Название: The Desert Rats: The History and Legacy of the British Army's 7th Armoured Division during World War II
Автор: Charles River Editors
Издательство: Charles River Editors
Год: 2018
Язык: английский
Формат: epub
Размер: 10.2 MB

The fighting in North Africa during World War II is commonly overlooked, aside from the famous battle at El Alamein that pitted the British under General Bernard Montgomery against the legendary “Desert Fox,” Erwin Rommel. But while the Second Battle of El Alamein would be the pivotal action in North Africa, the conflict in North Africa began all the way back in the summer of 1940 when Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declared Italy’s entrance into the war. From his perspective, the fact that the British and French had their hands full with the Germans created an opportunity for Italy to enlarge its colonial holdings in Africa by seizing portions of the British Empire. However, British troops in the colony of Egypt responded to Italy’s declaration of war by driving through the Egyptian-Ethiopian border and attacking Italian troops stationed in the Italian colony of Ethiopia. By September 13, 1940, Italian commanders in Ethiopia were finally ready to put Mussolini’s plan into action and attack British colonial holdings, but British troops had already attacked a series of Italian frontier posts and had inflicted 3,500 casualties among Italy’s North African troops.

Despite Italy’s advantages, in December 1940, Operation Compass was launched under the overall command of British General Archibald Percival Wavell. In a mobile campaign, the Italian 10th Army was swiftly routed and pitched into retreat. A headlong pursuit followed, spearheaded by the 7th Armoured Division, who would become known as the legendary Desert Rats, and supported by a variety of British and Commonwealth troops. It was during this advance that the important port of Tobruk was taken, mainly by Australians troops, and held for 241 days, despite the ebb and flow of Allied military fortunes. Meanwhile, the Italians surrendered an extraordinary 138,000 prisoners, hundreds of tanks, over 1,000 artillery pieces, and numerous combat aircraft. It was in every respect an utter rout, and by mid-February, the Italians had been driven back past Tobruk and Benghazi to El Agheila in the Gulf of Sirte, at which point Wavell was forced to pause to consider other regional flashpoints.

Dealing with the Italians was one thing, but the British faced an entirely different monster in North Africa when Erwin Rommel, a German general who had gained much fame for his role in the invasions of Poland and France, was sent to North Africa in February 1941 along with the Afrika Korps. Rommel’s directives from the German headquarters were to maneuver in a way that would allow him to hide the fact that his ultimate goal was the capture of Cairo and the Suez Canal. The ultimate plan was that Rommel would not reveal the Germans’ true intentions in North Africa until after the Germans had made headway in their invasion of the Soviet Union.

The Desert Rats: The History and Legacy of the British Army’s 7th Armoured Division during World War II chronicles the legendary unit’s war record, and how the Desert Rats earned their name in North Africa. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Desert Rats like never before.