Suddenly the sky lit up and a tremendous roar tore through the air. More than a thousand guns had just opened fire. The show was grand. From north to south you could see the desert, the incessant flickering of artillery pieces. On the enemy's side, to the west, the sky sometimes lit up with a burst of red; then Brigadier I, commander of the artillery of the 30th Corps, gave a grunt of satisfaction:an enemy ba had just jumped. Then the infai started up. Bofors shots gave the infantry the direction, and the searchlights, located behind, directed us towards the sky with spindles of light which would allow the first line units to find their bearings and know when their objectives had been reached. Because landmark Is in this part of the desert are rare.
Around 11 p.m., I returned to the P.C. I thought we wouldn't be able to learn anything interesting for several hours. I slept for an hour or two while waiting to be awakened to hear the first reports. Closing my eyes, I filled myself with hope and confidence, but it never occurred to me that the offensive we had just unleashed could lead us to the gates of Carthage.
Good Although the Battle of El-Alamein did not have the magnitude of some other great battles of the war, it was still very important for several reasons. First, it marked a reversal of fortune in favor of Great Britain; this victory came as a priceless event after a series of depressing defeats. Secondly, it had the effect of boosting the morale of the British, which needed it, by proving to our armed forces that with the right armaments and a command to match, they could beat the Germans. Finally it inspired the whole nation with great confidence in the final victory.
It was, at least, the greatest battle in the Middle East and the fighting that took place on these vast expanses of sand , were among the fiercest of the war. Montgomery always kept the initiative and remained constantly confident of victory, a confidence shared by all of our fighters. Without wanting to go into details, I will confine myself to recalling the general course of the battle.
The attack by the 30th Corps on the night of October 23 to 24 included the engagement of four divisions on a front of 10 to 11 km, limited to the north by the hill of Tell-el-Eisa and to the south by a line of dunes:Miteiriya Ridge.
Three points should be emphasized in concerns the forces involved:
• The German 94' Light Division and 164' D.I. defended the vital sector covering the coastal road.
• The DAK (Deutscher Afrika Korps) constituted the armored reserve, divided into two masses to the north and to the south.
To the right of the 30th corps, a brigade of the 9th Australian Division led diversion between Tell-el-Eisa and the sea; this, linked to the simulated landing further west, could only worry the adversary. To the left of the 30th Corps, the 4th Indian Division led a covering action from Ruweisat Ridge. Finally, behind the 30' corps, the lead units of the ire and 10' D.B. (10' corps) started at 2 a.m.