Hello, and thank you for listening to the history of World War II podcast, episode 168,

Operation Crusader, Part III.

Battle is joined.

The battle, or rather the series of battles that was Operation Crusader, did not unfold

as General Cunningham, commander of 8th British Army, had planned for.

Battles rarely do.

Yet Crusader was an exception, even to this rule.

The reasons why are now at least better understood.

Most of the area between the German frontier wire to the south and southeast of Fort Capuzzo,

all the way back to Tobruk and to its south, was more or less manageable by both sides, tanks

and trucks.

Only a few places required the men to get out and push, and most of those were well known,

which meant that the battlefield on which Crusader played out, some 100 miles or 160 kilometers

east to west and some 60 miles or 96 kilometers north to south, was relatively an open area.

In other words, it was a sea of sand that could be crossed wherever.

This allowed for opportunities for whomever was attacking at the moment, and a nightmare

for those trying to defend.

The adversary could come out of anywhere, from any direction.

But that was only the beginning of why the British attack plan fell apart so quickly.

In November, the days could still be energy-sappingly hot, and the nights freezing cold.

Many dust storms that arose, seemingly out of nowhere, could block visibility within

seconds.

...