Eighth Army Soldier vs Italian Soldier

El Alamein 1942

David Greentree, Adam Hook

• Publisher: Osprey Publishing
• Year: 2024
• Print ISBN: 9781472863416
• eBook ISBN: 9781472863386
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Military & Maritime History
• Index: History

Fully illustrated, this absorbing study assesses the Commonwealth and Italian infantrymen pitted against one another during the First and Second battles of El Alamein in 1942. By July 1942, the Allied troops fighting in North Africa, the multinational Eighth Army, had withdrawn to the El Alamein line, the last position stopping their German and Italian opponents from reaching the Suez Canal. Featuring full-colour artwork, carefully chosen archive photographs and incisive analysis, this book casts light on the Commonwealth and Italian infantrymen who participated in the seesaw battle for control of the North African coastline as it entered its decisive phase, played out over two bloody engagements during July–October 1942. Although Allied and Axis commanders saw armour as the decisive weapon in the Desert War, the infantry fielded by both sides would be key to the outcomes of the two El Alamein battles. While the majority of the 96, 000 Axis troops at the first battle were Italian, mostly infantry, Commonwealth forces provided the greater part of Eighth Army's fighting strength. During the First Battle of El Alamein in July 1942, Italian infantry units clashed with Indian troops at Ruweisat Ridge and Australian forces at Makh Khad Ridge; both battles are assessed in this book, along with the defence mounted by New Zealand troops at Miteiriya Ridge during the Second Battle of El Alamein that October.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• The Opposing Sides
• Ruweisat Ridge
• Makh Khad Ridge
• Operation Lightfoot
• Analysis
• Aftermath
• Unit Organizations
• Select Bibliography
• About the Author
• eCopyright