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| Home > Reviews > Other > Campaign 158: El Alamein 1942, The Turning of the Tide |
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As the subtitle of this book makes plain, this desert battle was indeed the turning point of the war in the Mediterranean Theater, of which North Africa was only a part. After their ouster from Greece as well as Crete, the British forces that remained on Malta were besieged. Gibraltar stood resolute, while the meager British forces in Egypt managed to send the Italians reeling westwards. Enter the legendary Rommel and his equally well-regarded Afrika Korps, and the British in turn were sent back nearly to the gates of Cairo, with the vital Suez Canal threatened. Then, towards the end of the summer of 1942, the capable (and woefully under-appreciated) Auchinleck’s excellent handling of the thoroughly punch-drunk 8th Army, against the equally depleted Afrika Korps during the so-called “First Alamein”, saved Cairo and Suez. The final showdown came when Montgomery (who replaced Auchinleck) orchestrated a remarkable set-piece battle, which in fact, became quite fluid, allowing Monty to demonstrate an amount of flexibility which eluded him later in his career. As a result, from late October 1942, through the beginning of November, his refreshed 8th Army finally broke the back of the Axis forces in the desert. The follow-up Allied landings (Operation Torch) on 8 November sealed the fate of the Axis forces as they were crushed between the anvil and the hammer of two converging armies.
All of this is recounted in a lively and detailed style by Mr. Ford, who in my opinion is one of Osprey’s finest authors. These were complex and sometimes subtle actions; the author’s text helps the reader understand them in excellent fashion. He has also chosen a wonderful selection of 68 B&W photos, two color photos and five color maps (all well-captioned) to embellish his story. Many of the photos are fresh and often include useful images of tanks and other AFVs, ordnance, wheeled vehicles and troops, not to mention the commanders of both sides. The chronology and order-of-battle charts for the opposing forces allow a clear picture of the forces arrayed as well as the sequence in which events un-folded. The book closes with a segment on visiting the battlefield today, as well as a useful bibliography and index.
Mr. Gerrard’s plates illustrating certain memorable moments of the battle will be an inspiration to those who may wish to construct a diorama or vignette. However, there are quite a few problems with the details of the illustrations. For instance, the plate depicting the 15. Panzer Division’s assault on Alam El Halfa incorrectly designates a Pz.Kpfw.III as a “Mark IV Special”. Its long-barreled gun is depicted precisely head-on, so how could one tell what it is, regardless of what type of panzer it is supposed to be? Another plate depicts a Pz.Kpfw.I, but calls it a Pz.Kpfw.II; it also depicts a PaK40, but designates it as a PaK38 (with empty shell cases that are much too small for either gun). The 3-D CAD maps detail the events as they unfolded at Alam El Halfa, the so-called “Dog Fight” which characterized Operation Lightfoot and the break-out and exploitation which took place under the guise of Operation Supercharge. However, like the spread art plates, much visual information is lost in the “gutter” between the pages. On the other hand, the conventional color maps cover events such as 8th Army’s retreat after Gazala, First Alamein, Alam Halfa, Operations Lightfoot and Supercharge, and the 8th Army’s drive to the Mareth Line, quite clearly.
This book covers one of the premier armored actions of the desert war. It should be quite useful to students of the battle, as well as modelers who have an interest in the era.
Highly recommended.
Frank De Sisto
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