun for action, but didn't secure it properly, so when they were given the order to fire the recoil from the shell sent it rolling back down the hillside and into the night. They watched in horror as it disappeared into the darkness, fearing the carnage this 5 tonne beast might inflict on their fellow British soldiers below them. Milligan was sent with a flashlight to find the massive gun which they had so embarrassingly 'lost'. He came across (Harry) Secombe further down the slope and asked sheepishly "Excuse me...did a gun just come though here?" Secombe thought for a moment and said "What colour was it?" ''
Auchinleck was a very underrated commander. Montgomery swooped in and stole pretty much all his glory, Auchinleck laid the foundation of the British counter-attack in North Africa.
And Montgomery is highly overrated as well! British and American convoys gave him a huge material advantage while on the same time Rommel's logistical situation was getting desperate. And still it took him multiple attempts to break the Afrikakorps lines
@@TheIndianalain well no, you missing vital info. the commonwealth troops were pretty much broken at this point. Their morale was low and they had a defeatist attitude. Monty came in and built up their spirits and put a sense of pride and purpose in them. made them feel like troops again and feel like they could achieve victory. his plan went on pretty much as he had set it out, he had said it would take 12 days to break through and it did. the issue he had was the people under his command. they didn't follow the plan, he had to personally drive down to the front and ordered commanders to get their troops moving or he would replace them as they just sat around with their fingers in their asses. if you are going to comment about a topic and try sound smart maybe you actually study the topic and know about it first instead of just mouthing off like a jack ass
@@TheIndianalain Anyone saying Montgomery was a bad general only show their ignorance. He was an amazing general, and if you knew remotely what you were talking about you'd say the same. You should actually read up on things rather than spouting out bullcrap you read in comment sections by know nothing know-it-alls.
Auchinleck wasn't bad...he was given the blame for a lot of things out of his control (as was Wavell) But he was hopeless at picking subordinates...and then dealing with them.
I really like the animation used on your videos. It shows both the little details of small units and personnel and big formation movements. Aesthetic and effective altogether
This is usually referred to as the First Battle of Alamein. A defensive action in June. After this Auchinleck is relieved of command and when Montgomery takes over he prepares for the counter attack and general assault 'Second Battle of Alamein' in October.
Americans and Brits: Defeat 20% of the German military, invade France after the outcome was certain Soviets: Defeat 80% of the German military, win all the most critical battles Americans and Brits: "We beat the Nazis!" "In War II Russia occupies a dominant position and is the decisive factor looking toward the defeat of the Axis in Europe. While in Sicily the forces of Great Britain and the United States are being opposed by 2 German divisions, the Russian front is receiving the attention of approximately 200 German divisions. Whenever the Allies open a second front on the Continent, it will be decidedly a secondary front to that of Russia; theirs will continue to be the main effort. Without Russia in the war, the Axis cannot be defeated in Europe, and the position of the United Nations becomes precarious." - Memorandum from Soviet Protocol Committee (Burns) to the President's Special Adviser (Harry Lloyd Hopkins)
@@matthewliu6987 TWADDLE. All the usual Communist LIES and propaganda. The Red Army wasted men in fighting and DID NOT beat 80% of the Wehrmacht. LIES from you - 1) The BC&E fought on ALL fronts from 3rd September 1939 to August 1945. That was in the Atlantic. Far East, Pacific, Africa, Mediterranean and Europe. That was at Sea, Air and Land. How many Soviets fought in ANY of these theatres other than ONLY on one front, their own and then only when attacked by Hitler. 2) The Soviets were Allies of Hitler in 1939. They invaded Poland, the Baltic States and Finland. 3) The BC&E fought in East Europe to help the Greeks and Yugoslavs - which is why Tito preferred Churchill to Stalin. The Soviets stood by whilst their Slavic and Orthodox brethren were invaded. 4) The BC&E supported the Soviets from the beginning of Barbarossa, before in fact Stalin admitted they had been invaded. The BC&E did so whilst fighting the Battle of the Atlantic against the German surface and U-Boat fleets. 5) In 1941 the BC&E took Syria and Lebanon from Vichy France and Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia from Italy. 6) In October November 1942 the BC&E defeated Rommel in North Africa. Then fought 2,000 miles along the coast to meet up with US forces in Tunisia. The Red Army used British materiel, Matilda and Valentine tanks at Stalingrad in that period. Supplied through the Arctic Sea by the Royal Navy. 7) The Soviets tried to make a truce at Kursk with Hitler. 8) Then in June 1943, Western Allies invaded Sicily and then Italy. 9) All of this whilst the Western Allies fought in Burma, P-NG, the South Pacific, and North Pacific against Japan. 10) On 6th June 1944 the Western Allies attacked western Europe, the Soviets at that date WHERE STILL WITHIN THEIR OWN BORDERS not having contributed anything to the other campaigns. 11) Bombing campaigns destroyed German ability to fight the Soviets, at Konigsberg and Dresden prior to Red Army attacks. in 1945. Germany was flattened in 1,000 Bomber Raids by RAF and USAAF. 12) in April 1945 the Western Allies crossed the Rhine and the Red Army the Oder, the Third Reich collapsed and its armies surrendered.
@@matthewliu6987 more like Soviets and Brits/commonwealth fight 80% of axis forces, us fights 20% and gets the gold star xD tbf their lend lease helped us stay in it though so they can get the credit
@@kalumbailey5103 Lend Lease was a massive boon for the Soviets since it meant they didn't have to worry about food, trucks, trains, or even manufacturing equipment and were able to purely focus on producing everything else. (British and Americans also lend leased a lot of tanks and planes too but didn't make as much of a difference as the other stuff did).
It’s not an “oppsie” made by Rommel. The Germans never had any intention of fighting Britain. Hitler wanted peace and made it clear that he didn’t want a war with England. You can thank Churchill for all your dead British soldiers and citizens.
I've heard of that battle before, but never truly had a sense of how strategic and important it was. I really appreciate the time you spend in the video explaining the general situation and putting everything in perspective.
I took an interest in the battle of El Alamein as a teenager, so I did a fair bit of reading of first hand accounts, both English, and translated German accounts. I heard a lot about the battlefield having numerous rocky ridges, which were fired down from, and a lot of fighting on the sides of cliff faces/caves/rocky outcroppings. Recently, the video game Hell Let Loose added a map themed off of El Alamein. I feel it really does a good idea of cementing how deadly the terrain, and how it's used, can really be.
I have to say that your graphics are amazing! The views of the 90th Light Division dismounting, or the Essex breaking are simply beautiful and very illustrative.
My great grandfather is a panzer iii commander of afrika korps, at one point he advances so far beyond the infantry support that he need to defend a wadiya with two other tank for 2 days while camouflaging their tank with leaves and shrubbery to avoid spotter airplane
@@c1ph3rpunk 6 New Zealand brigade position at the Kaponga box is not attacked in 1 July. 4and 5th New Zealand brigades are at Deir el Munassib, which is further back. They will become involved from 2nd July onward.
I have to say I absolutely love the detail you guys put into your videos and the way you lay out the forces, but that being said it would be really cool to more clearly see mountains/valleys as to see the geological advantages of the attackers/defenders. Once again love your videos and look forward to every one you guys put out! 🎉
I always thought of Rommel as "Thee Desert Fox" until I heard that he barely did reconnaisance before throwing his men in. You'd think he'd send patrols ahead to scout for gaps to raid.
Rommel relied heavily on intercepted Allied radio communications and broken cipher codes by a US Army attache officer in Cairo (where Italian agents had penetrated) to seemingly outsmart the British.
It’s sometimes easier to claim that your opponents are led by a “genius” than to admit that you haven’t properly prepared and supported your own troops in that theatre. A contemporary described Rommel’s tactics as throwing his troops around at random until his enemies made a mistake. El Alamein provided a point at which he could not outflank the Eighth Army…. and its commanders refused to panic.
Actually, this is what a unknown General (Kirchhoff?) after WWll said. Rommels preparation for an attac was not always best. He was lucky with his' ghost' Division in France, but he made quick decisions could the enemy taken by surprise.
My grandad fought in one of the Italian corps coming to help Rommell. He was a radio technician in a saboteur squad or something related to saboteurs. He was the only survivor among his mates.
@@JG-ib7xk yeah kind of, he had is idea of an Italy guided by Mussolini, but he was also a very good person, even the opposite of racist if there's a word for it. But the father of the fascist grandpa was worse and more fascist by several levels... *cough* civil war of Spain war crime level *cough cough*
Be proud bro, he was a part of history. My grandfather fought against them as part of 8th in the Desert Campaign. From my family to yours we offer our respect.
what a coincidence! Operations Room also doing a video on El Alamein a few hours after Kings and Generals did one as well. Two great historical channels!
Thank you for covering such an important, yet often overlooked part of WWII. My grandfather's uncle died during this battle. Thank you for telling his story, as well as the story of so many others.
Americans and Brits: Defeat 20% of the German military, invade France after the outcome was certain Soviets: Defeat 80% of the German military, win all the most critical battles Americans and Brits: "We beat the Nazis!" "In War II Russia occupies a dominant position and is the decisive factor looking toward the defeat of the Axis in Europe. While in Sicily the forces of Great Britain and the United States are being opposed by 2 German divisions, the Russian front is receiving attention of approximately 200 German divisions. Whenever the Allies open a second front on the Continent, it will be decidedly a secondary front to that of Russia; theirs will continue to be the main effort. Without Russia in the war, the Axis cannot be defeated in Europe, and the position of the United Nations becomes precarious." - Memorandum from Soviet Protocol Committee (Burns) to the Presidential Special Adviser (Hopkins)
there's the reason it fell. first British high command ordered it to be held and then order all troops to be pulled back Richie ignored that command and ordered the South African and Indian troops to stay in place while he pulled back all the rest of the troops. this gave Rommel an easy path to flak and attack the unprotected side. the South African 5th pure so much anti-tank shells into the germans that they ran out of ammo, the amount of tanks Rommel lost in this attack and the fall of Tobruk he could never recover from. the correct approach would have been to either stay and fight or all pull back, Richie made a mistake and it cost a lot of live captured and killed
In their defense Tobruk wasn’t very defensible at this point. It had been stripped bare to build the Gazala Line and no digging or repairs were done. The fortress was a shadow of what it once was.
@@KKH808 Here in Australia those facts are generally omitted when discussing the fall of Tobruk. The usual narrative you hear was that the Australians kicked arse and the greater number of British and South African troops were hopeless.
A lot of North African content has dropped recently. This content still stands out 💯 I think an El Alemein film would be pretty good. Covering both battles. Considering all the different ethnicities on both sides, highlighting that when the Commonwealth pulled together, we dealt with one of the best modern day General's and armed forces.
My Grandfather was a gunner in the 97th field regiment Royal Artillery. This regiment supported the 18th Indian Infantry brigade at Deir El Shein on the 1st of July. He survived the battle, but was captured. He later was killed aboard SS Scillin, along with 800 other POW's when it was torpedoed and sank by the Royal Navy. My mother was only two years old when he was killed.
@@nikoclesceri2267 The SS Scillin was one of several Italian merchant vessels, that were sunk by the Royal Navy in Mediterranean sea. In total 2800 POW's were sacrificed to keep an intelligence source a secret. As for the French, c'est la guerre...
My grandfather was there as a British scout car commander. His name was Tom, and unfortunately he died when I was only 1 year old, so I never got to ask him about his stories. He joined the army at 17, was also at D-day, and went on to serve in the 9/12th Royal Lancers in the middle east (I am not sure if that was his unit during the war, I can't find anything on it). That is all I know about his times in the British army, because he never spoke about the war, it obviously effected him very much. I wish I could have spoken to him as I am very interested in history and its importance nowadays.
It has to be said that Rommel was outnumbered here 2:1, both in men and in tanks, which is even more impressive, because back then it was considered you needed to outnumber someone 6:1 while attacking them, and he attacked with 1:2 ratio, and it was still a close battle.
Not really. The British line was very stretched and Rommel could concentrate his whole force in one area. Rimmel outnumbered the British in most local situation.
@@123SEA1A quick net-search indicates that Rommel’s total forces were around 95,000 and the total British forces around 150,000 Both of these figures include support and logistic troops, not just front-line combat formations. Rommel had over-reached and must have known it. With long supply-lines he could not hope to outstrip the British in a buildup of supplies and taking the time to build up his own resources would give the British time to reinforce their defences so his imperative was to push on. As has been mentioned, the British had to be ready to defend at all points, whereas Rommel could select his attack-points and concentrate his forces to achieve local superiority. Keep in mind that the point of manoeuvre-warfare is not to destroy opposing forces, but the cut off their lines of communication and convince them that they had no option but to surrender or retreat. A better measure would be to count how many units -Divisions or Battalions, fought in this action on either side.
The North African theater was such a interesting read. Glad to see it brought here again, also I really hope to see some of the more humorous stories shown some days like the British MP who realized after a few hours that he had been directing Afrika Korps traffic once he had seen enough German vehicles and markings.
No tactics were going to salvage the decisive Allied strategic advantage heading into that battle - lack of supplies, lack of materiel and manpower, lack of air.
OPERATION ROOM AND EPIC HISTORY THANK YOU SO MUCH BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE BEST AND WELL ANIMATION IN MAKING THE HISTORY , SORRY OF MY ENGLISH ITS JUST I AM SO HAPPY
Thanks for highlighting the contributions of the indians in ww2. Its largely underappreciated and ignored part of the history (even Indian books dont really delve into this).
Americans and Brits: Defeat 20% of the German military, invade France after the outcome was certain Soviets: Defeat 80% of the German military, win all the most critical battles Americans and Brits: "We beat the Nazis!" "In War II Russia occupies a dominant position and is the decisive factor looking toward the defeat of the Axis in Europe. While in Sicily the forces of Great Britain and the United States are being opposed by 2 German divisions, the Russian front is receiving attention of approximately 200 German divisions. Whenever the Allies open a second front on the Continent, it will be decidedly a secondary front to that of Russia; theirs will continue to be the main effort. Without Russia in the war, the Axis cannot be defeated in Europe, and the position of the United Nations becomes precarious." - Memorandum from Soviet Protocol Committee (Burns) to the Presidential Special Adviser (Hopkins)
@@TheOperationsRoom - I should have been more clear. It's underappreciated in India, where the contribution of India in ww2 wasnt just a couple of pages in the Indian history textbook. But I live in US now and Indian participation in the war isnt well known - hence my comment in general. But it is good to know that this isnt the case in UK.
@@TheOperationsRoom " at the beginning of the war The British India Army was 200000...by the end of the war it was 2 million.. we could never have won the war without them" Churchill.
I just checked Google Earth for that ridge, and it appears that even today, signs of the defensive positions are visible, as well as where the headquarters were located. It's worth a look to try to understand a bit better what was going on. Find El Alamein and look for the road going SSW. Follow it to where it curves and the ridge is to the east of the curve.
Superb video about one of the pivotal moments in WW2. I am just a little disappointed as a frenchman that in the introduction, you forgot to point out that with Bir Hakeim, the French depleted most of the italian tanks and are the main reason why the rear gard of the 8th army arrive in El Alamein still combat capable.😊
Love the content. I really enjoy the real life pictures of the battles. I don't always know what certain tanks or planes look like. It helps provide even more context to help me picture it.
Cliffhanger… for those that don’t know the history of this battle….. what do you think Rommel’s chances are when he has to…. “Rely on the arrival of Italian units 😮
Mussolini forbided Rommel to whitdraw after this battle, and Hitler put an ambitious task on him to take the entire Mediterranean and link with the Army Group South, this interference was worst than any on the eastern front. Promising supplies and troops, but he got nothing
Dude , that was a really good presentation... I have read about the second battle of El Alamein, but dont know much about the first.. this was very informative.
Excellent video. Few know of the 18th Indian Brigade's stand, they saved Egypt. 8th Army was in complete disarray after Gazala, only 3 days before this attack. The 24hrs a totally green 18th Indian held for gave Auchinlek time to organise a defensive line using the arriving retreated/routed units from Gazala.
The 18th Indian Brigade were sacrificed needlessly. Gen. Pienaar wanted the 18th to shift back to a position under his command and under the 1sa div. Artillery protection. The British command thought it unnecessary. The British official history, me thinking, is full of truth, half truth and blatant untruths, especially in recording the south african efforts
@@johncraig9011 Nobody likes to admit mistakes, the North African campaign is a series command mistakes. With Rommel showing them how its done they refused to learn for over 2yrs. Even after 2nd Alamein the Brits had not mastered combined arms & many soldiers became casualties because 8th Army fought more as seperate units not as one big team. It was criminal in its negligence.
One brigade didnt save an entire army. I understand you are patriotic but dont be ridiculous. Many brits, aussies, kiwis made the ultimate sacrifice. "after 2nd Alamein the Brits had not mastered combined arms" The British Army invented combined arms warfare in 1918 and was the first fully mechanised army in the world
@@prof_kaos9341 " Even after 2nd Alamein the Brits had not mastered combined arms" Only exception among them was Philip Roberts who was the only one among his peers who comprehended tank, infantry, artillery, airpower cooperation and coordination was the only way to win battles but also disciplined enough to follow army commander orders. Roberts commanded the British 11th Armoured Division in Normandy and North West Europe with spectacular results. Roberts, in the words of Richard Mead, *"possessed strong leadership, an instinctive tactical flair and the intellectual appreciation of what was needed to succeed, becoming as a result the outstanding British armoured commander of the War.*
@@AverageWagie2024this is not a wild claim. I am not an Indian or a Wehraboo, i have an interest so have read several books on the campaign. This is not just my opinion but is taken from several historians. Auchinlek had to organise a disorganised demoralised army, that knew it kept losing to a smaller force. In escaping Gazala many units had lost all their heavy equipment, the tanks & some units had up to 80% casualties. Rommels 1st July attack was unexpected, the last engagements from the Gazala battle (in Libya) being Minqar Qaim 28th June. Many "retreating" units were still arriving at the Alamein line when he attacked. Auckinlek had to restore 8th Army's integrity & Alamein was considered the last defensive line before the Nile/Suez. Plans were being acted on to retreat over the canal. The burning of documents and moving the navy show how close/serious this was.
Can we see the entire afrika korps actions? Start from the beginning till the liberation of tunisia, i mean it's a long episodes so you'll able to cut into few episodes
Poor lads from the 18th indian and 5th Essex, must have been a hell of a hard time to be encircled by tanks. One thing I wonder about in the african campaign is how places like Bir Hakeim managed to hold for a couple of weeks encircled while others just crumbled in a day. Was it a matter of gun/mine placement, terrain or lack of air support?
@@dogsnads5634 And first brigade of free french were composed of very good soldiers : french foreign legion and colonials troops, also, they general (Koenig) was a good strategist.
0:25 My sincerest compliments, that was the least jarring cut to an advertisement/sponsor mid video ive perhaps ever seen, as it was actually completely relevant. I appreciate using clips from the game as segues into engagements👍🏻
2:59 - there should have been prepared defences here. There aren’t because of plummeting moral that they’ll be able to hold here and the sheer chaos under Ritchie who had decided he couldn’t hold the Egyptian border.
So are numbers. Outnumbered over six to one, the enemy having air superiority, and you being at the end of a very long logistics trail. No re-enforcements for months. And you have to attack, and win decisively, immediately, before the enemy can double their numbers.
The first battle of El Alamein is a good defensive battle, the people remember the second one for whatever reason. Both of them have major flaws in their strageties.
Thanks to Company of Heroes 3 for sponsoring this video - Download and Play Company of Heroes 3 here - sega.link/CoH3Creator4
Brilliant job at obtaining an unobtrusive sponser deal!
03.00 BST release. Sure you didn’t mean 15.00? Or are you now on a 10ET/7PT release schedule?
@@KnightNave unfortunately company of heroes 3 tanked super hard cause they made a worse game than the 2nd so they probably are paying sponsor a ton of money to save their dying game when they should have spent the money on improving what they had done in the second game
plus who plays RTS' on console? these dev's are clueless
@@Andros_Gaming No amount of promotion money is going to save that disaster. Relic is so dumb for pushing consoles instead of fixing it.
Horrible storyline about Africa, they have a chance in Italy but they also screwed it,
One thing many don’t realize is that you have a total of like 15 miles between the desert and the coast to operate in across North Africa. Above, ocean, below, killer desert, there’s not a whole lot of room to maneuver without hitting one of those obstacles.
I believe the late Richard Holmes called it a commander’s dream. No civilians, almost no natural obstacles, just wide, flat desert.
Pretty much, the first Libyan Civil War in 2011 was fought much in the same way with most of the back and forth fighting between Benghazi and Tripoli taking place in the thin strip of coast with the sea to the north and inhospitable desert just a couple of miles to the south.
@@fludblud what's the difference between coastal desert and killer desert?
@@fabiovezzari2895 Coastal Desert, Is Flatter and Harder which makes it easier to travel, "Killser desert" Is softer and very hard to travel on. Like sand dunes
@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist2fuck off, we want to learn about things that actually happened, not this fantasy
The Operations Room really makes some of the best content out there, it’s a God sent gift for us studying history.
The crazy things is that they used to have stuff like this on the history channel when I was a kid, but it wasn't done as well, and now, well you can see what they play on there...
Ah, found an aussie
@@JBRAI22 oi oi oi!
Yeah and unlike other corrupt channels, they're staying out of the Ukraine propaganda garbage.
Agreed
This one was a grinding slugfest. The Indians breaking out and running past the Panzers was beyond brave. Legendary.
Sikhs in Indian Army are good soldiers
@@zainmudassir2964 Sikhs historically are some of the most badass soldiers regardless of time period. I’d never want to find myself opposed to them.
@@jackryan444 In 2017 I flew to London (from Australia) prior to heading to Ypres for a WWI battlefield tour, and going though customs I ended up with a Sikh asking the whys wheres and what fors. When I said I'd be heading to France and Belgium for a WWI battlefield tour he promptly told me that Sikhs were there too. I said I knew that. He let me pass after a little chat. I remembers to take some photos of Sikh headstones when I came across them.
Beyond brave is foolish or suicidal. Take your pick.
@@REgamesplayer Beyond brave is fanatical and brainwashed.
I'm South African, my wife Australian, and both of our paternal grandfathers fought at El Alamein. Both were wounded, my grandfather lost his hearing in one ear. As far as I know both were evacuated back to South Africa on the same ship. My grandfather was the senior ranking officer of the returning wounded (Major), and led the parade through Durban. I still have a glass bottle bought from a bazar in Egypt that he filled with sand from El Alamein.
Americans and Brits: Defeat 20% of the German military, invade France after the outcome was certain
Soviets: Defeat 80% of the German military, win all the most critical battles
Americans and Brits: "We beat the Nazis!"
"In War II Russia occupies a dominant position and is the decisive factor looking toward the defeat of the Axis in Europe. While in Sicily the forces of Great Britain and the United States are being opposed by 2 German divisions, the Russian front is receiving attention of approximately 200 German divisions. Whenever the Allies open a second front on the Continent, it will be decidedly a secondary front to that of Russia; theirs will continue to be the main effort. Without Russia in the war, the Axis cannot be defeated in Europe, and the position of the United Nations becomes precarious."
- Memorandum from Soviet Protocol Committee (Burns) to the Presidential Special Adviser (Hopkins)
You are not africa you are a invader
You have a wonderful family history
That is awesome. Thanks for sharing. Be proud!
Ok family fact: my grandad, from dad family, was a military truck driver for the Italians and German corps in Africa assisting Rommel campaign, also serving during the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. His convoy was one of those raided by the English planes along the coastal route, during the push for Cairo of the Afrika Corps; he jumped off the truck and took refuge under a lucky ditch while planes were doing passes cannoning the convoy. He survived but his co-driver was split in half by a bullet while running to cover, and another bullet managed to miss my grandad him by very little, yet the sound burst was powerful enough to make him deaf from one ear and put him in a state of shock. He was recovered by another convoy passing later that night, and sent back to Italy.
Reasonably enough he wanted to have nothing to do with the war anymore, and went back managing and farming his family lands. Later on, he insisted for my father and his brother to go to university abroad and study, whatever they wanted, everything but remain stuck in their small reality, ignorant as he was, and fall for the lies they told him. My father went on and studied architecture, my uncle physics. They both went back to their home region, Calabria, which during the 1970-1980 it was like being an alien, as one of the poorest and most degraded regions of Italy, even before the war.
My grandad was a simple man, a master at playing cards, hardworking, with a lot of stories to tell… made wise by the burden of a dumb war.
Family fact /end
''Two founding members of the long running BBC radio comedy 'The Goon Show' met on a dark hillside in North Africa during World War II. Both were serving with the Royal Artillary at the time.
(Spike) Milligan and the rest of his gun crew had stationed their gun for action, but didn't secure it properly, so when they were given the order to fire the recoil from the shell sent it rolling back down the hillside and into the night. They watched in horror as it disappeared into the darkness, fearing the carnage this 5 tonne beast might inflict on their fellow British soldiers below them.
Milligan was sent with a flashlight to find the massive gun which they had so embarrassingly 'lost'. He came across (Harry) Secombe further down the slope and asked sheepishly "Excuse me...did a gun just come though here?" Secombe thought for a moment and said "What colour was it?" ''
🤣🤣
I absolutely love that story.
Gold
Auchinleck was a very underrated commander. Montgomery swooped in and stole pretty much all his glory, Auchinleck laid the foundation of the British counter-attack in North Africa.
And Montgomery is highly overrated as well! British and American convoys gave him a huge material advantage while on the same time Rommel's logistical situation was getting desperate. And still it took him multiple attempts to break the Afrikakorps lines
Well thanks for the spoilers.
@@TheIndianalain well no, you missing vital info. the commonwealth troops were pretty much broken at this point. Their morale was low and they had a defeatist attitude. Monty came in and built up their spirits and put a sense of pride and purpose in them. made them feel like troops again and feel like they could achieve victory. his plan went on pretty much as he had set it out, he had said it would take 12 days to break through and it did. the issue he had was the people under his command. they didn't follow the plan, he had to personally drive down to the front and ordered commanders to get their troops moving or he would replace them as they just sat around with their fingers in their asses. if you are going to comment about a topic and try sound smart maybe you actually study the topic and know about it first instead of just mouthing off like a jack ass
@@TheIndianalain Anyone saying Montgomery was a bad general only show their ignorance. He was an amazing general, and if you knew remotely what you were talking about you'd say the same. You should actually read up on things rather than spouting out bullcrap you read in comment sections by know nothing know-it-alls.
Auchinleck wasn't bad...he was given the blame for a lot of things out of his control (as was Wavell)
But he was hopeless at picking subordinates...and then dealing with them.
Man is producing videos like a production line at a higher quality then most documentaries
At 3am as well
Sure
I tried watching a legit history channel doc awhile ago and couldn’t even make it 10 mins in it was so bad
Sad that the algorithm is suppressing these wel-produced videos…
@@lorenzooliveira1157Is it, though?
I really like the animation used on your videos. It shows both the little details of small units and personnel and big formation movements. Aesthetic and effective altogether
Loved the cheeky comment about Nasser and Sadat.
This is usually referred to as the First Battle of Alamein. A defensive action in June. After this Auchinleck is relieved of command and when Montgomery takes over he prepares for the counter attack and general assault 'Second Battle of Alamein' in October.
*In july
You're correct that the second battle was in October though
Americans and Brits: Defeat 20% of the German military, invade France after the outcome was certain
Soviets: Defeat 80% of the German military, win all the most critical battles
Americans and Brits: "We beat the Nazis!"
"In War II Russia occupies a dominant position and is the decisive factor looking toward the defeat of the Axis in Europe. While in Sicily the forces of Great Britain and the United States are being opposed by 2 German divisions, the Russian front is receiving the attention of approximately 200 German divisions. Whenever the Allies open a second front on the Continent, it will be decidedly a secondary front to that of Russia; theirs will continue to be the main effort. Without Russia in the war, the Axis cannot be defeated in Europe, and the position of the United Nations becomes precarious."
- Memorandum from Soviet Protocol Committee (Burns) to the President's Special Adviser (Harry Lloyd Hopkins)
@@matthewliu6987 TWADDLE. All the usual Communist LIES and propaganda.
The Red Army wasted men in fighting and DID NOT beat 80% of the Wehrmacht.
LIES from you -
1) The BC&E fought on ALL fronts from 3rd September 1939 to August 1945. That was in the Atlantic. Far East, Pacific, Africa, Mediterranean and Europe. That was at Sea, Air and Land. How many Soviets fought in ANY of these theatres other than ONLY on one front, their own and then only when attacked by Hitler.
2) The Soviets were Allies of Hitler in 1939. They invaded Poland, the Baltic States and Finland.
3) The BC&E fought in East Europe to help the Greeks and Yugoslavs - which is why Tito preferred Churchill to Stalin. The Soviets stood by whilst their Slavic and Orthodox brethren were invaded.
4) The BC&E supported the Soviets from the beginning of Barbarossa, before in fact Stalin admitted they had been invaded. The BC&E did so whilst fighting the Battle of the Atlantic against the German surface and U-Boat fleets.
5) In 1941 the BC&E took Syria and Lebanon from Vichy France and Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia from Italy.
6) In October November 1942 the BC&E defeated Rommel in North Africa. Then fought 2,000 miles along the coast to meet up with US forces in Tunisia. The Red Army used British materiel, Matilda and Valentine tanks at Stalingrad in that period. Supplied through the Arctic Sea by the Royal Navy.
7) The Soviets tried to make a truce at Kursk with Hitler.
8) Then in June 1943, Western Allies invaded Sicily and then Italy.
9) All of this whilst the Western Allies fought in Burma, P-NG, the South Pacific, and North Pacific against Japan.
10) On 6th June 1944 the Western Allies attacked western Europe, the Soviets at that date WHERE STILL WITHIN THEIR OWN BORDERS not having contributed anything to the other campaigns.
11) Bombing campaigns destroyed German ability to fight the Soviets, at Konigsberg and Dresden prior to Red Army attacks. in 1945. Germany was flattened in 1,000 Bomber Raids by RAF and USAAF.
12) in April 1945 the Western Allies crossed the Rhine and the Red Army the Oder, the Third Reich collapsed and its armies surrendered.
@@matthewliu6987 more like Soviets and Brits/commonwealth fight 80% of axis forces, us fights 20% and gets the gold star xD tbf their lend lease helped us stay in it though so they can get the credit
@@kalumbailey5103 Lend Lease was a massive boon for the Soviets since it meant they didn't have to worry about food, trucks, trains, or even manufacturing equipment and were able to purely focus on producing everything else. (British and Americans also lend leased a lot of tanks and planes too but didn't make as much of a difference as the other stuff did).
Sending captured commanders back to friendly lines to deliver a message is what modern strategists would come to call an “oopsie”.
It’s not an “oppsie” made by Rommel. The Germans never had any intention of fighting Britain. Hitler wanted peace and made it clear that he didn’t want a war with England.
You can thank Churchill for all your dead British soldiers and citizens.
I've heard of that battle before, but never truly had a sense of how strategic and important it was. I really appreciate the time you spend in the video explaining the general situation and putting everything in perspective.
I've seen it in video games before, but I never had idea of the strategic importance or how the two sides were situated. What a great video!
I took an interest in the battle of El Alamein as a teenager, so I did a fair bit of reading of first hand accounts, both English, and translated German accounts. I heard a lot about the battlefield having numerous rocky ridges, which were fired down from, and a lot of fighting on the sides of cliff faces/caves/rocky outcroppings.
Recently, the video game Hell Let Loose added a map themed off of El Alamein. I feel it really does a good idea of cementing how deadly the terrain, and how it's used, can really be.
Can't believe I just watched this for free.
That basically sums up this channel
I always love how clearly you explain everything! Thanks for giving us these great videos!
Using the sponsor spot to show the area you're actually talking about is way smarter than any other ad placement I've seen on any UA-cam channel ever
It’s like Christmas morning when these new videos hit my feed
I have to say that your graphics are amazing! The views of the 90th Light Division dismounting, or the Essex breaking are simply beautiful and very illustrative.
Eager for the rest of the story. Thanks for all the time you put in, great stuff.
My great grandfather is a panzer iii commander of afrika korps, at one point he advances so far beyond the infantry support that he need to defend a wadiya with two other tank for 2 days while camouflaging their tank with leaves and shrubbery to avoid spotter airplane
Great content as usual. Incredible attention to detail.
I would like to humbly request more WWII content.
God bless 🙏
The Auk stands severly underrated
No they're appreciated everywhere lol
@@BajanEnglishman51 No he isn't
Thank you for covering these actions .The South African and 18th Indian infantry brigade actions are often overlooked.
Agreed, especially the Indian. Weren’t there New Zealanders there as well?
@@c1ph3rpunk
6 New Zealand brigade position at the Kaponga box is not attacked in 1 July.
4and 5th New Zealand brigades are at Deir el Munassib, which is further back.
They will become involved from 2nd July onward.
Top 5 favorite youtube channels , if it had 500 videos i would watch them all
I have to say I absolutely love the detail you guys put into your videos and the way you lay out the forces, but that being said it would be really cool to more clearly see mountains/valleys as to see the geological advantages of the attackers/defenders. Once again love your videos and look forward to every one you guys put out! 🎉
I always thought of Rommel as "Thee Desert Fox" until I heard that he barely did reconnaisance before throwing his men in. You'd think he'd send patrols ahead to scout for gaps to raid.
Rommel relied heavily on intercepted Allied radio communications and broken cipher codes by a US Army attache officer in Cairo (where Italian agents had penetrated) to seemingly outsmart the British.
It’s sometimes easier to claim that your opponents are led by a “genius” than to admit that you haven’t properly prepared and supported your own troops in that theatre.
A contemporary described Rommel’s tactics as throwing his troops around at random until his enemies made a mistake. El Alamein provided a point at which he could not outflank the Eighth Army…. and its commanders refused to panic.
Actually, this is what a unknown General (Kirchhoff?) after WWll said. Rommels preparation for an attac was not always best. He was lucky with his' ghost' Division in France, but he made quick decisions could the enemy taken by surprise.
These living maps help understand battles so much! The Invasion of Crete would be so great!
My grandad fought in one of the Italian corps coming to help Rommell. He was a radio technician in a saboteur squad or something related to saboteurs. He was the only survivor among his mates.
Facist Grandpa? 😂
@@JG-ib7xk yeah kind of, he had is idea of an Italy guided by Mussolini, but he was also a very good person, even the opposite of racist if there's a word for it. But the father of the fascist grandpa was worse and more fascist by several levels... *cough* civil war of Spain war crime level *cough cough*
Be proud bro, he was a part of history. My grandfather fought against them as part of 8th in the Desert Campaign.
From my family to yours we offer our respect.
@@nprwikeepa6082 much obliged sir
@@fabiovezzari2895if you think the fascists were the bad guys in the Spanish civil war I have news for you
Love the content! I was absolutely buzzing when I saw this video was released. Thank you so much👍
what a coincidence! Operations Room also doing a video on El Alamein a few hours after Kings and Generals did one as well. Two great historical channels!
geez it almost like people are making this in preparation for the anniversary of the battle
They are also both Ads for Company of Heroes but who cares.
@@pablopablo3834 Isn't anything we watch literally an ad for something?
It seems to me that these two channels are the same guys. They use each channel to look at different aspects of the same battle.
.
I love watching the videos.it's better than any history class I took in school
Excellent job putting this together.
Never clicked into a video so fast. Saw the Intel Report upload and knew it was coming. This is great as always.
Thank you for covering such an important, yet often overlooked part of WWII. My grandfather's uncle died during this battle. Thank you for telling his story, as well as the story of so many others.
Americans and Brits: Defeat 20% of the German military, invade France after the outcome was certain
Soviets: Defeat 80% of the German military, win all the most critical battles
Americans and Brits: "We beat the Nazis!"
"In War II Russia occupies a dominant position and is the decisive factor looking toward the defeat of the Axis in Europe. While in Sicily the forces of Great Britain and the United States are being opposed by 2 German divisions, the Russian front is receiving attention of approximately 200 German divisions. Whenever the Allies open a second front on the Continent, it will be decidedly a secondary front to that of Russia; theirs will continue to be the main effort. Without Russia in the war, the Axis cannot be defeated in Europe, and the position of the United Nations becomes precarious."
- Memorandum from Soviet Protocol Committee (Burns) to the Presidential Special Adviser (Hopkins)
How on earth is the battle of El Alamein "overlooked"?!
@@deecee796 I meant more the African theater of the second world War.
How on earth is the North Africa theatre "overlooked"?
Waiting on Part 2
Babe quick! - new operations room vid dropped
Another great production. Thank you
It's a good thing the Brits outnumbered Rommel so heavily, because I died so many times in the CoD 2 El Alamein campaign that it isn't even funny.
Pretty sure the 9th Australian would have been pretty angry about Tobruk falling so easily.
there's the reason it fell. first British high command ordered it to be held and then order all troops to be pulled back Richie ignored that command and ordered the South African and Indian troops to stay in place while he pulled back all the rest of the troops. this gave Rommel an easy path to flak and attack the unprotected side. the South African 5th pure so much anti-tank shells into the germans that they ran out of ammo, the amount of tanks Rommel lost in this attack and the fall of Tobruk he could never recover from. the correct approach would have been to either stay and fight or all pull back, Richie made a mistake and it cost a lot of live captured and killed
In their defense Tobruk wasn’t very defensible at this point. It had been stripped bare to build the Gazala Line and no digging or repairs were done.
The fortress was a shadow of what it once was.
@@KKH808 Stripping the defences of a fortress that had kept Rommel out for 9 months is an idea so bad I can unfortunately believe it.
@@KKH808 Here in Australia those facts are generally omitted when discussing the fall of Tobruk. The usual narrative you hear was that the Australians kicked arse and the greater number of British and South African troops were hopeless.
@@madgavin7568 If I was Australian I'd probably say the same! Hahaha
A lot of North African content has dropped recently. This content still stands out 💯
I think an El Alemein film would be pretty good. Covering both battles. Considering all the different ethnicities on both sides, highlighting that when the Commonwealth pulled together, we dealt with one of the best modern day General's and armed forces.
I can’t get over how much I love your narration.
Overjoyed to have you back!!
My Grandfather was a gunner in the 97th field regiment Royal Artillery. This regiment supported the 18th Indian Infantry brigade at Deir El Shein on the 1st of July. He survived the battle, but was captured.
He later was killed aboard SS Scillin, along with 800 other POW's when it was torpedoed and sank by the Royal Navy.
My mother was only two years old when he was killed.
What’s with the royal navy killing their allies, first the French then a transport ship full of POWs
@@nikoclesceri2267 The SS Scillin was one of several Italian merchant vessels, that were sunk by the Royal Navy in Mediterranean sea. In total 2800 POW's were sacrificed to keep an intelligence source a secret.
As for the French, c'est la guerre...
My grandfather was there as a British scout car commander. His name was Tom, and unfortunately he died when I was only 1 year old, so I never got to ask him about his stories. He joined the army at 17, was also at D-day, and went on to serve in the 9/12th Royal Lancers in the middle east (I am not sure if that was his unit during the war, I can't find anything on it). That is all I know about his times in the British army, because he never spoke about the war, it obviously effected him very much. I wish I could have spoken to him as I am very interested in history and its importance nowadays.
I was waiting for this! Nice job
It has to be said that Rommel was outnumbered here 2:1, both in men and in tanks, which is even more impressive, because back then it was considered you needed to outnumber someone 6:1 while attacking them, and he attacked with 1:2 ratio, and it was still a close battle.
Not really. The British line was very stretched and Rommel could concentrate his whole force in one area. Rimmel outnumbered the British in most local situation.
In the video he said it was 52,000 British vs 8,000 German?! 6.5x man deficit vs defensive positions? This can't be right
@@123SEA1A quick net-search indicates that Rommel’s total forces were around 95,000 and the total British forces around 150,000
Both of these figures include support and logistic troops, not just front-line combat formations.
Rommel had over-reached and must have known it. With long supply-lines he could not hope to outstrip the British in a buildup of supplies and taking the time to build up his own resources would give the British time to reinforce their defences so his imperative was to push on.
As has been mentioned, the British had to be ready to defend at all points, whereas Rommel could select his attack-points and concentrate his forces to achieve local superiority. Keep in mind that the point of manoeuvre-warfare is not to destroy opposing forces, but the cut off their lines of communication and convince them that they had no option but to surrender or retreat.
A better measure would be to count how many units -Divisions or Battalions, fought in this action on either side.
@@123SEA1 It isn't right. To me, it's an unbelievably egregious error
brilliant - one of the best ive seen - helping understand this battle
The North African theater was such a interesting read. Glad to see it brought here again, also I really hope to see some of the more humorous stories shown some days like the British MP who realized after a few hours that he had been directing Afrika Korps traffic once he had seen enough German vehicles and markings.
Outpost Snipe was mental
Operations Room and Kings & Generals in Egypt. Sign me up
These illustrations remind me of a game I used to love as a kid.
2 vids in a day. Let’s go!!!!
No tactics were going to salvage the decisive Allied strategic advantage heading into that battle - lack of supplies, lack of materiel and manpower, lack of air.
This was excellent. I hope it was just pt 1.
There's more parts to come! 😉
OPERATION ROOM AND EPIC HISTORY THANK YOU SO MUCH BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE BEST AND WELL ANIMATION IN MAKING THE HISTORY , SORRY OF MY ENGLISH ITS JUST I AM SO HAPPY
Thanks for highlighting the contributions of the indians in ww2. Its largely underappreciated and ignored part of the history (even Indian books dont really delve into this).
Americans and Brits: Defeat 20% of the German military, invade France after the outcome was certain
Soviets: Defeat 80% of the German military, win all the most critical battles
Americans and Brits: "We beat the Nazis!"
"In War II Russia occupies a dominant position and is the decisive factor looking toward the defeat of the Axis in Europe. While in Sicily the forces of Great Britain and the United States are being opposed by 2 German divisions, the Russian front is receiving attention of approximately 200 German divisions. Whenever the Allies open a second front on the Continent, it will be decidedly a secondary front to that of Russia; theirs will continue to be the main effort. Without Russia in the war, the Axis cannot be defeated in Europe, and the position of the United Nations becomes precarious."
- Memorandum from Soviet Protocol Committee (Burns) to the Presidential Special Adviser (Hopkins)
I don't know one single British person who thinks Britain defeated Germany alone
@@TheOperationsRoom - I should have been more clear. It's underappreciated in India, where the contribution of India in ww2 wasnt just a couple of pages in the Indian history textbook. But I live in US now and Indian participation in the war isnt well known - hence my comment in general.
But it is good to know that this isnt the case in UK.
@@TheOperationsRoom " at the beginning of the war The British India Army was 200000...by the end of the war it was 2 million.. we could never have won the war without them" Churchill.
I just checked Google Earth for that ridge, and it appears that even today, signs of the defensive positions are visible, as well as where the headquarters were located. It's worth a look to try to understand a bit better what was going on.
Find El Alamein and look for the road going SSW. Follow it to where it curves and the ridge is to the east of the curve.
Superb video about one of the pivotal moments in WW2. I am just a little disappointed as a frenchman that in the introduction, you forgot to point out that with Bir Hakeim, the French depleted most of the italian tanks and are the main reason why the rear gard of the 8th army arrive in El Alamein still combat capable.😊
Love the content. I really enjoy the real life pictures of the battles. I don't always know what certain tanks or planes look like. It helps provide even more context to help me picture it.
Exceptional.
I love the snippet of coh 3 gameplay. Your an amazing content creator history has never been so alluring to a younger audience. ❤
First Alamein. The battle that saved Cairo.
The fall of Tobruk, almost without a fight... That's making so little case of Bir Hakeim and the vital days the garrison there bought for the British.
Very true, if the free french didn't hold out for so long the North African theatre would have been written very differently
I'd love to see a video like this for Operation IOF. Thunder runs would be interesting if animated.
Excellent! Been waiting for a new episode.
“We will fight it out.” Is up there with “Nuts.” When it comes to badass things said during WWII.
Rommel might have repeated his tactic too many times.
oh boy, got here just in time.
This is awesome. If you haven't done the Tobruk battles, please do.
When you get to the ad at 7:32, it ends at 8:57
Just double tap >>> eight times.
Obligatory algorithm comment.
Very excited to see you do the Battle off Samar, hope it happens soon.
How desperate are you for Samar, 0-10?
@@sirjamessommer 10, I’ve read the book, I need Op room or montemayor to do it
Incredible documentary, thank you!
Cliffhanger… for those that don’t know the history of this battle….. what do you think Rommel’s chances are when he has to…. “Rely on the arrival of Italian units 😮
About to leave the same comment. “Germans: the Italians will save us!” Tune in next time…
Mussolini forbided Rommel to whitdraw after this battle, and Hitler put an ambitious task on him to take the entire Mediterranean and link with the Army Group South, this interference was worst than any on the eastern front. Promising supplies and troops, but he got nothing
Anther well explained battle broken down to where a lay person can understand! I love learning how these battles in history actually where won or lost
My Grandfather was there with 2AIF. Very interesting about the Afrika Corps using captured Soviet artillery.
My Grandfather was that Soviet artillery piece, truly breathtaking.
@@dzikapanda2431 I presume he is still on active duty in Donbass.
@@goodshipkaraboudjan Ha Ha well done
Dude , that was a really good presentation... I have read about the second battle of El Alamein, but dont know much about the first.. this was very informative.
Excellent video. Few know of the 18th Indian Brigade's stand, they saved Egypt. 8th Army was in complete disarray after Gazala, only 3 days before this attack. The 24hrs a totally green 18th Indian held for gave Auchinlek time to organise a defensive line using the arriving retreated/routed units from Gazala.
The 18th Indian Brigade were sacrificed needlessly. Gen. Pienaar wanted the 18th to shift back to a position under his command and under the 1sa div. Artillery protection. The British command thought it unnecessary. The British official history, me thinking, is full of truth, half truth and blatant untruths, especially in recording the south african efforts
@@johncraig9011 Nobody likes to admit mistakes, the North African campaign is a series command mistakes. With Rommel showing them how its done they refused to learn for over 2yrs. Even after 2nd Alamein the Brits had not mastered combined arms & many soldiers became casualties because 8th Army fought more as seperate units not as one big team. It was criminal in its negligence.
One brigade didnt save an entire army. I understand you are patriotic but dont be ridiculous. Many brits, aussies, kiwis made the ultimate sacrifice.
"after 2nd Alamein the Brits had not mastered combined arms"
The British Army invented combined arms warfare in 1918 and was the first fully mechanised army in the world
@@prof_kaos9341 " Even after 2nd Alamein the Brits had not mastered combined arms"
Only exception among them was Philip Roberts who was the only one among his peers who comprehended tank, infantry, artillery, airpower cooperation and coordination was the only way to win battles but also disciplined enough to follow army commander orders. Roberts commanded the British 11th Armoured Division in Normandy and North West Europe with spectacular results.
Roberts, in the words of Richard Mead, *"possessed strong leadership, an instinctive tactical flair and the intellectual appreciation of what was needed to succeed, becoming as a result the outstanding British armoured commander of the War.*
@@AverageWagie2024this is not a wild claim. I am not an Indian or a Wehraboo, i have an interest so have read several books on the campaign. This is not just my opinion but is taken from several historians. Auchinlek had to organise a disorganised demoralised army, that knew it kept losing to a smaller force. In escaping Gazala many units had lost all their heavy equipment, the tanks & some units had up to 80% casualties. Rommels 1st July attack was unexpected, the last engagements from the Gazala battle (in Libya) being Minqar Qaim 28th June. Many "retreating" units were still arriving at the Alamein line when he attacked. Auckinlek had to restore 8th Army's integrity & Alamein was considered the last defensive line before the Nile/Suez. Plans were being acted on to retreat over the canal. The burning of documents and moving the navy show how close/serious this was.
Hell yeah an Operations Room upload! Been waiting for this
Would love to have seen a fully supplied Rommel 😂
Brilliant. Ive been waiting a while for you to cover this battle. Hope you do the next parts too
Can we see the entire afrika korps actions? Start from the beginning till the liberation of tunisia, i mean it's a long episodes so you'll able to cut into few episodes
One of the best UA-cam pages out there 👌
Poor lads from the 18th indian and 5th Essex, must have been a hell of a hard time to be encircled by tanks. One thing I wonder about in the african campaign is how places like Bir Hakeim managed to hold for a couple of weeks encircled while others just crumbled in a day. Was it a matter of gun/mine placement, terrain or lack of air support?
Just the usual factors, time to prepare, access to supplies especially ammunition and water, quality of opposition etc etc.
@@dogsnads5634 And first brigade of free french were composed of very good soldiers : french foreign legion and colonials troops, also, they general (Koenig) was a good strategist.
I’ve played this campaign out dozens of times over the years, using the great boardgame Afrika Korps, by Avalon Hill. This is an excellent video!
Mussolini planned to parade through Cairo after the Germans captured it for him? 🤣🤔🙄
The dude had literally nothing else going for him.
The majority of Rommel's Afrika Korp was italian, just not the generals and the mobile panzer units.
That guy was seriously just a shameful 🤡
He might have gotten some cheers from folks like Nasser and Sadat.
Perfect timing. Hell let loose just released the El Alamein map and I was curious on the map and history of the battle.
Great video and a very interesting battle. First-class work, as always! 👍
Excellent video. Well done, mate.
0:25 My sincerest compliments, that was the least jarring cut to an advertisement/sponsor mid video ive perhaps ever seen, as it was actually completely relevant. I appreciate using clips from the game as segues into engagements👍🏻
2:59 - there should have been prepared defences here. There aren’t because of plummeting moral that they’ll be able to hold here and the sheer chaos under Ritchie who had decided he couldn’t hold the Egyptian border.
Magic boy Rommel finally loses his touch. Logistics is key
So are numbers. Outnumbered over six to one, the enemy having air superiority, and you being at the end of a very long logistics trail. No re-enforcements for months. And you have to attack, and win decisively, immediately, before the enemy can double their numbers.
Ultra.
@@andrewklang809 Rommel was only outnumbered 2:1 at most, and often less than that, but otherwise you're right.
maybe the wehraboos are worshiping the wrong guy
He lost his touch at Tobruk and Crusader....
love this video ❤ thank you, can’t wait for the follow-up
The first battle of El Alamein is a good defensive battle, the people remember the second one for whatever reason. Both of them have major flaws in their strageties.
Great job on this video.
I’m pretty sure “tank duel” is the most horrifying thing about WWII outside of war crimes…
Are we gonna get the Second Battle of El Alamein?
I absolutely hate the incorporation of COH3 in your material. Please keep the sponsorships separate.
Can’t wait for the Second Battle of El Alamein.