El Alamein Battlefield

El Alamein Battlefield in Egypt was the site a major victory by the Allied forces during World War Two, known as the Second Battle of El-Alamein. Over 3 years, Allied and Axis forces engaged in an ongoing conflict in the North African region, with Germany’s commander, Rommel, intent on capturing Alexandria and the Suez Canal.

History of El Alamein Battlefield

The First Battle of El Alamein saw the Allies stall the progress of Italian and German armies. However, it was the Second Battle of El Alamein which changed the fortunes of the Allies, forcing the Axis out of Egypt and safeguarding the vital route of the Suez Canal.

Prior to the battle, the newly appointed leader of the Eighth Army, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery had spent months building up the British forces both with reinforcements and munitions. Finally, the British attacked on the night of 23 October 1942 and, by 5 November the Italian and German armies withdrew.

The victory at El Alamein Battlefield was a vital turning point for the Allies, summarised succinctly by Winston Churchill: “It may almost be said, Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat.”

El Alamein Battlefield today

Today, El Alamein Battlefield is surrounded by numerous memorials, cemeteries and sites to the different Allied and Axis forces who fought there. Several 1942 battlements and bunkers can be seen from the roadside together with several plaques, including one on the Alexandria-Marsa Matruh Route which shows the furthermost position reached by German and Italian forces.

Note that it is best to stay on the roads as there are mines and other dangerous materials thought to be located on the battlefield itself. There is also a museum about the battle nearby.

Getting to El Alamein Battlefield

El Alamein is on Egypt’s north coast, 120km west of Alexandria. It’s best to drive here as you’ll need a car to visit the battlefield itself.