Of all the branches of the army, the most important are still tanks. As for the importance of heavy armored vehicles in a real combat situation, it is difficult to overestimate it even in the modern space-rocket era. What can we say about the period of World War II, when the main, key battles were primarily tank battles. This time we will tell you about the three greatest tank battles of this war - in 1941 at Dubno, in 1942 at El Alamein and, of course, at Prokhorovka in 1943.
June 1941: Battle of Dubno
Recently, it has become fashionable for historians and publicists to assign the title of the largest tank battle to the battle of Prokhorovka, while another, less famous, but no less bloody battle, near Dubno on June 23-28, 1941, played an equally important role in the war.
There is a certain logic to this. Already there and then the outcome of hostilities on the entire Soviet-German front could be predetermined, but on one condition: if the Red Army tankers had won. Alas, this did not happen, although the opportunities for this were excellent.
The largest tank battle that took place around and near the western Ukrainian city of Dubno can be called solely for arithmetic reasons. There were more heavy combat vehicles that participated in it than at the Prokhorovka field. And indeed it is.
June 27, 1941, when the Soviet mechanized corps were closest to achieving triumph. If he had happened then, perhaps the enemy would never have reached Prokhorovka, but, unfortunately, everything turned out not so well at all.
Victory, as is now clear, was then very close. It was only necessary to support the neighboring units of the group under the command of the brigadier commissar N.K. Popel, which fought on the outskirts of Dubno. She could well cut the communications of the 1st Nazi Panzer Group, in fact, taking her into an encirclement.
But the infantry units, instead of moving along with the tankers, for some reason covered them from the rear. As a result, they could not cover the tanks.
It was customary in Soviet historiography to represent Commissar N. N. Vashugin as almost a tyrant, who ordered the attack only with part of his forces and threatened to shoot him. But he acted correctly - it was not his fault that the command of the Southwestern Front showed frank indecision. Not even all the tank units that had already been deployed took part in the offensive. It was from despair that NN Vashugin most likely shot himself, from the realization of his own powerlessness to help the units sent by him into a losing battle.
Perhaps, it could not have done without betrayal, otherwise how to explain why the main striking force of the entire Red Army - the 4th mechanized corps under the command of that very A.A. Vlasov - did not participate in the decisive battle?
Purely formally, he acted within the framework of the instructions of the command of the Southwestern Front, which, instead of the attack on Lublin prescribed by the Headquarters, decided only on a local operation near Dubno.
However, it could also bring success if, for example, the tankmen of the then famous commander ME Katukov, for example, made their way to meet Popel's tankers. But his 20th Panzer Division and the rest of the 9th Mechanized Corps units under the command of another legendary Soviet commander KK Rokossovsky could not cope with the powerful and trained anti-tank defense of the Nazis. ...
As a result, the Nazis quickly recovered from the unexpected breakthrough of the Popelevites to their rear and first stopped them practically on the streets of Dubno, and then took them in pincers and crushed, forcing all other Soviet tank forces to go over to the defensive.
The latter suffered very heavy losses not only in battle, but also on the march due to breakdowns, lack of fuel and enemy air strikes. So, instead of a very real triumph, a terrible defeat turned out.
July - November 1942: Battle of El Alamein
The British also had their greatest tank battle during World War II. It happened near the Egyptian town of El Alamein in 1942. Strictly speaking, it did not happen, but continued for the entire second half of this year.
Russian and Western historiography have very different ideas about this battle, like most others that happened on their fronts, in addition to the Soviet-German one. If in the West it is customary to give them an exaggerated meaning, in our country, on the contrary, it is in the order of things to emphasize the secondary nature of what happened in North Africa.
The truth, as usual, is in the middle: of course, the main battles were fought in the fields near Moscow, in the trenches of Stalingrad and the Kursk Bulge. But if significant forces of the Nazis were not diverted by the same battles at El Alamein, it would be even more difficult to contain the enemy of the Red Army.
And strategically: if the Nazis were able to cut the Suez Canal, this would significantly strengthen their position. The capture of Alexandria and Cairo could have pushed Turkey to participate in the war on their side.
The scale of the battle in the Egyptian desert was quite impressive. In terms of the number of participants, it was inferior to the battles of Dubno, where more than 3,000 tanks participated on both sides, but surpassed the battle of Prokhorovka - about 1,500 against 1,200.
One way or another, the tank duels at El Alamein were extremely important and thousands of kilometers away. And from a moral point of view, because the success of the British brothers in arms strengthened the already high spirit of the defenders of Stalingrad. In turn, their heroism dramatically influenced the course and result of the battle in Egypt.
First of all, thanks to them, the first "desert foxes" - German Field Marshal E. Rommel - did not receive the two missing divisions, since they were sent by Hitler to the Eastern Front. Then, because of the desire to take Stalingrad at any cost, the Fuehrer took from Italy also the 2nd Air Fleet of A. Kesselring.
Thus, in the midst of battles for the "doorknob of Alexandria" (by Rommel's definition), he lost air protection and fuel supply routes. British aircraft sank several Italian transports - and the Nazi tanks were deprived of the ability to move.
Rommel had to abandon the tactics of mobile defense, taking up static positions. There they were slowly but surely ground down by the British 8th Army under the command of B. Montgomery.
The tactical miscalculation of the Nazis also played in favor of the British - they poisoned themselves on a campaign in the Middle East, leaving Malta in their rear, where the air and naval bases of Great Britain were located. As a result of their communications and without the transfer of most of the aviation to the Soviet-German front, they were under attack.
But all Hitler's mistakes do not diminish the courage of the British. First, they held back the onslaught of Rommel's corps, and then broke through his defenses, splitting the enemy front into two parts.
The collapse of the Nazis in this case could have been predetermined, but it did not happen due to the reluctance of the leadership western countries to hurry up with the opening of the second front. Otherwise, they would have lost grounds to refer to the employment of troops in the North African theater of operations.
1943: Confrontation near Prokhorovka
Paying a well-deserved tribute to those who fought with the Nazis near Dubno and El-Alamein, one cannot but admit that it is Prokhorovka that is the main battle of tank armies in World War II and World War II. Because it was there that the fate of the one and the other was finally decided - it became clear even to the most stubborn Nazis there that their song was sung.
Prokhorovka was not just a major tank battle, but a decisive battle on a decisive sector of the front. The Soviet 5th Tank Army under the command of P.A.Rotmistrov, hastily transferred to this direction from the reserve Steppe Front, had no room for error and retreat.
For the Nazis from Paul Hausser's 2nd Panzer Corps, in principle, everything was also at stake. But the chances they had initially had little, both in a particular battle, and in general in the war against the USSR and its allies.
Nevertheless, if they had managed to break through then, on July 12, 1943, and enter the operational space to advance to Kursk, our troops could have faced big problems. Therefore, Rotmistrov's pets fought desperately both for themselves and for those whom the Nazis could, if they were taken, in the end to surround. Neither one nor the other were considered losses.
Formally, the Nazis lost fewer military vehicles - 300 out of 400 available against 500 out of 800 Soviet ones. But in percentage terms, these losses were much more sensitive for them. With a hundred tanks remaining in service, Hausser's warriors no longer posed a serious threat.
And the Hitlerite Headquarters did not dare to abandon the last reserves. In addition, far in the West, their attention was distracted by the landing of the Allies in Sicily.
But most importantly, the Nazis have already realized that they are dealing with a completely different enemy. Soviet tankmen at Prokhorovka and their predecessors at Dubno were completely different tankers. Not only in terms of combat training, but also the perception of war. They already knew what trouble fascism brought to our land, what atrocities the Nazis committed in the occupied territory.
It is clear that the Soviet soldiers fought hard and decisively, knowing full well what a fierce enemy they were facing in the person of the SS men. This helped them at least partially compensate for the superiority of the German Tiger tanks, capable of hitting our T-34s from a longer distance.
There was only one salvation - to try to get close to the enemy as quickly as possible. In this case, our armored vehicles already had an advantage in the form of higher maneuverability.
Tanks in Hitler's lair
In fairness, it should be noted that another major and also decisive tank battle took place at the very end of the war. The role of tank armies in the storming of Berlin was also very important. It was they who "gnawed" the system of defensive positions on the Seelow Heights, and it was they who surrounded the Nazi capital and helped assault groups to break through to the center on its streets.
But all the same, the Berlin operation is a merit of all branches of the armed forces, without exception, equally. As, however, in the achievement of the Great Victory in general.
British troops defeated the German-Italian army in northern Egypt, which made a turning point in the course of the war in North Africa. The initiative passed into the hands of the Allies. In the West, the Battle of El Alamein is considered a turning point in the entire Second World War.
An American or English schoolchild may not know what Stalingrad and Kursk are, but he certainly knows El-Alamein. In England, they are firmly convinced that it was here that the battle took place, which marked a turning point in World War II. We find it difficult to agree with this (even if comparing the number of armies on the Volga and in North Africa). However, for the Western allies of the Soviet Union, the first major victory over Germany in three years of the World War was, indeed, very important.
* * *
Having achieved successes in North Africa in 1941, the German-Italian command sought to carry out its strategic plans: to defeat the British troops, enter Egypt, capture Alexandria, Cairo and the Suez Canal, and thereby capture all of North Africa.
The British leadership deployed significant forces to Africa: only the British 8th Army of General Ritchie numbered up to 130 thousand people. The grouping of Field Marshal E. Rommel, although in numerical strength and was not inferior to the enemy, lagged behind in technical support. The main German forces were chained to the Eastern Front. However, Rommel became just a legendary figure, having managed and with such forces more than successfully to act against the British. For this, Field Marshal received the nickname "Desert Fox". Until now, Rommel is cited as an example as the most talented commander of the Third Reich.
The German-Italian command undertook an offensive operation "Theseus", the ultimate goal of which was the capture of Tobruk and access to the Egyptian border. After bloody battles on June 21, 1942, Tobruk was taken. Having passed about 600 km during the offensive, the German-Italian troops captured large trophies and inflicted significant damage on the British army.
The British entrenched themselves on the prepared lines at El Alamein, a settlement in the north of Egypt, 104 km west of Alexandria. Rommel was preparing for Operation Aida. The position of the 8th Army near El Alamein was so difficult that the command was preparing ways for further retreat - bridges over the Nile were hastily built, evacuated state institutions and warehouses. During July-August, local battles were fought at the front. At the same time, aviation was fighting for air supremacy, providing land and sea communications. The allies were building up their forces faster, and the situation in the air began to change in their favor. By August, British forces had strengthened. They already had 935 tanks at their disposal. The command of the 8th Army was changed. General Montgomery became the commander.
In early September, Rommel made one last attempt to break through the British defenses at the Alam Halfa ridge, but was thrown back and forced to go on the defensive.
The 8th Army managed to exsanguinate and contain the enemy. The Anglo-American leadership sought to strengthen its position in North Africa, accumulate forces and prepare for a decisive offensive in the fall of 1942.
* * *
Erwin Rommel's Italo-German Panzer Army "Africa" \u200b\u200bcould not continue the offensive, as it needed replenishment with personnel, military equipment, weapons, ammunition, and fuel. However, supplies were intermittent. A significant part of all materials and weapons were sent to Stalingrad. The transports that carried their priceless cargo to Africa were constantly raided. anglo-American aviation... So, in September, allied aircraft and submarines sank about a third of all cargo bound for Africa, and a large number of enemy transports were forced to turn back, without completing their task.
In October, when the 8th Army was preparing to strike at the enemy, Rommel's army consisted of 8 Italian and 4 German divisions (including 4 tank and 2 motorized) and a parachute brigade. In total, there were about 80 thousand people, 540 tanks (including 280 outdated Italian ones), 1219 guns and 350 aircraft. The army held a 60-kilometer line southwest of El Alamein.
With these forces, Rommel opposed the 10th (commander Lieutenant General Lumsden), 13th (commander Lieutenant General Horrocks), 30th (commander Lieutenant General Liz) corps of the British 8th Army - 10 divisions and 4 separate brigades (including 3 armored divisions and 2 armored brigades). In total, the army had 230 thousand people, 2311 guns, 1500 aircraft and 1440 tanks. Among them are new American-made tanks adapted for operation in the desert - 128 Grant (Egyptian last hope) and 267 Sherman.
The Germans and Italians dug trenches and laid minefields. They were opposed by the enemy, almost twice superior to them in manpower and technology. Nevertheless, the offensive was not going to be easy for the British. They faced either a frontal attack on strongly fortified positions, or an extremely difficult roundabout maneuver - in the north, the positions of the German-Italian troops rested against the sea, in the south - into impenetrable desert sands.
The concept of the offensive operation, developed by Montgomery, was as follows: with the forces of the 8th Army to deliver the main attack in the north; at the same time, give the enemy the impression that the main blow is being delivered in the south. To this end, at the positions of the 13th Army Corps, located on the southern sector of the front, mock-ups of tanks were placed, false warehouses were built, etc. The advanced infantry units of the 30th Army Corps, located on the northern sector of the front, had to dig in unnoticed in their original positions. After artillery preparation, both corps were to go on the offensive, with the main blow being delivered in the north, on the front of the 30th corps, which was supposed to break through the enemy's defenses in a 9-kilometer sector and make two passes through the minefields. After that, the 10th Army Corps was introduced into the breakthrough as part of the 1st and 10th Armored Divisions located in the rear of the 30th Corps. Tank divisions, having passed through the passages in the minefields and, coming out to the rear of the enemy, entered the battle. After that, the 8th Army was supposed to surround and defeat the remnants of the enemy troops.
The degree of air superiority achieved by the British aviation by that time was so great that all preliminary regroupings and transfers of troops were carried out almost without opposition from both infantry and enemy aircraft.
Even before the start of the British offensive, Rommel, summoned to Berlin, handed over command of Army Africa to General von Stumme.
At 21.40 on October 23, 1942, more than 1000 British guns began artillery preparation, which lasted 20 minutes, after which the infantry went on the offensive along the entire front. By 05.30 on 24 October, the British infantry broke through the enemy defenses. Soon the first line was occupied - the Miteiriya ridge. The attackers made two passes through the minefields in the northern sector of the front, which included the 1st and 10th armored divisions. Tank units received good aviation support, which not only completely covered them from attacks by German aircraft, but also itself inflicted continuous strikes on enemy troops. However, due to the low density of artillery (50 guns per 1 km of the front), the enemy's fire system was not suppressed, and the British troops managed to penetrate the enemy defenses only slightly overnight. In the south, the offensive failed. The breakthrough resulted in a slow "gnawing" of the enemy's defensive positions. General von Stumme was killed on October 25, and Rommel returned on October 26. He immediately gathered his tank units into a fist and the next day launched a series of violent counterattacks against the 30th and 10th corps. On October 27, the 21st German Panzer Division approached the northern sector of the front and, together with the 15th Panzer Division, attacked the British 1st Armored Division at its forward positions near the Kidney Ridge. By this time, the British units were able to advance only 7 km.
Montgomery brought about a decisive regrouping of forces. To stop the advance of the 21st Panzer Division, he transferred the 7th Armored Division from the southern sector of the front to the northern one. The 13th Corps was ordered to go over to the defensive. The 10th Corps, as well as the New Zealand Division of the 30th Corps, were withdrawn from the battle to be supplemented with people and military equipment.
The Australian infantry began to advance along the coast. This time Montgomery decided to advance not through the previously made and now significantly widened passages in the minefields, but much further north - along the highway and railroad.
On 28 October, Rommel launched a counterattack again, and then threw half of his tanks north to help the 90th Light Brigade, which was surrounded by units of the 9th Australian Division. Here, fierce fighting continued until November 1. On the same day, the 30th corps completed preparations for the offensive.
Three German divisions were concentrated in the northern sector of the front. The Germans became aware of Montgomery's original design. In this regard, the British command decided to make a new gap in the minefields, south of the concentration of German tank forces, in the positions occupied by the Italian troops. The 9th Australian Infantry Division was ordered to continue moving along the coast in order to mislead the enemy, and the 2nd New Zealand Infantry Division was to make a new breakthrough, which would include three armored divisions (1st, 7th and 10th).
On the night of November 2, the second stage of the British offensive began, which was code-named Operation Superchard (Super Attack). The main blow was delivered on the 4-kilometer front. In the afternoon of November 2, the 2nd New Zealand Division, having broken through the enemy's defenses, successfully coped with its task. A large number of tanks thrown forward, at the cost of heavy losses, overcame the last minefields of the enemy. In the afternoon, Rommel launched a counterattack with 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions. The counter-attackers were met with heavy artillery fire and powerful air strikes. In the Tel-el-Akkakir area, a fierce tank battle took place with the advanced 1st and 10th armored divisions of the British. Rommel began to withdraw his divisions from the battle, decided to retreat. The next day, Hitler's categorical order forced him to turn back and try at all costs to hold his position at El Alamein.
On the morning of November 3, light bombers carried out seven raids on anti-tank artillery firing positions, which hindered the advance of the 1st Armored Division. The next day, the 51st Infantry Division and the 4th Indian Division crushed the enemy anti-tank artillery barriers, ensuring the further advance of the 1st Armored Division (while the Indians showed unparalleled courage). The main forces rushed into the breakthrough, bypassing the right flank of the enemy's coastal grouping. There was a real possibility of engaging and destroying the coastal grouping of Italian-German troops, and Rommel still gave the order to withdraw from Egypt.
The 13th Army Corps, advancing on the southern sector of the front, closed the encirclement of four Italian divisions left without transport, with an insignificant amount of food and water. 4 Italian infantry divisions (30 thousand soldiers and), abandoned by their ally, capitulated. The British 10th Corps swiftly pursued the retreating German forces, but Rommel managed to escape to Libya.
During the battle at El Alamein, the Italian-German troops lost 55 thousand killed, wounded and prisoners, 320 tanks and about 1 thousand guns. British losses amounted to 13.5 thousand people killed, wounded and missing (and every fifth of them was Australian). 432 tanks were out of order.
The British victory at El Alamein was the first significant success of the British forces in the North African campaign of 1940-1943. The British 8th Army, in the course of a two-week offensive, broke the resistance of the Italo-German troops, inflicted great damage on them and expelled them from Egypt. This changed the situation in North Africa and the Mediterranean in favor of the Western allies. The battle was one of the turning points in World War II.
EL ALAMEIN
British troops defeated the German-Italian army in northern Egypt, which made a turning point in the course of the war in North Africa. The initiative passed into the hands of the Allies. In the West, the Battle of El Alamein is considered a turning point in the entire Second World War.
An American or English schoolchild may not know what Stalingrad and Kursk are, but he certainly knows El-Alamein. In England, they are firmly convinced that it was here that the battle took place, which marked a turning point in World War II. We find it difficult to agree with this (even if comparing the number of armies on the Volga and in North Africa). However, for the Western allies of the Soviet Union, the first major victory over Germany in three years of the World War was, indeed, very important.
Having achieved successes in North Africa in 1941, the German-Italian command sought to carry out its strategic plans: to defeat the British troops, enter Egypt, capture Alexandria, Cairo and the Suez Canal, and thereby capture all of North Africa.
The British leadership deployed significant forces to Africa: only the British 8th Army of General Ritchie numbered up to 130 thousand people. The grouping of Field Marshal E. Rommel, although in numerical strength and was not inferior to the enemy, lagged behind in technical support. The main German forces were chained to the Eastern Front. However, Rommel became just a legendary figure, having managed and with such forces more than successfully to act against the British. For this, Field Marshal received the nickname "Desert Fox". Until now, Rommel is cited as an example as the most talented commander of the Third Reich.
The German-Italian command undertook an offensive operation "Theseus", the ultimate goal of which was the capture of Tobruk and access to the Egyptian border. After bloody battles on June 21, 1942, Tobruk was taken. Having passed about 600 km during the offensive, the German-Italian troops captured large trophies and inflicted significant damage on the British army.
The British entrenched themselves on pre-prepared lines at El Alamein, a settlement in northern Egypt, 104 km west of Alexandria. Rommel was preparing for Operation Aida. The position of the 8th Army near El Alamein was so difficult that the command was preparing ways for further retreat - bridges over the Nile were hastily built, government offices and warehouses were evacuated. During July-August, local battles were fought at the front. At the same time, aviation was fighting for air supremacy, providing land and sea communications. The allies were building up their forces faster, and the situation in the air began to change in their favor. By August, British forces had strengthened. They already had 935 tanks at their disposal. The command of the 8th Army was changed. General Montgomery became the commander.
In early September, Rommel made one last attempt to break through the British defenses at the Alam Halfa ridge, but was thrown back and forced to go on the defensive.
The 8th Army managed to exsanguinate and contain the enemy. The Anglo-American leadership sought to strengthen its position in North Africa, accumulate forces and prepare for a decisive offensive in the fall of 1942.
Erwin Rommel's Italo-German tank army "Africa" \u200b\u200bcould not continue the offensive, as it needed replenishment with personnel, military equipment, weapons, ammunition, and fuel. However, supplies were intermittent. A significant part of all materials and weapons were sent to Stalingrad. The transports, which were carrying their priceless cargo to Africa, were subjected to constant raids by the Anglo-American aviation. So, in September, allied aircraft and submarines sank about a third of all cargo bound for Africa, and a large number of enemy transports were forced to turn back without completing their task.
In October, when the 8th Army was preparing to strike at the enemy, Rommel's army consisted of 8 Italian and 4 German divisions (including 4 tank and 2 motorized) and a parachute brigade. In total, there were about 80 thousand people, 540 tanks (including 280 outdated Italian ones), 1219 guns and 350 aircraft. The army held a 60-kilometer line southwest of El Alamein.
With these forces, Rommel opposed the 10th (commander Lieutenant General Lumsden), 13th (commander Lieutenant General Horrocks), 30th (commander Lieutenant General Liz) corps of the British 8th Army - 10 divisions and 4 separate brigades (including 3 armored divisions and 2 armored brigades). In total, the army had 230 thousand people, 2311 guns, 1500 aircraft and 1440 tanks. Among them are new American-made tanks adapted for operation in the desert - 128 Grant (Egyptian last hope) and 267 Sherman.
The Germans and Italians dug trenches and laid minefields. They were opposed by the enemy, almost twice superior to them in manpower and technology. Nevertheless, the offensive was not going to be easy for the British. They faced either a frontal attack on strongly fortified positions, or an extremely difficult roundabout maneuver - in the north, the positions of the German-Italian troops rested against the sea, in the south - into impenetrable desert sands.
The concept of the offensive operation, developed by Montgomery, was as follows: with the forces of the 8th Army to deliver the main attack in the north; at the same time, give the enemy the impression that the main blow is being delivered in the south. To this end, at the positions of the 13th Army Corps, located on the southern sector of the front, mock-ups of tanks were placed, false warehouses were built, etc. The advanced infantry units of the 30th Army Corps, located on the northern sector of the front, had to dig in unnoticed in their original positions. After artillery preparation, both corps were to go on the offensive, with the main blow being delivered in the north, on the front of the 30th corps, which was supposed to break through the enemy's defenses in a 9-kilometer sector and make two passes through the minefields. After that, the 10th Army Corps was introduced into the breakthrough as part of the 1st and 10th Armored Divisions located in the rear of the 30th Corps. Tank divisions, having passed through the passages in the minefields and, coming out to the rear of the enemy, entered the battle. After that, the 8th Army was supposed to surround and defeat the remnants of the enemy troops.
The degree of air superiority achieved by the British aviation by that time was so great that all preliminary regroupings and transfers of troops were carried out almost without opposition from both infantry and enemy aircraft.
Even before the start of the British offensive, Rommel, summoned to Berlin, handed over command of Army Africa to General von Stumme.
At 21.40 on October 23, 1942, more than 1000 British guns began artillery preparation, which lasted 20 minutes, after which the infantry went on the offensive along the entire front. By 05.30 on 24 October, the British infantry broke through the enemy defenses. Soon the first line was occupied - the Miteiriya ridge. The attackers made two passes through the minefields in the northern sector of the front, which included the 1st and 10th armored divisions. Tank units received good aviation support, which not only completely covered them from attacks by German aircraft, but also itself inflicted continuous strikes on enemy troops. However, due to the low density of artillery (50 guns per 1 km of the front), the enemy's fire system was not suppressed, and the British troops managed to penetrate the enemy defenses only slightly overnight. In the south, the offensive failed. The breakthrough resulted in a slow "gnawing" of the enemy's defensive positions. General von Stumme was killed on October 25, and Rommel returned on October 26. He immediately gathered his tank units into a fist and the next day launched a series of violent counterattacks against the 30th and 10th corps. On October 27, the 21st German Panzer Division approached the northern sector of the front and, together with the 15th Panzer Division, attacked the British 1st Armored Division at its forward positions near the Kidney Ridge. By this time, the British units were able to advance only 7 km.
Montgomery brought about a decisive regrouping of forces. To stop the advance of the 21st Panzer Division, he transferred the 7th Armored Division from the southern sector of the front to the northern one. The 13th Corps was ordered to go over to the defensive. The 10th Corps, as well as the New Zealand Division of the 30th Corps, were withdrawn from the battle to be supplemented with people and military equipment.
The Australian infantry began to advance along the coast. This time Montgomery decided to advance not through the previously made and now significantly widened passages in the minefields, but much further north - along the highway and railroad.
On 28 October, Rommel launched a counterattack again, and then threw half of his tanks north to help the 90th Light Brigade, which was surrounded by units of the 9th Australian Division. Here, fierce fighting continued until November 1. On the same day, the 30th corps completed preparations for the offensive.
Three German divisions were concentrated in the northern sector of the front. The Germans became aware of Montgomery's original design. In this regard, the British command decided to make a new gap in the minefields, south of the concentration of German tank forces, in the positions occupied by the Italian troops. The 9th Australian Infantry Division was ordered to continue moving along the coast in order to mislead the enemy, and the 2nd New Zealand Infantry Division was to make a new breakthrough, which would include three armored divisions (1st, 7th and 10th).
On the night of November 2, the second stage of the British offensive began, which was code-named Operation Superchard (Super Attack). The main blow was delivered on the 4-kilometer front. In the afternoon of November 2, the 2nd New Zealand Division, having broken through the enemy's defenses, successfully coped with its task. A large number of tanks thrown forward, at the cost of heavy losses, overcame the last minefields of the enemy. In the afternoon, Rommel launched a counterattack with 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions. The counter-attackers were met with heavy artillery fire and powerful air strikes. In the Tel-el-Akkakir area, a fierce tank battle took place with the advanced 1st and 10th armored divisions of the British. Rommel began to withdraw his divisions from the battle, decided to retreat. The next day, Hitler's categorical order forced him to turn back and try at all costs to hold his position at El Alamein.
On the morning of November 3, light bombers carried out seven raids on anti-tank artillery firing positions, which hindered the advance of the 1st Armored Division. The next day, the 51st Infantry Division and the 4th Indian Division crushed the enemy anti-tank artillery barriers, ensuring the further advance of the 1st Armored Division (while the Indians showed unparalleled courage). The main forces rushed into the breakthrough, bypassing the right flank of the enemy's coastal grouping. There was a real possibility of engaging and destroying the coastal grouping of Italian-German troops, and Rommel still gave the order to withdraw from Egypt.
The 13th Army Corps, advancing in the southern sector of the front, closed the encirclement of four Italian divisions left without transport, with an insignificant amount of food and water. 4 Italian infantry divisions (30 thousand soldiers and officers), abandoned by their ally, surrendered. The British 10th Corps swiftly pursued the retreating German forces, but Rommel managed to escape to Libya.
During the battle at El Alamein, the Italian-German troops lost 55 thousand killed, wounded and prisoners, 320 tanks and about 1 thousand guns. British losses amounted to 13.5 thousand people killed, wounded and missing (and every fifth of them was Australian). 432 tanks were out of order.
The British victory at El Alamein was the first significant success of the British forces in the North African campaign of 1940-1943. The British 8th Army, in the course of a two-week offensive, broke the resistance of the Italo-German troops, inflicted great damage on them and expelled them from Egypt. This changed the situation in North Africa and the Mediterranean in favor of the Western allies. The battle was one of the turning points in World War II.
From the book Great Tank Battles [Strategy and Tactics, 1939-1945] author Ikes RobertEl Alamein, Egypt 23 October - 4 November 1942 The ranks of German and Italian troops in North Africa have become severely thinned. Most of the few supplies that were sent to them never made it to them. However, the gigantic reserves captured in Tobruk allowed
From the book I fought in a T-34 the author Drabkin Artem VladimirovichORDER ON DELIVERY OF VODKA TO THE MILITARY UNITS OF THE OPERATING ARMY FROM NOVEMBER 25, 1942 No. 0883 of November 13, 1942 1. In accordance with the resolution of the State Defense Committee of November 12, 1942 No. 2507c from November 25, p. d. start issuing vodka to military units of the active army in the next
From the book Soviet tank armies in battle the author Daines Vladimir Ottovich1942 January 22 - Order No. 057 of the Supreme Command Headquarters on the combat use of tank forces. May 25 - Directive No. 994021 of the Supreme Command Headquarters on the formation of the 5th Tank Army and the appointment of Major General A.I. Lizyukov, Chief of Staff of the Army Colonel P.I. Drugova; directive No. 994022
From the book Vanka-company the author Shumilin Alexander Ilyich From the book The Battle of Stalingrad. Chronicle, facts, people. Book 1 the author Zhilin Vitaly AlexandrovichSeptember 4, 1942 EXTRACT FROM OPERATIONAL REPORT No. 247 OF THE GENERAL STAFF OF THE RED ARMY 8.00 4.09.42 Maps: 500,000 and 100,000 Troops of the right wing of the Volkhov Front during September 3, meeting stubborn fire resistance, enemy counterattacks and continuous impact
From the book Bloody Bridgehead. 49th Army in a breakthrough at Tarusa and battles on the Ugra River. 1941-1942 the author Mikheenkov Sergey EgorovichSeptember 19, 1942 EXTRACT FROM OPERATIVE SUMMARY No. 262 OF THE GENERAL STAFF OF THE RED ARMY 8.00 19.09.42 Maps: 500,000 and 100,000 The troops of the North-Western Front, part of their forces in the afternoon of 18.9, resumed attacks on enemy positions in the Lychkovo area, but encountering stubborn fire
From the book Tank Aces of Stalin the author Baryatinsky MikhailSeptember 20, 1942 EXTRACT FROM OPERATIVE SUMMARY No. 263 OF THE GENERAL STAFF OF THE RED ARMY 8.00 20.09.42 Maps: 500,000 and 100,000 Troops of the North-Western Front, part of their forces in the afternoon of September 19, resumed attacks on enemy positions in the Vyderka-Lychkovo sector, but, having met
From the book Stalin and the Bomb: The Soviet Union and Atomic Energy. 1939-1956 by Holloway DavidNo. 2 Report from the commander of the Western Front to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief dated January 11, 1942 on the progress of the offensive in the Volokolamsk-Zubtsovsky, Mozhaisk, Vyazemsk and Kirov directions for January 10, 1942. TO COMRADE STALIN I.V. I report the situation at the front for
From the book of the Blockade of Leningrad. Complete Chronicle - 900 Days and Nights the author Suldin Andrey VasilievichNo. 5 Report of the Commander of the Western Front to the Supreme Commander of January 26, 1942 on the situation in the front zone during the offensive for January 25, 1942. TO COMRADE STALIN IV Reporting on the situation at the front for the past day on January 25, 1942 1. 20th Army from the front
From the book At the origins of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Azov flotilla of Catherine II in the struggle for the Crimea and in the creation of the Black Sea Fleet (1768 - 1783) the author Alexey Lebedev1942 In the first half of 1942, the general picture with the use of tank units essentially did not change. In general, the nature of the tank battles remained the same, which is confirmed by the fate of Vladimir Vitin. December 21, 1941 in the inhabited area
Battle of El Alamein - a key episode of the confrontation between the British and the Germans in the African campaign. As part of this battle, the largest tank battle in this region took place, which eventually ended in the defeat of the Germans. I must say that for the Germans, Africa and the Mediterranean were the most important strategic goals. A successful offensive in the African theater of operations involved the capture of Egypt by German forces, which would have deprived the British of their main naval base in the Mediterranean.
In addition, in this case, the Suez Canal passed into the hands of the Germans, and the prospects for mastering the Middle East oil opened up, which would reliably provide the German army with fuel. This would mean a clear weakening of the forces of the anti-Hitler coalition in the global battle against fascism. Therefore, it was impossible to concede to Germany even on a secondary front in Africa. The British were very lucky - Hitler paid little attention to the secondary front in North Africa - against the backdrop of the decisive outcome of the war on the eastern front, where Germany clashed in a deadly battle with the USSR, events in Africa seemed completely insignificant, even though they were strategically justified for the Germans.
In this regard, virtually no reinforcements arrived at this theater of military operations - all the main forces were concentrated against the Soviet Union. That is why the commander of the Italo-German troops in Africa, the famous "desert fox" Erwin Rommel, for solving such major tasks as the defeat of the outnumbered British troops and the capture of Egypt, was forced to be content with extremely meager means, dispensing with reinforcements, while his opponent constantly building up his grouping.
Note that 4 months before the start of the battle at El Alamein, the German and British troops had approximately the same number of manpower, but the British had an advantage in tanks even then. They had about a thousand tanks, and a quarter of them were Grant medium tanks with a 75-mm gun, which successfully hit all types of German equipment. At the same time, the Germans had at their disposal about 500 tanks, almost half of which were outdated Italian equipment, and as for the German ones, at that time very few German tanks were equipped with new weapons capable of confidently hitting all types of British equipment on this theater of operations.
Despite the slight superiority of the British, from the very beginning of the campaign until the Battle of El Alamein, the Italo-German troops carried out a number of successful offensive operations. In the winter of 1942, they defeated the British at Cyrenaic, destroying 377 tanks, several dozen aircraft, about 200 guns, and a large number of trucks and armored vehicles. In the spring of the same year, the Italian-German units launched a new offensive with the aim of decisively destroying the opposing British grouping, capturing the Tobruk fortress and reaching the border with Egypt. In the course of it, the British had a good opportunity to use Rommel's mistake, whose tanks for some time were left without fuel and ammunition supplies, but due to the slowness of the operational leadership of the troops, they could not use the chance to defeat the main enemy forces in Africa.
Rommel quickly restored supplies and renewed the offensive, which resulted in the capture of a number of England lines, the loss of more than 500 tanks by the British and the fall of the well-fortified English fortress of Tobruk. Thus, the Italian-German troops, seemingly winning brilliant victories over the superior enemy forces, approached El Alamein, a small railway station, which will decide the outcome of the confrontation in the African campaign in favor of the British. Rommel made the decision to take the station on the move, but this could not be done - his troops were exhausted by a long march and heavy losses, an operational pause was needed.
In addition, Hitler "kindly" deprived his illustrious general of air support by sending German aviation supporting the Italian-German units in Africa to the aid of Paulus's 6th Army, which was storming Stalingrad, which once again speaks of the secondary importance of the African front. Under these conditions, Rommel had no choice but to try to carry out the difficult task of breaking through to Egypt through El Alamein with those limited forces that he had left without air support and against the enemy, who was constantly reinforcing his grouping with fresh units.
British commander Montgomery sought to make the most of the pause that arose at the front after the Germans broke through to El Alamein. The defense around the station was seriously strengthened, and the troops were reinforced by newly arrived units without interruption. Rommel did not receive reinforcements - all the units that were supposed to be sent to Africa went to the Soviet-German front. Let's talk now about the tank groupings of the Italo-German and British units on the eve of the largest battle in the African campaign. What forces did the opponents have at the end of the summer of 1942?
Two months before the decisive battle, at the end of August, the British forces in North Africa included more than 900 tanks, but due to the difficulties in mastering American equipment entering service with the British troops, only about 500 combat vehicles were fully ready for battle. The bulk of these vehicles are light tanks "Stuart" and "Crusader", old models, armed with weak guns, the caliber of which did not exceed 40mm. Also in the British armored forces were light infantry tanks "Valentine", well armored, but also armed with a weak 40mm cannon. The best tanks among the British during this period were American tanks "M3 Lee" and their British variants "Grant", armed with a powerful 75-mm cannon at that time.
Around the same time, the British troops began to receive new Crusaider III tanks, equipped with 57-mm guns with a good initial projectile velocity, which at that time penetrated the armor of any German tanks in the African theater of operations. True, the tank was just as vulnerable to return fire. Now let's go through the German armored vehicles: Rommel had at his disposal the "PzIII" tanks, some of which were armed with 50-mm L / 50 and L / 42 guns, and some with 75-mm L / 43 guns, as well as the "PzIV" with short-barreled 75 mm cannons. There were a small number of PzI and PzII tanks, some of which were used as commanders. To this should be added the Italian tanks "M14 / 41" and "M13 / 40", self-propelled guns "Seimovente", etc. All in all, the Italian-German forces numbered about 500 tanks, but still, the quality advantage was on the side of the British, because half of the German grouping was made up of rather weak Italian tanks.
However, on the eve of the start of the battle on October 28, England's armored units were already seriously reinforced and had over 1000 tanks, among them there were already 170 Grants and 250 brand new Shermans. Rommel, on the other hand, had the same vehicles that he had been able to repair by the beginning of the battle. Despite the obvious 2-fold superiority of the British in technology, Montgomery did not dare to maneuver to encircle the enemy, but inflicted a very uncertain direct blow on the Italo-German front. Note that Rommel made extensive use of the capabilities of anti-tank artillery in defensive operations against the British, including captured Soviet 76-mm guns, which coped well with their tasks.
The serious superiority of the British in artillery, tanks, aviation and manpower initially did not help - the German units managed to repulse several strong British strikes, inflicting heavy losses on the attacking enemy. The Germans even managed to counterattack, but the superiority of the British in numbers was so impressive that the German shock group of 90 tanks in the oncoming battle simply crumbled, rushing into the huge enemy forces, and most of it was destroyed. Only on November 4, under the pressure of the huge numerical superiority of the enemy, the German army began to retreat. She led it in a very organized manner and the British, who pursued Rommel's army, did not manage to defeat his units.
This is largely due to the extreme and inexplicable passivity of Montgomery, who could not, under the most favorable conditions, defeat the enemy deprived of supplies, exhausted and lost all his equipment. The Germans after El Alamein had only a little more than 30 tanks left. The total losses of the Italo-German troops in equipment amounted to 320 tanks. The losses of the British tank forces amounted to about 500 vehicles, many of which were repaired and returned to service, because the battlefield ultimately remained behind them. The losses of the Germans and Italians were irrecoverable.
Despite the final victory in Africa, it is difficult not to reproach the British command, and in particular Montgomery personally, for the lack of initiative in conducting operations. The British, who had almost complete advantage over the German Afrika Korps, could decide the outcome of the war in this theater of operations much faster. Meanwhile they long time they could not cope with the enemy, from whom the reserves were even taken away to be sent to the eastern front. And the scale of the battle in Africa was no match for the seething Soviet-German front. As for the tanks, both British and American, they managed to prove themselves in this campaign in the complete absence of serious German resistance, but the Allies will have to face the true tank power of the Wehrmacht only in 1944 during Operation Overlord.
100 great battles Myachin Alexander Nikolaevich
Battle of El Alamein (1942)
In the fall of 1942, Italian-German troops were stationed near Suez and Alexandria. The Italian-German Panzer Army "Africa" \u200b\u200bunder the command of Field Marshal E. Rommel could not continue the offensive, as it needed to replenish its personnel with military equipment, weapons, ammunition, and fuel. However, due to the unfolding heavy fighting on the Soviet-German front, the German command could send only a small amount of weapons and equipment to Africa, and even the small number of transports that were sent from Italian ports to North Africa were subjected to continuous attacks by Anglo-American aviation. During September, only 2/3 of Italian ships reached their destination through the Mediterranean Sea, in October - only a third, and not a single tanker. The Axis forces had tanks with three refueling stations, not 30, as expected. (The second world War: Two views. M., 1995. S. 493.) Meanwhile, the British 8th Army (commanded by General B. Montgomery) through the Suez Canal freely received people and military equipment.
In October, when the 8th Army was preparing to strike at the enemy, Rommel's army consisted of 8 Italian and 4 German divisions (including 4 tank and 2 motorized) and a parachute brigade. In total, there were about 80 thousand people, 540 tanks (including 280 outdated Italian ones), 1219 guns and 350 aircraft. (History of the Second World War, 1939-1945. Vol.6. M., 1976. S. 213.) The army held a 60-kilometer line southwest of El Alamein.
With these forces, Rommel opposed the 10th (commander Lieutenant General G. Lumsden), 12th (commander Lieutenant General B. Horrocks), 30th (commander Lieutenant General O. Lees) corps of the 8th British Army - 10 divisions and 4 separate brigades (including 3 armored divisions and 2 armored brigades). In total, the army had 230 thousand people, 2311 guns, 1500 aircraft and 1440 tanks (ibid.). Among them are new American-made tanks adapted for operation in the desert - 128 Grant and 267 Sherman tanks. British troops had a decisive superiority over the enemy. Montgomery planned to deliver the main attack on the right, seaside flank. The main grouping of the army was supposed to break through the enemy's defenses on a 9-kilometer sector with the forces of the 30th corps, which had four divisions in the first echelon (a total of 5 infantry divisions and 2 armored brigades in the corps), and then, introducing the second echelon of the army into the battle - 10- 1st corps (3 armored divisions), build on the success and, in cooperation with the formations of the 30th corps, complete the rout of the main forces of the Africa army.
An auxiliary blow was delivered on the right wing of the Italo-German forces by the forces of the 13th Corps and the 7th Armored Division, in order to pin down the enemy's 21st Panzer Division and mislead him about the main attack. Even before the start of the offensive, Montgomery had erected mock-ups of tanks and vehicles to deceive the enemy, as well as a false pipeline on the left flank. (Fuller J. World War II 1939-1945. Strategic and tactical review. M., 1956. S. 309.)
Even before the start of the British offensive, Rommel handed over command of Army Africa to General von Stumme and left for Berlin.
On October 23, 1942, after a three-day preliminary aviation and 20-minute artillery preparation, the British troops went on the offensive. The infantry of the 30th and 13th corps, accompanied by sappers, moved forward, and by the morning of October 24, two passes were made in the main minefield in the sector of the 30th corps.
The breakthrough resulted in a slow "gnawing" of the enemy's defensive positions. On October 24, the 30th Corps consolidated its position in new positions. General von Stumme was killed the next day, and Rommel returned on 26 October.
After that, Montgomery regrouped the troops. 13th Corps was ordered to go on the defensive, 10th Corps and the New Zealand Division of 30th Corps were removed from the list of replenishment of people and military equipment. The 30th Corps was tasked with preparing a new offensive.
On 28 October, Rommel launched a counterblow again, and then threw half of his tanks north to aid the 90th Light Brigade of the encircled Australian 9th Division. Fierce battles took place here.
Despite the large number of cruiser tanks thrown forward, at the cost of heavy losses, they overcame the last minefields of the enemy. In the afternoon, Rommel launched a counterattack with 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions. The counter-attackers were met with heavy artillery fire and air strikes. In the Tel-el-Akkakir area, a fierce tank battle took place with the 1st and 10th armored divisions of the British advanced. Rommel began to withdraw his divisions from the battlefield and decided to retreat.
The British pursued Rommel too slowly. Their attempts to encircle the enemy were too limited.
During the battle at El Alamein, the Italian-German troops lost 55 thousand killed, wounded and prisoners, 320 tanks and more than 1 thousand guns. (History of the Second World War, 1939-1945. Vol.6 - S. 217.) Some sources provide other data. (See: J. Fuller. Op. Cit. P. 313.) British losses amounted to 13.5 thousand people killed, wounded and missing. 432 tanks were out of order.
The British victory at El Alamein was the first significant success of the British forces in the North African campaign of 1940-1943. In the course of a two-week offensive, the 8th British Army of action broke the resistance of the Italo-German troops, inflicted great damage on them and expelled them from Egypt. This changed the situation in North Africa and the Mediterranean in favor of the Western allies. (History of the Second World War, 1939-1945. Vol.6. S. 217.) The victory at El Alamein had a serious impact on the further course of the war, not only in North Africa, but throughout the Mediterranean theater of operations.
1. History of the Great Patriotic War Soviet Union. - M. 1 1964. - T.Z. - S. 546-549.
2. History of the Second World War. 1939–1945: In 12 volumes / Chapters, ed. By the commiss. A.A. Grechko (previous). - M., 1976. - T.6. - S. 213-218.
3. Soviet military encyclopedia: In 8 volumes / Ch. ed. commission. N.V. Ogarkov (previous) and others - M., 1980. - T. 8. - S. 588-589.
4. Fuller J. The Second World War. 1939-1945. Strategic and tactical overview. - M., 1956.
From the book Essays on Russian History physical culture and the Olympic movement the author Demeter Georgy Stepanovich1942 March 30. The enemy is located near Murmansk. And in the Valley of Comfort - the traditional Festival of the North! Many participants were seconded to it from firing positions and ships. Scout Boris Abramov wins the 20 km ski race. April 16. Presidium of the Supreme
From the book of 100 Great Vocalists the author Samin Dmitry From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (BI) of the author TSB From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (DE) of the author TSB From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (CO) of the author TSB From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (ST) of the author TSB From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (HA) of the author TSB From the book of 100 great directors the author Mussky Igor AnatolievichPETER GREENWAY (born 1942) English director. Films: "Draftsman's Contract" (1982), "Z00" (1985), "Architect's Belly" (1987), "Countdown of the Drowned" (1988), "Cook, Thief, His Wife and Her Lover" (1989), "Books Prospero ”(1991),“ Child of Macon ”(1993),“ Tulse Luper's Suitcases ”(2003) and others. Peter Greenway
From the book of 100 great battles the author Myachin Alexander NikolaevichNaval Battle of Midway Atoll (1942) Midway Atoll occupies an advantageous strategic position in the North Pacific Ocean at the intersection of sea and air communications between the United States and Asian countries. Near Midway Atoll on June 4-6, 1942, a large sea
CHINA 1942-1943 The drought, combined with the difficult international situation during World War II, caused the famine in China's Hunan province in 1942–1943. Almost 3 million people died of hunger. * * * One of the most significant in human history
