The Battle of El Alamein: The Turning Point in North Africa

By the autumn of 1942, the war in North Africa hung in the balance. Rommel's Afrika Korps had been stopped at the First Battle of El Alamein in July, but the British Eighth Army needed a decisive victory to drive the Germans out of Egypt and begin the liberation of North Africa.

On 23 October 1942, General Bernard Montgomery launched the Second Battle of El Alamein with a massive artillery barrage from over 900 guns. British, Australian, New Zealand, South African, Indian, Free French, and Greek forces attacked through mine fields in a battle that lasted twelve days. The fighting was brutal—the infantry had to clear paths through Rommel's extensive minefields while under fire.

By 4 November, Rommel was in full retreat. Churchill described it as 'the end of the beginning.' El Alamein was the first major land victory against Germany and gave enormous boost to Allied morale. Church bells were rung across Britain for the first time since 1940. The victory led directly to the Allied invasion of Tunisia and eventually to the invasion of Sicily and Italy.