The First Battle of Alamein: July 1st to 27th 1942

When speaking of ‘The battle of Alamein’ it is generally assumed that one is referring to the battle which finally saw Britain’s Eighth Army defeat Rommel’s much vaunted Panzerarmee Afrika in October/November 1942. However this was, in fact, the third battle fought at the Alamein position over a period of five months. The second battle, sometimes referred to as the ‘Battle of Alam Halfa’ or ‘Rommel’s last dash’, is seen as a necessary holding action which blunted the offensive capability of the Axis forces. The ‘First Battle of Alamein’ or ‘July Battles’ which concerns us presently has been given a comparatively negligent amount of historical attention; at times referenced as a hideously complex standstill or fatuously dismissed as insignificant. However, it was this battle which put a stop to Rommel’s gallop to Alexandria and began the change in Eighth Army’s fortunes that would eventually lead it to victory in November 1942. The game map is a simple reproduction of the battle field of El Alamein in North Africa, from the Mediterranean Sea in the North to the impassable Qattara Depression in the South. The Commonwealth player controls the units on the board which are Light Blue. German Units are represented in Grey, and Italian units are represented in Green.