Gazala 1942

Rommel's greatest victory

Gazala 1942 cover

Description

Gazala was Rommel's greatest victory in World War II (1939-1945). After a period of stalemate in the desert war, during which both the British Eighth Army and the Afrika Korps had rested and regrouped, he carried out a daring flanking movement around the strong Allied defensive position. The British command could not match Rommel's masterly co-ordination of armor, artillery and infantry, even when encircled in an area that became known as "the Cauldron", and his outstanding generalship and a timely break-through by his Italian troops enabled him to win a clear victory after 16 days of fierce fighting. However, although the strategically important town of Tobruk quickly fell, Gazala was actually a high-water mark and failure to break the British at Alam Halfa two months later was followed by defeat for the over-extended Afrika Korps by the greatly strengthened Eighth Army at El Alamein.

In this important addition to the Campaign series' coverage of the North African desert war, regular contributor Ken Ford vividly portrays the "Desert Fox" at the height of his powers.

Table of Contents

Origins of the battle
Chronology

Opposing commanders
Opposing armies
Opposing plans
The Gazala campaign

Aftermath
The battlefield today
Further reading and bibliography
Index

Product details

Published May 20 2008
Format Paperback
Edition 1st
Extent 96
ISBN 9781846032646
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Illustrations 66 b/w; 1 col
Dimensions 248 x 184 mm
Series Campaign
Short code CAM 196
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Ken Ford

Ken Ford was born in Hampshire in 1943. He trained…

Illustrator

John White

John White was born in Knebworth, Hertfordshire, i…

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