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

579, the battle of Longstop Hill.

Last time, as the Allies were about to launch Operation Vulcan,

hopefully the last battle of North Africa, von Armin, guessing that something like this was coming,

beat the enemy to the punch by launching his own, Operation Lilac Blossom, on April 20th.

Hitting the center of the large Allied line,

its penetration was impressive and could have led to a major hole in the 5th British Corps' line.

However, as they were gearing up for Vulcan, the 5th Corps had a plethora of guns and ammunition

right at the point where the Germans were advancing.

Hence, they were soon retreating, and it was the failure of Lilac Bossom that dovetailed nicely

into the launching of Operation Vulcan. Kicking things off, General John Crocker's

9th Corps went in on April 22nd.

Their target, the Hermann-Garing Division, just south of left of the German center.

The idea, if this worked, was to have the 46th British Division on Crocker's right go at the Hermann-Gerring Division,

supported by 200 guns, and either create a

hole or get the enemy to over-commit. This, in turn, would then allow the six British Armored

division to pass through and get in the enemy's rear. But the plan did not work, or rather, did not

work well enough.

The 46th Infantry went in, engaged the Germans, and then the six armored went in.

But by dusk, the British tanks were barely beyond the British infantry.

Not the breakthrough hoped for.

So the next day, April 23rd, the first British armor division

...