Episode 379: Rommel Strikes Back

The History of WWII Podcast

Ray Harris Jr

Education, History, Society & Culture

4.5 • 4.5K Ratings

🗓️ 8 August 2022

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

With the failure of Gen. Auchinleck's Operation Crusader, at the end of 1941, Rommel resupplies and heads out again, before the British can start Operation Acrobat, the drive on Tripoli. As it was a year ago, the Allies are stretched far too thin and the men are under trained and under staffed. Rommel hopes to take Cyrenaica, then Tobruk, all in preparation for a much larger offensive that will finally end the war in North Africa, Egypt and possibly, the Middle East. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, and thank you for listening to the history of World War II podcast, Episode
0:14.8	379, Rommel strikes back.
0:19.4	In order to start Operation Pedestal, the North African theater has to be brought up to
0:23.8	speed, and when we last left the area back on Episode 177, Operation Crusader had just
0:30.9	ended on December 30, 1941.
0:35.2	A few months prior to this in mid-June, the British led forces tried to relieve to brook
0:40.8	with Operation Battle AX, but that had gone badly, and CNC Middle East General Archibald
0:47.6	Wavel was out to be replaced by General Claude Aachenleck, and Crusader was his attack to
0:54.9	relieve to brook.
0:57.0	The Western Desert Force now designated Eighth Army, was put under the command of Lieutenant
1:02.4	General Sir Alan Cunningham, and Aachenleck wanted him to sneak some of his tanks past the
1:08.2	Axis defenders, hit them from the rear, while helping his trapped comrades along the coast.
1:14.4	Crusader commenced on November 18, 1941.
1:19.2	But between scattering his tanks and Rommel's outside the box, thinking, along with the
1:24.4	Germans dwindling supplies, the Axis forces avoided a slaughter, inflicted their own impressive
1:30.7	casualties, and moved back to El Aguila at the bottom left corner of the Sireniakin
1:36.6	Bulge.
1:37.9	Technically, this was an Allied victory, but it could have been so much more.
1:43.6	In times past, Rommel's own aggressive nature set him up for committing too much, thus
1:49.5	allowing the Commonwealth troops to get in behind his forces.
1:53.7	Well, no more.
1:55.3	This time, Rommel, despite his staff's advice, pulled back and saved himself and his command.
	...

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