Second Battle of El Alamein Second Battle of El Alamein The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein had prevented the Axis from advancing further into Egypt. In August 1942, General Claude Auchinleck was relieved as Commander-in-Chief Middle East Command. When Lieutenant-General William Gott was killed on his way to replace Auchinleck as commander of the Allied Eighth Army, Lieutenant-General Bernard Law Montgomery was appointed command in his place, and led the Eighth Army in a
First Battle of El Alamein constantly in short supply, while a shortage of transport impeded the distribution of the supplies that the Axis forces did have. Rommel's plan was for the 90th Light Division and the 15th and 21st "Panzer" divisions of the "Afrika Korps" to penetrate the Eighth Army lines between the Alamein box and Deir el Abyad (which he believed was defended). The 90th Light Division was then to veer north to cut the coastal road and trap the defenders of the Alamein box (which Rommel thought was occupied by the remains of the 50th Infantry Division) and the "Afrika Korps" would veer