Second Battle of El Alamein order of battle Second Battle of El Alamein order of battle The Second Battle of El Alamein order of battle is a listing of the significant formations that were involved in the Second Battle of El Alamein during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, 23 October – 4 November 1942. Under the command of Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery Under command of Lieutenant-General Herbert Lumsden under Major-General Raymond Briggs under Brigadier Arthur Fisher 92 Sherman, 68 Crusader, one Grant = 161 tanks under Brigadier Thomas J. Bosville "(Attached to Hammerforce for mine clearance)"<br> Under Commanding Officer, 2nd Bn Rifle Brigade under
Second Battle of El Alamein Brigade was held off by anti-tank units helped later by tanks of the arriving "Ariete" Division. On 2 November, Rommel let Hitler know that: "The army's strength was so exhausted after its ten days of battle that it was not now capable of offering any effective opposition to the enemy's next break-through attempt ... With our great shortage of vehicles an orderly withdrawal of the non-motorised forces appeared impossible ... In these circumstances we had to reckon, at the least, with the gradual destruction of the army." At 13.30 on 3 November Rommel received a reply: "To Field Marshal Rommel.