'Operation Supercharge'
- "...Montgomery again change[s] the direction of his main thrust by planning 'Operation Supercharge'. This was to be the final breakout, using a modified version of 'Operation Lightfoot'" (Badsey, Stephen).
- "It (Operation Supercharge) was part of the Armoured breakout to rout the Axis forces, by engaging and destroying the remaining enemy armour" (Paterson, Ian).
- "...initial infantry attack would be supported by an enormous concentration of guns, which would then make a breach around Tell el Aqqaquir, about 15 miles west of Alamein station..." (Badsey, Stephen).
- "'Operation Supercharge' opened on 2 November 1942...shells from over 800 guns crashed out on a frontage of only 4,000 yards. With this huge weight of artillery support, the attack of the two infantry brigades went like a drill, and they achieved their objectives deep within the Axis positions without too much difficulty" (Badsey, Stephen).
- "This was a British and New Zealander infantry attack made south of where the Australians were fighting. Rommel was taken by surprise. 123 tanks of the 9th Armoured Brigade attacked the German lines. But a sandstorm once again saved Rommel. Many of the tanks got lost and they were easy for the German 88 gunners to pick off" (Trueman, Chris).
- "Montgomery had informed Brigadier John Currie, commander of the 9th armoured brigade, that he was prepared to accept 100% losses in his formation in order to achieve success...His brigade was to assault the German artillery and anti-tank gun screen...and thus create a breach, which the regiments of 1st Armoured Division could then exploit...Literally in minutes Currie's brigade was eliminated, and by the end of the day he had lost 75 out of 94 tanks" (Badsey, Stephen). "Rommel put tank against tank - but his men were hopelessly outnumbered" (Trueman, Chris).
- "Desperate Axis counter-attacks went on for the rest of the day, and the confusion and carnage of this tank battle was enormous...The British armour stood its ground and inflicted heavy losses on the Germans" (Badsey, Stephen).
- "Despite enormous Allied losses, the attack gradually wore down the Afrika Korps, which by November 3rd had only some 35 tanks left. On the 4th, the Germam line was breached, and the X Corps almost wiped out the 'Ariete' [Italian Tank] Division and captured General von Thoma, the commander of the Afrika Korps" (Matanle, Ivor).
- "Then it [Operation Suercharge] was part of the force that pursued the Axis back along the desert roads towards Tunisia, harassing them so they found it hard to make a stand & fight the British on a new defensive line. At the end of "Supercharge" the 8th Army still had 600 battle worthy tanks, while Rommel only had 130, mostly Italian M13's, under his command" (Paterson, Ian).
Click here to see my interview with Ian Paterson.
"Greatest Tank Battles: Battle of El Alamein" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaTQ-Aztbec).