Second Battle of El Alamein order of battle


Second Battle of El Alamein order of battle


The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa had prevented the Axis from advancing further into Egypt.

The Allied victory was the beginning of the end of the Western Desert Campaign, eliminating the Axis threat to Egypt, the Suez Canal and the Middle Eastern and Persian oil fields. The battle revived the morale of the Allies, being the first big success against the Axis since Operation Crusader in late 1941. The end of the battle coincided with the Allied invasion of French North Africa in Operation Torch on 8 November, which opened a second front in North Africa.

High-level orders of battle

Allies

Middle East Command: Lieutenant-General Harold Alexander

British Eighth Army
Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Law Montgomery

Northern sector
British XXX Corps (Lieutenant-General Oliver Leese)
Australian 9th Division (Major-General Leslie Morshead)
British 51st (Highland) Infantry Division (Major-General Douglas Wimberley)
New Zealand 2nd Division (Lieutenant-General Bernard Freyberg)
South African 1st Infantry Division (Major-General Dan Pienaar)
Indian 4th Infantry Division (Major-General Francis Tuker)
Southern sector
British XIII Corps (Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks)
British 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division (Major-General John Nichols)
British 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division (Major-General Ivor Hughes)
British 7th Armoured Division (Major-General John Harding)
Reserve
British X Corps (Lieutenant-General Herbert Lumsden)
British 1st Armoured Division (Major-General Raymond Briggs)
British 10th Armoured Division (Major-General Alexander Gatehouse)
British 8th Armoured Division

Axis

Delegazione Africa Settentrionale (Delease): Generale Di Corpo D' Armata Curio Barbasetti

Panzerarmee Afrika
Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel

Deutsches Afrika Korps
Generalleutnant Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma
15th Panzer Division (Generalmajor Gustav von Vaerst)
21st Panzer Division (Generalmajor Heinz von Randow)
90th Light Afrika Division (Generalmajor Ernst Strecker, later Theodor Graf von Sponeck)
Italian XXI Army Corps
Generale di Corpo d'Armata Enea Navarini; Generale di Divisione Alessandro Gloria
25th Infantry Division "Bologna" (Generale di Divisione Alessandro Gloria)
102nd Motorised Division "Trento" (Generale di Brigata Giorgio Masina)
Italian XX Army Corps
Generale di Divisione Giuseppe De Stefanis
101st Motorised Division "Trieste" (Generale di Divisione Francesco La Ferla)
132nd Armoured Division "Ariete" (Generale di Divisione Francesco Antonio Arena)
133rd Armoured Division "Littorio" (Generale di Divisione Gervasio Bitossi)
German 164th Light Africa Division (Generalleutnant Carl-Hans Lungershausen)
Italian X Army Corps
Generale di Divisione Federico Ferrari Orsi KIA 18 Oct
Generale di Divisione Enrico Frattini thru 26 Oct
Generale di Divisione Edoardo Nebbia from 27 Oct, POW 7 Nov
17th Infantry Division "Pavia" (Generale di Divisione Nazzareno Scattaglia)
27th Infantry Division "Brescia" (Generale di Divisione Brunetto Brunetti)
185th Infantry Division "Folgore" (Generale di Divisione Enrico Frattini)
Ramcke Parachute Brigade (Generalmajor Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke)
Reserve
16th Motorised Division "Pistoia" (Generale di Divisione Giuseppe Falugi)
136th Armoured Division "Giovani Fascisti" (Generale di Divisione Ismaele Di Nisio)

Allies

Middle East Command: Lieutenant General Harold Alexander

British Eighth Army
Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Law Montgomery

British XXX Corps

XXX Corps occupied the northern sector of the Allied front.

Lieutenant-General Oliver Leese
Under direct Corps command
XXX Corps Defence Squadron
C Squadron, 4th/6th South African Armoured Car Regiment
7th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
64th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
69th (Caernarvon & Denbigh Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
66th Mortar Company, Royal Engineers (two sections detached to 9th Australian Division)
11th Field Company, South African Engineers
13th Field Company, South African Engineers
22nd Field Park Company, South African Engineers
XXX Corps Signals, Royal Corps of Signals

British XIII Corps

XIII Corps occupied the southern sector of the Allied front.

Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks
Under direct Corps command
South African 4th/6th Armoured Car Regiment (one troop)
XIII Corps Troops, Royal Engineers
578th Army Field Company, Royal Engineers
576th Corps Field Park Company, Royal Engineers
XIII Corps Signals, Royal Corps of Signals

British X Corps

X Corps supplied reserve divisions behind the main Allied line.

Lieutenant-General Herbert Lumsden
Under direct Corps command
X Corps Troops, Royal Engineers
571st Army Field Company (attached to 10th Armoured Division)
572nd Army Field Company (attached to 1st Armoured Division)
573rd Army Field Company (attached to 10th Armoured Division)
570th Corps Field Park Company
X Corps Signals, Royal Corps of Signals

Axis

Delegazione Africa Settentrionale (Delease)

Generale Di Corpo D'Armata Curio Barbasetti


Divisions deployed north to south

Panzerarmee Afrika

Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel

Deutsches Afrika Korps

Generalleutnant Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma

German 15th Panzer Division
Generalmajor Gustav von Vaerst
8th Panzer Regiment
115th Panzergrenadier Regiment
33rd Artillery Regiment
33rd Anti-tank Battalion
33rd Engineer Battalion
German 21st Panzer Division
Generalmajor Heinz von Randow
5th Panzer Regiment
104th Panzergrenadier Regiment
155th Artillery Regiment
39th Anti-tank Battalion
200th Engineer Battalion

German 90th Light Afrika Division

Generalmajor Ernst Strecker, later Theodor Graf von Sponeck
155th Panzergrenadier Regiment (with 707th Heavy Infantry Gun Company)
200th Panzergrenadier Regiment (with 708th Heavy Infantry Gun Company)
346th Panzergrenadier Regiment
190th Artillery Regiment
190th Anti-tank Battalion
Under command
Force 288
605th Anti-tank Battalion
109th Anti-aircraft Battalion
606th Anti-aircraft Battalion

Italian XXI Army Corps

Generale di Corpo d'Armata Enea Navarini
Generale di Divisione Alessandro Gloria (Thru 26 October)

Corps-level troops
7th Bersaglieri Regiment
X Bersaglieri Battalion
XI Bersaglieri Battalion
8th Army Corps Artillery Grouping
XXXIII Heavy Artillery Group (149/40 guns)
LII Heavy Artillery Group (152/37 guns)
XXVII Construction Engineers Battalion
LXV Signal Engineers Battalion
14th Fortification Engineer Company

Italian XX Army Corps

Generale di Divisione Giuseppe De Stefanis

Corps-level troops
XVIII Anti-aircraft and Anti-tank Group (8.8cm Flak and 20/65 guns)
LXII Anti-aircraft Group (75/50 anti-aircraft guns)
XXIV Mixed Engineer Battalion
2nd Bersaglieri Motorcyclists Company
106th Field Hospital
576th Field Hospital

Southern Sector

132nd Armoured Division "Ariete"
Generale di Divisione Francesco Antonio Arena
132nd Tank Infantry Regiment (M13/40 and M14/41 tanks)
IX Tank Battalion "M"
X Tank Battalion "M"
XIII Tank Battalion "M"
8th Bersaglieri Regiment
III Bersaglieri Anti-tank Battalion (47/32 anti-tank guns)
V Bersaglieri Battalion
XII Bersaglieri Battalion
132nd Armoured Artillery Regiment
I Group (75/27 field guns)
II Group (75/27 field guns)
III Group (105/28 howitzers)
V (DLI) Self-propelled Artillery Group (Semovente 75/18 self-propelled guns)
VI (DLII) Self-propelled Artillery Group (Semovente 75/18 self-propelled guns)
XV Heavy Field Artillery Group (105/28 howitzers)
XXXI Anti-aircraft and Anti-tank Group (8.8cm Flak anti-aircraft guns)
DI Anti-aircraft and Anti-tank Group (90/53 and 20/65 Mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns)
III Armored Squadrons Group "Nizza Cavalleria" (AB 41 Armoured cars)
CXXXII Mixed Engineer Battalion

Italian X Army Corps

Reserve Divisions during the Battle

16th Motorised Division "Pistoia"
Generale di Divisione Giuseppe Falugi
35th Infantry Regiment "Pistoia"
36th Infantry Regiment "Pistoia"
3rd Motorised Artillery Regiment
XVI Mortar Battalion
LI Mixed Engineer Battalion
16th Anti-tank Company
136th Armoured Division "Giovani Fascisti"
Generale di Divisione Ismaele Di Nisio
Infantry Regiment "Giovani Fascisti" (2x battalions)
IX Autonomous Infantry Battalion
136th Artillery Regiment
XIV Motorized Artillery Group (65/17 field guns mounted on Morris CS8)
XV Motorized Artillery Group (65/17 field guns mounted on Morris CS8)
XVI Motorized Artillery Group (75/27 field guns mounted on TL.37)
XVII Motorized Artillery Group (100/17 howitzers mounted on Lancia 3Ro trucks)
88th Anti-aircraft Battery (20/65 Mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns)
III Armoured Squadrons Group "Cavalleggeri del Monferrato" (AB 41 Armoured cars)

Notes

References

Sources

Print

Joslen, H.F. (2003) [1st Pub. HMSO 1960]. Orders of battle : Second World War, 1939-1945. Uckfield: Naval & Military Press. ISBN 1-84342-474-6.
Pakenham-Walsh, Maj-Gen R.P. (1958). History of the Royal Engineers. Vol. VIII, 1938–1948. Chatham: Institution of Royal Engineers.

Web

Wendell, Marcus. "Axis History Factbook: German army order of battle". Retrieved 2007-07-23.
Wendell, Marcus. "Axis History Factbook: Italian army order of battle". Retrieved 2007-07-23.
"Orders of Battle.com". Archived from the original on 2007-07-17. Retrieved 2007-07-23.
"World War II unit histories and officers". Archived from the original on 2007-06-26. Retrieved 2007-07-23.

Text submitted to CC-BY-SA license. Source: Second Battle of El Alamein order of battle by Wikipedia (Historical)



 


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