Editing Erwin Rommel (section)

===== Second Battle of El Alamein =====
{{Main|Second Battle of El Alamein}}
[[File:Destroyed Panzer IIIs near Tel el Eisa 1942.jpg|thumb|Destroyed [[Panzer III]]s at Tel el Eisa, near El Alamein (1942)]]
[[File:2 Battle of El Alamein 010.png|thumb|[[Second Battle of El Alamein]]. Situation on 28 October 1942]]

Improved decoding by British intelligence (see [[Ultra (cryptography)|Ultra]]) meant that the Allies had advance knowledge of virtually every Mediterranean convoy, and only 30 per cent of shipments were getting through.{{sfn|Hoffman|2004|p=52}} In addition, Mussolini diverted supplies intended for the front to his garrison at Tripoli and refused to release any additional troops to Rommel.{{sfn|Butler|2015|p=362}} The increasing Allied air superiority and lack of fuel meant Rommel was forced to take a more defensive posture than he would have liked for the [[second Battle of El Alamein]].{{sfn|Douglas-Home|1973|p=172}} The German defences to the west of the town included a minefield {{convert|5|mi|km|order=flip|spell=on|abbr=off|sigfig=1}} deep with the main defensive line—itself several thousand yards deep—to its west.{{sfn|Fraser|1993|p=370}} This, Rommel hoped, would allow his infantry to hold the line at any point until motorised and armoured units in reserve could move up and counterattack any Allied breaches.{{sfn|Rommel|1982|p=299}} The British offensive began on 23 October. Stumme, in command in Rommel's absence, died of an apparent heart attack while examining the front on 24 October, and Rommel was ordered to return from his medical leave, arriving on the 25th.{{sfn|Butler|2015|pp=375–377}} Montgomery's intention was to clear a narrow path through the minefield at the northern part of the defences, at the area called Kidney Ridge, with a feint to the south. By the end of 25 October, the 15th Panzer, the defenders in this sector, had only 31 serviceable tanks remaining of their initial force of 119.{{sfn|Fraser|1993|p=373}} Rommel brought the 21st Panzer and Ariete Divisions north on 26 October, to bolster the sector. On 28 October, Montgomery shifted his focus to the coast, ordering his 1st and 10th Armoured Divisions to attempt to swing around and cut off Rommel's line of retreat. Meanwhile, Rommel concentrated his attack on the Allied [[Salient (military)|salient]] at Kidney Ridge, inflicting heavy losses. However, Rommel had only 150 operational tanks remaining, and Montgomery had 800, many of them [[M4 Sherman|Shermans]].{{sfn|Butler|2015|pp=378–380}}

Montgomery, seeing his armoured brigades losing tanks at an alarming rate, stopped major attacks until the early hours of 2 November, when he opened Operation Supercharge, with a massive artillery barrage.{{sfn|Fraser|1993|p=378}} Due to heavy losses in tanks, towards the end of the day, Rommel ordered his forces to disengage and begin to withdraw.{{sfn|Fraser|1993|pp=379–380}} At midnight, he informed the OKW of his decision, and received a reply directly from Hitler the following afternoon: he ordered Rommel and his troops to hold their position to the last man. Rommel, who believed that the lives of his soldiers should never be squandered needlessly, was stunned.{{sfn|Butler|2015|pp=385–386}} Rommel initially complied with the order, but after discussions with Kesselring and others, he issued orders for a retreat on 4 November.{{sfn|Fraser|1993|pp=381–383}} The delay proved costly in terms of his ability to get his forces out of Egypt. He later said the decision to delay was what he most regretted from his time in Africa.{{sfn|Rommel|1982|p=327}} Meanwhile, the British 1st and 7th Armoured Division had broken through the German defences and were preparing to swing north and surround the Axis forces.{{sfn|Butler|2015|p=389}} On the evening of the 4th, Rommel finally received word from Hitler authorising the withdrawal.{{sfn|Fraser|1993|p=383}}