North Africa in World War II
Transcript of North Africa in World War II
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