Hello, and thank you for listening to the history of World War II podcast, Episode 76,

the Army of the Nile.

The team of Commander-in-Chief Middle East Archibald Wevel, who shielded his subordinates

from Churchill's impatience, General Jembo Wilson, whose organizational ability lent reality

and a sense of professionalism to Operation Compass, and, of course, General Richard O'Connor,

with his tactical leadership, was able to push the Italians out of Egypt in only a matter

of days.

It's a pity for the British that this team would not last much longer.

So all three of these men had studied the tactics of General Robert E. Lee and Stonewall

Jackson during the U.S. Civil War, and you, that although their force was smaller, that

did not mean that they could not be the aggressor as well as the overall victor in this battle.

And much like the Confederate forces, Wevel later noted that Britain's strength was fighting

improvisationally and not in a set piece way as the Germans did.

And for the moment, there was no long-term strategy.

The British in North Africa were simply putting out the closest fire, only to move on to

the next most threatening one.

The problem was, the men in the desert and their superior back in London did not agree on

which fire burned the hottest.

As for Churchill, his praise of those men in North Africa came quickly after the fall of

City Barani, quote, the army of the Nile, a name chosen for public and purposes, has rendered

glorious service to the empire and to our cause.

But honestly, not long after uttering these words, where the British leader returned

...