The Italians dreamed of glory
Italian tacticians made many mistakes
The british surprised them on Dec. 9
British armor raced along the Libyan coast

Coastal towns had been turned into fortresses
They proved to be no match for the
Highly mobile British forces

One after another the towns fell to the British
The Italian army was trapped
By 1941 the British occupied the eastern half of Libya

Feb 12, 1941
Rommel took control of the Africa Corps
2 armored divisions
8000 men and 135 tanks  
Plus the light infantry division

On April 1, the Germans
Mark III and Mark IV tanks  
Outranged the British
The British were pushed back into Egypt

However one division remained in Tobruk
The infamous and stubborn rats of Tobruk

Tobruk held on at first
Barely enough food and water to stay alive

Tobruk was needed by the Germans
For their supply chain

Rommel said he would finish Tobruk for good
It fell on June 1 1942

Montgomery took control at El Alamein
Lend lease supplies came in

Axis shipping was badly damaged
By Allied air strikes


Oct 23, 1942
The British forces moved to the assembly areas

The First Battle of El Alamein began
The British halted the Axis forces from
Advancing into Egypt

Oct. 24, 1942
A vast troop convoy
Set sail from American ports
The next day, two convoys left Britain

El Alamein was the first great offensive
It coincided with the Battle of Stalingrad
And the Battle of Guadalcanal

The narrator said,
"El Alamein had been the end of the beginning.
For the Axis powers
It was now the beginning of the end."

Churchill said,
"It may almost be said, 'Before Alamein we never had a victory.
After Alemein we never had a defeat.'