North Africa

The North Africa campaign during World War II included major operations from early 1940 through the spring of 1943 as Allied forces fought Axis armies of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. For the Allies, victory in North Africa was critical for control of the Mediterranean Sea and future offensive operations in Italy. Axis forces hoped to dominate the Mediterranean and seize British-held Egypt, the Suez Canal, and potentially the oil fields of the Middle East. The Allies were victorious in North Africa campaign, and the defeat of Axis forces at the Battle of El Alamein was a turning point during World War II.

The rivalry between General George S. Patton, Jr., and Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery became a significant obstacle in Allied cooperation.

North Africa

Patton and Montgomery: Fighting the Nazi Army (And One Another)

By Michael Hasew

The most contentious of command rivalries during World War II involved General George S. Patton, Jr., of the U.S. Read more

For Ferdinand Porsche's "Elefant" tank destroyer, politics got in the way and ensured its ultimate failure in combat situations.

North Africa

Ferdinand Porsche’s ‘Elefant’ Tank Destroyer Could Have Excelled

By Jonathan F. Keiler

World War II tanks usually had aggressive- or ferocious-sounding names, such as Hellcat, Panther, or Tiger. Yet the tendency was not universal, as with British Cruisers or the American M-3 Honey. Read more

Following his conduct during the battle at Gazala, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel earned his laurels as the 'Desert Fox.'

North Africa

Erwin Rommel’s Victory at Gazala: Becoming the ‘Desert Fox’

By Eric Niderost

On April 15, 1942, Generaloberst (Colonel General) Erwin Rommel summoned his subordinate commanders of the Panzerarmee Afrika to a conference to outline his plans for the coming offensive against the British Eighth Army. Read more

Deceit, ambition, pride, honor, bravery—all played their parts in 1187, with Jerusalem and the Holy Land at stake.

North Africa

Crusader Crucible: The Horns of Hattin

By Robert Suhr

The Saracen host commanded by Saladin—Sultan of Egypt and Damascus—crossed the Jordan River south of Lake Tiberius (the “Sea of Galilee”). Read more

North Africa

Armor vs. Armor in the Desert

by Eric Niderost

The North African campaign has been aptly described as a “tactician’s paradise and quartermaster’s hell.” The contested area was large, stretching some 1,400 miles from Tripoli in the west to Alexandria in the east, a vast expanse of waterless desert wastes. Read more

Reinhard Heydrich, the Butcher of Prague, was assassinated by Czech agents trained in Britain in the spring of 1942.

North Africa

The Assassination Of Reinhard Heydrich, The Butcher Of Prague

by Wil Deac

The morning sun caressed the hills of the Czech capital of Prague, coaxing a slight haze from the ancient city. Read more

Eccentric Orde Wingate was a brilliant English tactician who molded elite guerrilla fighters known as the 'Chindits' during the Pacific War.

North Africa

Orde Wingate And His Chindits Pioneered Guerrilla Warfare

By Michael D. Hull

Short, wiry, and with baleful blue eyes and an Old Testament beard, Maj. Gen. Orde Charles Wingate was unorthodox in thought and action. Read more

"Operation Biting," the daring Bruneval Raid to capture German radar, marked a major turning point in the WWII technology battle.

North Africa

Operation Biting: the Bruneval Raid to Capture German Radar

By Robert Barr Smith

Through the long, lovely days of the summer of 1940, almost two years before Operation Biting or the “Bruneval Raid,” Royal Air Force Spitfire and Hurricane fighter planes turned back the might of the Luftwaffe over southern and southeastern Britain. Read more

Air Force Pilot Phil Cochran was the personification of comic strip character Flip Corkin.

North Africa

Air Force Profiles: Pilot Phil Cochran

by Gerald Astor

Superficially, Phil Cochran personified the WWII fighter pilot, a combat daredevil, nonchalant about the niceties of rank and zealous in pursuit of what he called “chicks.” Read more

North Africa

Operation Torch: The Allied Invasion of North Africa

By Roy Morris Jr.

The Allied decision to invade North Africa, codenamed Operation Torch, was reached in the summer of 1942 after lengthy—and sometimes bitter—arguments between interested parties. Read more

Despite his daughter’s pleas, Mussolini ordered his own son-in-law, Count Galeazzo Ciano, executed by firing squad after his conviction for treason.

North Africa

Benito Mussolini & Count Galeazzo Ciano

by Michael Haskew

Allied victory in North Africa and the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, meant only one thing for the Fascist government of Benito Mussolini. Read more

A litany of defeats followed the Italian military victories in Ethiopia and Albania, precipitating the rapid fall from power of Benito Mussolini.

North Africa

The Military Misadventures of Benito Mussolini

By Michael Haskew

After assuming dictatorial powers in Italy, Benito Mussolini remained a popular figure with the Italian people – for a time. Read more

North Africa

WW2 Leaders: Field Marshal Archibald Wavell

by Christopher Miskimon

In late 1940, fortune seemed entirely against the United Kingdom. France had fallen, Italian troops threatened imperial holdings, and Britain’s few allies were still gravely threatened. Read more

The first civilian and woman to earn the Distinguished Service Cross, Virginia Hall proved to be one of the most important women in World War 2.

North Africa

Important Women in World War 2: Virginia Hall

By Michael D. Hull

Slender, five feet, seven inches tall, and with a warm smile that belied toughness and leadership ability, Virginia “Dindy” Hall of Baltimore had a wooden leg and a price on her head. Read more