Fact Finder - History

The Second Battle of El Alamein was the turning point of the war in North Africa. The British Eighth Army, led by General Bernard Montgomery, launched a massive offensive against the German-Italian Panzer Army Africa, commanded by the 'Desert Fox,' Erwin Rommel. The battle was fought to protect the Suez Canal and the oil fields of the Middle East. After 12 days of intense tank battles and mine-clearing (Operation Lightfoot), the Axis forces were forced into a full retreat. This victory was the first major land win for the British against the Germans. Winston Churchill famously remarked, 'Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.' Soon after, American troops landed in North Africa (Operation Torch), trapping the Axis forces.