Battle of Gazala - Definition and Overview

The Battle of Gazala was a World War II battle of the Western Desert Campaign, fought in Libya from May 26 to June 21, 1942. The combatants on the Axis side were the Africa Korps of Nazi Germany and several Italian units, commanded by Colonel-General Erwin Rommel, the "Desert Fox"; the Allied forces were the British Eighth Army, commanded by General Sir Claude Auchinleck.

Following Rommel's attack in January 1942, the Allies had retreated across Libya to a strong position on a line between the port of Tobruk on the Mediterranean coast to the north, and the town of Bir Hacheim to the south.

On May 27, Rommel personally led a reckless but brilliant raid around the British lines, trusting to the enemy's own minefields to protect his rear, while the Italian Ariete Divisions defeated the Free French Brigade under Marie-Pierre Koenig at Bir Hacheim and then on 10 June turned north to join Rommel's battle of encirclement. On 14 June Auchinleck retreated east to a strong position on the Alamein Line on the border of Egypt, leaving troops to defend Tobruk, as Archibald Wavell had done in April 1941. Since Tobruk had previously withstood a siege of nine months before being relieved by Operation Crusader in December 1941, the Allies expected it to do so again, but just seven days later, on 21 June 1942 the 2nd South African Division surrendered.

The Afrikakorps advanced towards Egypt and attacked the Alamein Line on 1 July 1942 in the First Battle of El Alamein.

The defeat at Gazala led to the dismissal of Auchinleck and his replacement as general of the Eighth Army by Bernard Montgomery.

External links

• The World War II Study - North Africa (http://www.topedge.com/panels/ww2/na/gazala.html)
• BBC - WW2 People's War - Battle of Gazala (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A1125046)