Rommel pulls back earlier from El Alamein

Here is a nice "what if". What if Rommel decided that after the first battle of El Alemein that he hasn't the strenght to defeat the British and pulls back to the Halfaya Passage, reënforce it with mines, 88'es and Italian infantry and places his panzers at the dessert flank in order to intercept every British flanking attempt?

The way i see it, off course we take operation Torch out of the equasion that is planned 4 months after the 1st battle of El Alamein, Rommel would be in a exellent defensive position and it would give Kesselring the change of doing operation Hercules, the elimination of Malta that would give the Axis safe convoy routes.
So, does Rommel have a change on holding the Halfaya passage or does Monty still chew him up in a mobile fight?

 

Victory at El Alamein was not as clear cut or easy as history makes out for the Allies.

If Rommell had been allowed to pull back and prepare better defences with a shorter supply line he would have bought more time, though not won in the long term.

Unfortunatly North Africa was seen as a minor front to the Axis whilst to the Allies it was seen as an important moral boost should they be victorious. As such the Allies did and would continue to pour huge resouces into the region until victory was guarenteed whilst Rommel just got was he was given which was generally too little and too late.

FNG

 

If Rommel had pulled back earlier, Monty might not have become CG of 8th Army. Alexander may not have been cashiered adn Gott may not have been shot down and killed. Torch probably would have gone on in any case, the decision was made pre El Alamein. In an open battle the Germans may have ahd a better chance, although they would have always been worried about the open flank.
Don't forget the AK had already been pushed out that position once, it seems likely that they would have been able to reproduce that success.

 

Yes, operation Crusader but in those days Rommel had to left part of his army behind to besiege Tobruk. at the end of '42 Tobruk was captured and those divisions could be used to create a good front on the Egypt border in both lenght and depth (If the Italians don't turn arround and run at the sight of the first british armoured car on patrol)
+ his supply lines are shorter while the British have longer supply lines.

Okay, the whole strategy is nothing because operation Torch is going to happen, that's why i said to eliminate operation Torch in this "what if"

 

can I just say the Italians fought well in North Africa in the later battles.

FNG

 

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why waste a great defensive position , it got monty all bothered and wasted plenty of time ,
rather what if rommel could have pulled out one week before , delaying the british advance on fall back positions ,
that would have been a pain ..
anyway hitler with his trench warfare fixation refused rommel request to fall back even after the front was broken

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Yes you can

 

Given no Torch invasion, this probably would have been a better startegy for the Germans, especially if Malta became the target instead of Alexandria. Malta in Axis hands would have required a major change in Allied plans.