The Engagement of El Alamein was a significant turning point in World War II and the largest battle fought in Africa. The Allies had not won a significant fight on any front when General Bernard Montgomery and the British 8th Army crushed Field Marshall Erwin Rommel and the German tank divisions. Montgomery’s troops ensured Egypt’s security.
The Germans’ advance on Alexandria and Cairo was thwarted. The conflict marked the beginning of the end of Germany’s mission in North Africa, and it turned the tide of the war in the Allies’ favor by giving them control of the Suez Canal and the Middle Eastern oil resources. As a result of the combat, Germany’s campaign in North Africa ended.
Marsa Matruh, a desert town on the Mediterranean coast, played a significant role in WWII. Western Egypt, not far from Alexandria. This location hosted a split in the events. The Germans were halted in their tracks when the first fight in July of 1942 ended in a stalemate.
After another three months, the German Army was forced to retire after a fierce thirteen-day battle against a fortified Allied force headed by the newly christened General Montgomery. This year marks the 75th anniversary of October 20, 1942, on which victory in this battle was declared.
A museum commemorating the battlefield preserves the site’s history by displaying artifacts from the conflicts that took place there and providing information about them. In addition, the battlefield is littered with cemeteries where soldiers from both sides of the conflict rest in peace.
The short journey outside of Alexandria to see these sorrowful graves and learn about the history of World War II in North Africa is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression on everyone who makes an effort to go. Yet October is likely to be much more emotional for visitors.
There will be memorial services for the fallen troops on October 20, 2012, at all local cemeteries. There, young men from Germany, Italy, Australia, Great Britain, France, New Zealand, India, and South Africa battled and died. This day will be an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices made by these young men, together with veterans of the conflicts and leaders from the nations involved.
