Fighting in Africa

1. Fighting in Africa By Molly

2. Why did we go to Africa? • If the Allies got to control North Africa, they would have a better chance of holding the Mediterranean Sea, which was the epicenter of the war. • Benito Mussolini saw an opportunity for defensive gains and military gains against western allies in France and Britain. • One of the fears of the allies was that Japan would invade India, Germany, and North Africa, and meet them impairing Britains supply lines from India.

3. Continued • Americans were arguing that if they sent troops to Africa, their resources and men wouldn’t pull them away from Russia, so it was best not to send any troops at all. • Then, it caused a stalemate so the Allies had to fine a way through this. • Afterwards Roosevelt, who was the U.S. leader of this time had a meeting with Molotov to save the situation. • Churchhill heard the news, and said that it would do no good for the Allies or Russia, but wanted to help take pressure off of us.

4. Continued • This may have been what started the North African Campaign. • Churchhill told Roosevelt that North Africa was the only place that they could win the war and was the only place to pull the German forces away from Russia. • Roosevelt gave Marshall a choice, either launch an attack in the Middle East or in North Africa.

5. Benard Montgomery was a British officer. He was leader of the Eighth Army, and tried to transform the morals of his troops to be ready to fight. He always tried to appear before his troops as much as possible, so the men would get to know him. Benard Montgomery

6. He was the most known German field marshal in World War II. Commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps. His nickname was The Desert Fox, for his military campaigns he paid on behalf of the German Army in North Africa. Erwin Rommel

7. Battle of El Alamein • The Battle of El Alamein was the major turning point in WWII, which lasted from Oct. 23rd to Nov. 2nd , 1942. • The Axis army was overstretched and worn out and was relying on the Allies captured supplies. • Rommel still had the advantage of men and materials, but was being turned against him since the British Commonwealth wasn’t sending supplies to his forces.

8. Continued • Success in the battle turned the tide of the Desert War. • Allied victory ended Germany’s hopes of having Egypt, controlling the access to the Suez Canal, and gaining the Middle East for oil fields. • The German defeat marked the end of Germany’s expansion.

9. Battle of Kasserine Pass • On February 19, Erwin Rommel launched several investigations and decided that the Kasserine Pass was the easiest place for an attack. • The U.S. lines broke, they had no chance against the Germans weapons, and they didn’t have very much experience in armored warfare. • After breaking into the pass, Germany split up into two groups, during this the moral of the U.S. started to fall. • The pass was completely open, so on the night of Feb. 23 the U.S., France, and British went North by the town of Thala where the Germans were heading to.

10. Continued • The next day when the battle reopened, the defenses were much stronger and prepared. • Rommel was now undersupplied, ending the offensive. • He feared that he would be approaching the British 8th Army and they would cross the line, so he retreated back east. • On Feb. 23rd the US had a massive air attack on the pass, and by the end of Feb. 25th , the pass had been retaken.

11. Battle of Mareth Line • This battle went from March 20th – March 26th, 1943. • It was the final phase of the North African campaign. • General Bernard Montgomery and his 8th Army and attacked Mareth line from the south. • The German troops repulsed the attack and the line was finally broken after Montgomery reinforced his attack.