First Battle of El Alamein

First Battle of El Alamein
Part of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War
British infantry manning a sandbagged defensive position near El Alamein, 17 July 1942.
Date 1–27 July 1942 Location El Alamein, Egypt Result See Aftermath section
Belligerents
Nazi Germany  Italy	British Commonwealth  United Kingdom British India  Australia  New Zealand South Africa
Commanders and leaders
Erwin Rommel Enea Navarini	Claude Auchinleck Dorman Smith
Strength
96,000 troops (40,000 German, 56,000 Italian) 70 tanks initially ~500 planes	150,000 troops 179 tanks initially 1,000+ artillery pieces 1,500+ planes
Casualties and losses
10,000 killed or wounded 7,000 prisoners	13,250 casualties

British Commonwealth

The First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942) was a battle of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, fought in Egypt between Axis forces (Germany and Italy) of the Panzer Army Africa (Panzerarmee Afrika) (also known as the Afrika Korps) commanded by Field Marshal (Generalfeldmarschall) Erwin Rommel nicknamed "The Desert Fox" and Allied (British Imperial and Commonwealth) forces (Britain, British India, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand) of the Eighth Army, commanded by General Claude Auchinleck. The British prevented a second advance by the Axis forces into Egypt.

Axis positions near El Alamein, only 66 mi (106 km) from Alexandria, were dangerously close to the ports and cities of Egypt, the base facilities of the Commonwealth forces and the Suez Canal, and the Axis forces were too far from their base at Tripoli in Libya, to remain at El Alamein indefinitely, which led both sides to accumulate supplies for more offensives, against the constraints of time and distance.

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