ABSTRACT
The battle of Alam Halfa stands clearly as a tide mark in the midst of war, a rare isolated engagement, clear-cut in itself between two massive encounters, and two kinds of warfare. It unfolded in the manner ably foreseen and prepared for by Auchinleck and his generals, and it underlined the nature of the defeat inflicted upon the enemy in the bitter fighting of July. It was a natural epilogue to the first battle of Alamein, and for the Germans and Italians it held the elements of tragedy. It should not have been fought, and yet it was inevitable that it should be fought. It was a bold and desperate venture inviting total destruction, a brave end to a brave struggle.
