Martin Van Crefeld's 'Supplying War' has a whole section on Rommel and the North African supply situation, makes for some very intresting reading, the port facilities could just about cope with supplying a small DAK but the overland communications made any meaningful resupply imposible - there were just not enough trucks.
Rommel was a very intelligent person, but his expectations of the Afrikakorps were much too great (capture Suez? Even with Italian East Africa, Malta, El Alamein and Turkey that would be impossible, most of the British reinforcements were either from India or came through India), and he didn't have the cajones to go directly to Hitler and demand that his front be given reinforcements. Besides, even if by some miraculous turn of events he won at El Alamein, the landings at Oran, Algiers and Casablanca (Op. Torch) would've been a massive distraction. Think of it; an American (!) army coming up on your rear with Stuarts, halftracks with mounted 75s, P-47 Thunderbolts vastly superior to the Messerschmidts and FWs, uncontested. If Tripoli fell even after this victory at El Alamein for Rommel, the North African war would still be a victory for the Allies. The Germans' main supply port would have been taken. How do you get reinforcements then?
use bengazi and Tobruk or even Alexandria, since he broke trough to the Suez canal. knowing Hitler, he would give such an order instead of evacuating the DAK to prevent it's destruction
Benghazi: destroyed, takes months to repair. Tobruk: ditto. Alexandria Harbour, destroyed by the retreating British, Suez as well, Tripoli captured. Americans charging up on your rear, British regrouping for an offensive. The two sides would've most likely sqaushed the Afrikakorps somewhere in the Middle East. At most, an Axis victory at El Alamein would have only delayed the ending of the North African war by a few months, in which Germany would have lost more tanks, more troops and more fuel. The overall outcome: Britain; bruised ego. America; massive propaganda value. Germany; knocked out of the war at least at the same time they were in reality. Not justifying Rommel's modus operandi, but he was correct in retreating after El Alamein. In that effect Germany at least had enough tanks to make things interesting in Europe.
question would be how much of Alexandria could be destroyed. El Alamein was only a couple hours of driving away from Alexandria. a fast breakthrough might lead to an almost intact harbor. still, it wouldn't do much. the fate of the DAK was sealed the minute the americans setted their feets on african soil.
you don't need to destroy much to reduce the effectivness of a port. knocking out the cranes and putting holes in the quays will have a big affect FNG
it doesn't take long for a few aircraft to drop hundreds of mines, either. And it takes a while for minesweepers to clear them.
it's not about destroying them, it's about causing hassle. By mining the quays you restrict how many ships can use it till they are cleared. By knocking down the cranes you force the ships to be unloaded by hand or their own limited cranes, by putting holes in the quays you limit how close the trucks can get to the ships. It can still be used, it's just a real pain in the ass and very slow FNG
