North Africa Campaign

Christy Cole, Mona Grosnick, Taylor Clark, Meagan Shaffer

Introduction• North African Campaign (1940-1943)

• Allies, Axis Powers

• Commanders• Rommell (Germany, Italy)• Montgomery (Britain, France)

• Battles:• The Battle of El Alamein• Western Desert Campaign• Tunisia Campaign• Operation Torch

• Reasons• Suez Canal• Middle Eastern oil resourses

Western Desert Campaign

• Aka Desert War

• 1940

• Erwin Rommel- First & Second offensives

Western Desert Campaign

First Offensive

• Lybia minus Tobruk

• Pushed British Back

• Successful for Axis

Second Offensive

• Msus and Benghazi

• Battle of Gazala• Tobruk

• Successful for Axis

The battle of El Alamein (Turning Point)

• July & October-Novemeber 1942

• Operation Supercharge• Australians attack from the

Mediterranean- Rommell sends tanks north.

• Montgomery attacks Rommell south of Australians

• Rommell outnumbered; retreated 1942

• Axis Numbers• 110,000 men to 85,000

• 500 tanks to 300 tanks

• Allied Numbers• 200,000 men to

187,000

• 1,000+ tanks to 900+ tanks

Operation Torch; 1942• Ports and Airports

• Morocco and Algeria

• Successful for Allies

• Aerial• Major General Jimmy Doolittle (U.S.)

• Air Marshal Sir William Welsh (British)

• Western Task Force• Major General George Patton

• Admiral Henry K. Hewitt (naval)

• Central Task Force• Major General Lloyd Fredendall

• Commodore Thomas Troubridge (naval)

Operation Torch; 1942• 125,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen

• 1,469 casualties• 96% American

• 526 killed

• 837 wounded

• 41 missing

Tunisia Campaign; 1942• Numbers Involved

• Ally• 54,000 British• 73,800 American• 7,000 French

• Axis• 125,000 combat & 70,000

service • Mostly Italian

• Ally• 20,743 casualties/injuries

• Axis• 200,000 casualties/injuries• 275,000 POWs