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The Desert Rats: The History and Legacy of the British Army’s 7th Armoured Division during World War II Paperback – March 29, 2018
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*Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading
The fighting in North Africa during World War II is commonly overlooked, aside from the famous battle at El Alamein that pitted the British under General Bernard Montgomery against the legendary “Desert Fox,” Erwin Rommel. But while the Second Battle of El Alamein would be the pivotal action in North Africa, the conflict in North Africa began all the way back in the summer of 1940 when Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declared Italy’s entrance into the war. From his perspective, the fact that the British and French had their hands full with the Germans created an opportunity for Italy to enlarge its colonial holdings in Africa by seizing portions of the British Empire. However, British troops in the colony of Egypt responded to Italy’s declaration of war by driving through the Egyptian-Ethiopian border and attacking Italian troops stationed in the Italian colony of Ethiopia. By September 13, 1940, Italian commanders in Ethiopia were finally ready to put Mussolini’s plan into action and attack British colonial holdings, but British troops had already attacked a series of Italian frontier posts and had inflicted 3,500 casualties among Italy’s North African troops.
Despite Italy’s advantages, in December 1940, Operation Compass was launched under the overall command of British General Archibald Percival Wavell. In a mobile campaign, the Italian 10th Army was swiftly routed and pitched into retreat. A headlong pursuit followed, spearheaded by the 7th Armoured Division, who would become known as the legendary Desert Rats, and supported by a variety of British and Commonwealth troops. It was during this advance that the important port of Tobruk was taken, mainly by Australians troops, and held for 241 days, despite the ebb and flow of Allied military fortunes.
Dealing with the Italians was one thing, but the British faced an entirely different monster in North Africa when Erwin Rommel, a German general who had gained much fame for his role in the invasions of Poland and France, was sent to North Africa in February 1941 along with the Afrika Korps. Rommel’s directives from the German headquarters were to maneuver in a way that would allow him to hide the fact that his ultimate goal was the capture of Cairo and the Suez Canal. The ultimate plan was that Rommel would not reveal the Germans’ true intentions in North Africa until after the Germans had made headway in their invasion of the Soviet Union.
With the Axis forces trying to push through Egypt towards the Suez Canal and the British Mandate of Palestine, American forces landed to their west in North Africa, which ultimately compelled Rommel to try to break through before the Allies could build up and overwhelm them with superior numbers. Given that the combined Allied forces under Montgomery already had an advantage in manpower, Montgomery also wanted to be aggressive, and the fighting would start in late October 1942 with an Allied attack.
The Second Battle of El Alamein was a turning point in the campaign. While the scale of the battle paled in comparison to the battles of the Eastern Front, where the majority of German troops were concentrated, it still marked an important victory in World War II, especially from the British perspective. The fighting at the end of 1942 inevitably compelled all Axis forces to quit the theater, the first time since the beginning of the war that Africa was safe for the Allies.
The Desert Rats: The History and Legacy of the British Army’s 7th Armoured Division during World War II chronicles the legendary unit’s war record, and how the Desert Rats earned their name in North Africa. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Desert Rats like never before.
- Print length48 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateMarch 29, 2018
- Dimensions6 x 0.11 x 9 inches
- ISBN-10198694011X
- ISBN-13978-1986940115
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Product details
- Publisher : CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (March 29, 2018)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 48 pages
- ISBN-10 : 198694011X
- ISBN-13 : 978-1986940115
- Item Weight : 2.72 ounces
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.11 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #5,828,327 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #44,122 in World War II History (Books)
- #145,710 in World History (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
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Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonTop reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2018I love reading the history of all kinds (people, places, and things) well now I have found another outlet to get my fill! It is so nice to quickly read about times and people and have all of the important bits right at my fingertips. My thanks to Charles River Editors to publishing all these wonderful books. History at it finest and all so quick! History at it finest and all so quick!
- Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2019This is a text book!
Very fine print, very brief,very BORING!
Not worth the price, looks like and reads as a magazine.
Returned it immediately after it arrived
Top reviews from other countries
- Peter SimpsonReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Its a book any review would be personal and subjective.
- mikekReviewed in the United Kingdom on May 2, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Great historical read
- CorkyReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2020
2.0 out of 5 stars More of a leaflet than a book
Very disappointed , though i was getting a paperback book .
What i got had some interesting content but is more of a leaflet .