The Battle of Alam el Halfa was the last big Axis offensive in the Western Desert Campaign. German code name for the operation was Unternehmen Brandung (Operation Surf), and it took place between 30 August and 5 September 1942, at the El Alamein line.
The British defensive El Alamein line was very narrow – barely 40 miles from the El Alamein railroad station in the north to the vast deserted area of Qattara Depression in the south. General Auchinleck chose this ground well, as this bottleneck ground restricted Rommel in using his favourite manoeuver – hook around the desert flank. British have also planted false maps of the terrain to the Germans showing the southern sector as good ground for mobile troops, being lightly held and scarcely mined. They wanted to lure the Panzerarmee into choosing this route of advance, and hitting upon the formidable defences on the Alam el Halfa Ridge.
To view all of the maps and read the full article - check here: Maps of the Battle of Alam el Halfa
