• Start of war
  • 1939-1940: Sections 1-15
    
• Tobruk and Benghazi
  • January-April 1941: Sections 17-50
• Landing ground creation in Egyptian Delta
  • April 1941: Sections 51-59
• Landing ground reconnaissance in Nile Valley
  • April-May 1941: Sections 60-70
• Airfields in the Egyptian Delta
  • May 1941-February 1942: Sections 71-88
• Airfield reconnaissance in case of withdrawal
  • March 1942: Sections 89-101
• Airfield reconnaissance: Nile Valley/Red Sea
  • June-July 1942: Sections 102-114

Editorial Note

• Content and presentation of document
• Concerns and motivation of the author
• Author's background and roles
• Operational context

Timeline of Western Desert operations (1940-1943)

Place names and landing grounds [Map]

Air Force Squadrons

Names of people in Allied Forces

Other people named

Aircraft types

1. Attenzione, attenzione – il Duce parlera dal Palazzo Venezia alle sette questa sera (10 June 1940)
2. RAF Officers Mess (El Daba, June 1940)
3. RAF Preparations for war (1939-1940)
4. Conditions in the Western Desert
5. First attack on Italians: capture of Fort Capuzzo (14th June 1940)
6. Moving base from Daba to Qotaifiya
7. Using protected landing grounds

8. Navigation in the Western Desert
9. Bombing at night: Ma'aten Bagush
10. Communications and defence: Daba
11. Armoured defences: Mersa Matruh
12. Attack on Sidi Barrani (December 1940)
13. Additional landing grounds: Sidi Barrani, Sofafi, LG78
14. Recapture of Sallum (16 December 1940)
15. Recapture of Sidi Barrani (December 1940)

17. Allied capture of Bardia (3-5 January 1941)
18. Sidi Barrani as a transport hub
19. HQ of 202 Group in Sallum (January 1941)
20. Looting
21. Allied attack on Tobruk (9-26 January 1941)
22. Tobruk: R.A.F. HQ in an ammunition dump (21 January 1941)
23. Tobruk: Booby trap at HQ?
24. Tobruk: Italian prisoner breakout
25. From Tobruk to Derna
26. From Derna to Barce
27. From Barce via El-Abiar and Benina to Benghazi
28. From Benina to Benghazi
29. Benghazi: RAF use of Berenice Hotel
30. Benghazi: Attacks on Allied shipping
31. Benghazi: Exposure to bombing
32. Benghazi: Operational HQ
33. From Benghazi to Barce
34. Barce: Operational HQ
35. Tripoli: Reconnaissance and movement (February-April 1941)

35. German attacks on Barce
36. Coordination between Services: Let's have some air
37. Sabotage and reconnaissance: Barce and Benina
38. Coordination between Services
39. Transportation arrangements: withdrawal from Benina to El Abiar
40. Withdrawal from Barce to Maraua and El Adem
41. Withdrawal from Barce: Italian prisoners
42. From Barce to Maraua
43. Allied air cover and sorties attacks: El Abiar and Maraua
44. From Maraua to Derna
45. From Derna to El Gazala
46. From Gazala to Gambut
47. Gambut and Tobruk: Air Marshal Tedder
48. Tobruk: Operational HQ
49. German encirclement of Tobruk (April 1941)
50. Ma'aten Bagush and Fuka

51. Fuka to Cairo: Air Marshal Tedder
52. Reconnaissance for Air Marshal Tedder
53. Air Marshal Tedder: What do you know?
54. Landing facility recommendations to Air Marshal Tedder
55. Landing facility implementation for Air Marshal Tedder (April 1941)

56. Landing facility construction for Air Marshal Tedder (April 1941)
57. Nile Delta vulnerability: "Barrel route"
58. Landing facility: construction completion
59. Transfer to Heliopolis

60. Reconnaissance: Qena, Qosier, Suez
61. Coptic hospitality: Nag Hammadi
62. Reconnaissance: Nag Hammadi to Qena
63. Reconnaissance: Qena to Qosier
64. Reconnaissance: Qosier
65. Reconnaissance: Safaga

66. Reconnaissance: Safaga, Qosier, Hurghada
67. Reconnaissance: Hurghada
68. Reconnaissance: Hurghada to Rasgharib
69. Reconnaissance: Zafarana
70. Reconnaissance: Abduraq, Suez to Heliopolis

71. Landing ground: Edcu
72. Landing ground: Cairo
73. Ismailia: German attacks on Suez Canal area
74. German raids on Ismailia and Abu-Sueir (May 1941)
75. Landing grounds for air reserves
76. Unsuitability of Port Said
77. Potential of Ballah
78. Landing grounds in rainy season
79. Siting landing grounds in Egypt
80. Reconaissance: Cairo-Alexandria
81. Landing grounds: Kilo 26 and Kilo 28 (November 1941)

82. Landing grounds for 4-engine aircraft (December 1941)
83. Disagreement over landing grounds with Air Marshal Tedder
84. Resolution of disagreement with Air Marshal Tedder
85. Incident: Accidents on the road
86. Hurghada as a landing ground
87. Administrative obstacles to landing ground construction
88. Landing grounds for emergency services

89. Landing grounds in Sinai (March 1942)
90. Reconnaissance: Bir El Abd and Mosefig
91. Siting R.D.F. Stations
92. Reconnaissance: Bir El Abd to El Arish and Cairo
93. Early use of Hurghada
94. Reconnaissance: South of Qosier to Hamata
95. Reconnaissance: Ras Benas and the Red Sea Hills
96. Reconnaissance: Berenice and Shalatein

97. Incident: Bedouin encounter
98. Reconnaissance: Hassa Lagoon
99. Reconnaissance: Shalatein to Hamata
100. Reconnaissance: Qosier, Zafarana, Abudaraq, Suez to Cairo
101. Protecting Suez shipping: Abuzenina and Ayun Musa

102. Reconnaissance up the Nile Valley: in the event of withdrawal (June-July 1942)
103. Reconnaissance up the Nile Valley: Samalut
104. Reconnaissance up the Nile Valley: Bah Nassa
105. Reconnaissance up the Nile Valley: Minyah and Bar Youssef
106. Reconnaissance up the Nile Valley: Bah Nassa and Asyut
107. Reconnaissance up the Nile Valley: Nag Hammadi
108. Reconnaissance up the Nile Valley: Qena

109. Reconnaissance up the Nile Valley: Qena, Luxor and Edfu
110. Reconnaissance up the Nile Valley: Komombo and Aswan
111. Reconnaissance up the Nile Valley: Aswan through Burrumurrum Valley
112. Reconnaissance up the Nile Valley: Bir Abrag to Hoteit
113. Reconnaissance up the Nile Valley: Shelal to Cairo
114. Allied advance and German withdrawal: strained relations between Services (October 1942)

Author's Foreword

I would like to explain the reason for writing this document and a little of my background. This will enable the reader to form his or her own opinion as to whether the document contains fiction or the truth.

Firstly, my object in writing this document is to make a record of the true happenings in the Middle East, and secondly, in the hope that perhaps on similar occasions, should they occur, consideration will again be given to any opinions or suggestions expressed as a result of experience by a comparatively junior officer.

Initially I arrived in the Middle East Command (first named RAF Middle East) in March 1933 and was stationed at Ismailia, a town near Lake Timsah on the Suez Canal.

In 1936 I returned to England, and in common with many Australians, I found the English climate extremely trying. Therefore I applied to be returned to the Middle East Command. In this I was fortunate as an officer who had been posted for instructional duties at a training school near Ismailia did not wish to go, and I was able to proceed as his replacement. In 1936 therefore I found myself again in Egypt at Abu Sueir, a training station only 12 miles from Ismailia. I remained at this station on instructional duties until the beginning of 1939 and was then posted to Ismailia, to command a squadron.

It was whilst at Ismailia in August 1939 that we received orders to move to our war station in the Western Desert, together with other squadrons who comprised the very minute air force component stationed in the Middle East at that time. The location of my squadron was at El Daba.

The reader should appreciate that I had therefore been in Egypt for practically the whole of my service in the Royal Air Force. During this time, being very interested in the country and the people I had to speak the language (and been successful in passing an examination).

At this stage I would like to apologise for the use of the first person. In Air Force jargon it is known as "shooting a line". Therefore, it is desirable to avoid obtaining a reputation of this type. However, after reading books which have been published in respect of the Western Desert and the number of statements which were obviously untrue, I decided that it would be a good thing to provide the reading public with the actual happenings as they are known to me from first hand experience.

For some time I was unable to proceed with this document due to the first person complex when I found that no other method would suffice. It was at this stage that Phillip Guedalla paid a visit to a station where I was in command during the period he was obtaining material in order to write his last book Middle East, 1940 to 1942: a study in air power (1944). When he realised how intimately I had been concerned with the Western Desert Campaign he suggested that I should write a book. I explained to him that I desired to do so, but (i) I had not the ability to write, and (ii) in my attempts I had run up against the barrier of the first person.

He told me that my attitude was entirely wrong and that it was necessary for me to use the first person rather than try to conceal events in some other form.

You now have the reasons for this document being written, why it is written so badly, and why I possessed more knowledge of Egypt than the average officer in the Royal Air Force.

Editorial Notes

Content and presentation of document

The period June 1940 to July 1942 was a tumultuous one in World War II, as notably manifest in the Western Desert Campaign -- with the Battle of Tobruk and the Battle of El Alamein. The focus of this account is on the author's own direct involvement with regard to his expertise in landing ground reconnaissance and construction in relation to current and potential air support requirements. It therefore deals with both the actual reconnaissance and construction and the administrative decision-making by which this was authorized or obstructed. In a period handicapped by rivalry between Air Force and Army and their strained relations, which has led to historical accounts of the role of both parties that are not free from bias. The account provides a direct report of the implications for decision-making regarding landing grounds and the consequences for the facililities held to be available.

Although the author had command and operational responsibilities through this period, these are only incidentally mentioned, if at all. Other accounts are available of 211 Squadron he commanded from 27 February 1939 to 23 July 1940. The account does not cover his experience from 1933 to 1939, primarily in the Western Desert, nor does it cover his experience in that area from July 1942, or elsewhere until the end of World War II. Nor does it describe his direct involvement in attacks on Italian and German forces, or the horrific experiences of the main battles of the Western Desert Campign (which he never mentioned thereafter).

Due to his expertise, knowledge of the Western Desert, and the novel requirements for a network of landing grounds, the author had unusual relationships with the Air Force hierarchy of command, bypassing normal channels, notably with respect to Air Marshal Tedder -- itself a cause of stress (as described in what follows) in a command structure under wartime stress and constant reorganization.

The account has the advantages and disadvantages of being a "blow-by-blow" description of issues of wider relevance with an admixture of anecdote and personal experience. As written in narrative form, it has the disadvantage of not including precise dates, although many of these are a matter of historical record. Some have been included in the subheadings.

The original manuscript, dating from the 1940s, was typsescript (with manuscript amendments) and in relatively poor condition. Several different efforts were made to scan it in 2008, but the character recognition was of insufficient quality -- if not illegible. The manuscript was therefore retyped by the author's daughter-in-law, Hannelore Wolzenburg. The text was then edited by the author's son, Anthony Judge (born in Port Said, prior to the events related here)..

To facilitate reader exploration of the narrative, taking advantage of web facilities, considerable use has been made of hypertext links from proper names as follows:

• Contents of Commentary: numbered section headings (linking to a separate document)
• Timeline of Western Desert operations (1940-1943)
• Place names and landing grounds (linking to a separate document)
• Names of people in Allied Forces (linking to a separate document)
• Other people named (linking to a separate document)
• Air Force Squadrons (linking to a separate document)
• Aircraft types (linking to a separate document)

There this procedure is explained in more detail, notably with respect to spelling of place names. Such linking in the text, although repetitive, offers the additional advantage of highlighting words to facilitate rapid selective reading with respect to topics of interest.

The tentative original division in chapters has been abandoned, although the order has not been modified. Instead headings for smaller sections have been inserted -- to which access is provided from the contents*** page. Paragraphs have also been reduced in length.

As written, a mix of miles and kilometres is used, as was presumably the practice. This has not been normalized.

Author's background and roles

The author, John Westley (otherwise Wesley) Boyd Judge, was as Australian born on 27 August 1910 in Sydney. He married Mary Margaret Nesbitt, also an Australian, in Melbourne in 1939. Their son Anthony was born in Port Said (Egypt) in 1940 and their daughter Penelope in Reading (UK) in 1952.

• Australia: Enlisted in the RAAF in May 1928 as an Aircraftman; as an LAC, by November 1930 he had passed a number of trade tests for Sergeant. He was appointed an Air Cadet from July 1931, posted to RAAF Point Cook and No 1 FTS (Flying Training School). On graduating as a pilot he was offered a four year Short Service Commission (SSC) in the RAF on 16 August 1932, embarking for the UK in July 1932 under that exchange scheme.
• Middle East (1933-1939): He was posted to the Middle East (Ismailia) in February 1933 as a Pilot Officer, promoted in March that year to Flying Officer with No 6 (Bomber) Squadron, then based at Ismailia (with Fairey Gordons), where he remained until December 1935. From 1936 to 1939, he was at Abu Sueir and was then reposted to command a squadron at Ismailia. He became F/Lt in April 1936 at No. 4 Flying Training School (FTS) in Abu Sueir. On expiry of his SSC, he obtained a permanent RAF commission in August 1936. From 1 December 1938 he was promoted to Squadron Leader (London Gazette, 2 December 1938) with 4 FTS. [information partially supplied by Don R. Clark (211 Squadron RAF; RAAF personnel)]
• Middle East (1939-1942): Because of the fluidity of the situation during the period, the various roles described here are based on those mentioned (in passing) in this report
• Commanded 211 Squadron (as Squadron Leader JWB Judge, 32217), from 27 February 1939 to late 23 July 1940, in which capacity:
  • he presided over the Greyhounds conversion to the Blenheim I, their long Desert sojourn
  • presiding over the conversion from Hind to Blenheim and
  • leading the Squadron to war with the Italians in the Western Desert. and their first weeks of active war ***
  For other resources on 211 Squadron, see archival website maintained by Don Clark:
  • 211 Squadron RAF (www.211squadron.org)
  • RAAF personnel (users.cyberone.com.au/clardo/raaf_personnel.html)
• Posted to 202 Group (July 1940) and later promoted to a Staff job in the Middle East.
• Promoted to Wing Commander in March 1941.
• Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 24 September 1941).
• Liaison officer on the Staff of the 6th Australian Division
• Formed RAF advanced headquarters:
  • No. 202 Group at Sallum.
  • Tobruk when that place fell into Allied hands.
• Senior Air Staff Officer (S.A.S.O.) of Group Captain L.O. Brown, commander of the new RAF Headquarters formed in Cyrenaica -- 1941
• Worked directly, but without formal appointment, for Air Marshal Tedder April 1941
• Responsible for the Royal Air Force organisation in respect of landing grounds down the Nile in event of failure of the El Alamein line
• Appointed Duty Pilot at Asmara
• Operations 1, reporting to Air Commodore Elmhurst (as well as acting as Senior Air Staff Officer)
• Responsibility for fighter defence of Cairo.
• 1943-1949: The No 4 Flying Training School (FTS), mentioned above, had been formed at Abu Sueir, in the Egyptian Canal Zone, on 1 April 1921. It was at the time the only RAF training unit located overseas and provided pilots for squadrons in the Middle East:
  • 1943-1946: The author was transferred to its base in Rhodesia at the Rhodesian Air Training Group (Kumalo) in 1943-1946 with rank of temporary Group Captain 1944 (ws W/Cdr)
  • 1946: Posted to the UK for officer training
  • 1947-1949: In 1946 it was agreed with the Southern Rhodesian government that air training should be continued there. The Rhodesian Air Training Group was disbanded from 1 December 1946, and a new organisation known as the Air Training Wing, Southern Rhodesia formed to replace it. A Wing-Headquarters was established at Kumalo to control 2 schools; one at Thornhill near Gwelo and the other at Heany near Bulawayo. On 3 February 1947, under the command of Group Capt J. W. B. Judge, No 4 FTS duly reformed at Heany, its first course involving 22 pilots and 16 navigators. Tiger Moths were provided for initial and basic training, Harvard T2As for advanced training and Ansons for navigational training. No 394 Maintenance Unit was established at Heany to back the organisation. Although relinquishing the Group Captain braid in 1947 for substantive W/Cdr rank; by 1949 he was substantive Group Captain once more.
• 1949-1952: RAF Netheravon (UK) Retired in November 1952 in Rhodesia with a total of 24 years service in two Air Forces. He died there on 26 September 1979.

Concerns and motivation of the author

As the author indicates in his foreword he had been motivated to write this document by descriptions of aspects of operations in the Western Desert by others which he considered inaccurate in some respects, having been directly involved in some of them.

• inter-service communication issues
• post-operation evaluations

It is consistent with the nature of this account that totally absent from it is any mention of:

• the significance for him of the action in which he first lead 211 Squadron against the Italians
• his significant accomplishments in pre-wartime sport in the Middle East, especially as a long distance runner -- which earned him the nickname "Galloping Hairpin"

Only brief mention is made of his official report The Organisation of Squadrons and Maintenance Units in the Western Desert.

Operational Context

The Middle East Command was a British Army Command established prior to World War II in Egypt. It was commanded by Generalr Archibald Wavell (28 July 1939 – 4 July 1941) and then by GeneraL Claude Auchinleck (5 July 1941 – 14 August 1942). The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War was the initial stage of the North African Campaign

The Desert Air Force (DAF), also known as Air HQ Western Desert, the Western Desert Air Force and the First Tactical Air Force (1TAF), was an Allied tactical air force formed during World War II. It was formed in North Africa in 1941, to provide close air support to the Eighth Army. The DAF was made up of squadrons from the British Royal Air Force (RAF), the South African Air Force (SAAF), and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Many individual personnel from other Allied air forces also took part.

RAF No 202 (Operations) Group formed (21 Sep 1939) by renaming Egypt Group; absorbed in No 204 Group (12 Apr 1941); reformed (26 May 1941); renamed AHQ Egypt (1 Dec 1941); reformed (11 Jul 1944) to administer RAF units involved on Operation Anvil/Dragoon; disbanded (7 Nov 1944). Commanded by Air Vice Marshal Raymond Collishaw (from 21 Sep 1939) and by Air Commodore Thomas Walker Elmhirst (from 14 April 1941)

Timeline of Western Desert operations (1940-1943)

(linked to sections of narrative where applicable)

--- 1940 ---

• June
  • June 10: The Kingdom of Italy declares war upon France and the United Kingdom
  • June 14: British forces cross from Egypt into Libya and capture Fort Capuzzo
  • June 15-17: First Battle of Fort Capuzzo
  • June 17: Battle of Girba
  • June 16: The first tank battle of the North African Campaign takes place, the "Battle of Girba"
• September: Air reconnaissance show a build-up of Italian forces in Libya preparing to attack Egypt. Blenheims of No. 202 Group attack enemy airfields and enemy shipping in Tobruk harbour. The Italian Eastward advance halted about 15 miles past Sidi Barrani, having over-run the village and the DLG's to the East.
  • September 13 : Italian forces invade Egypt from Libya
  • September 16: Italian forces establish front east of Sidi Barrani
  • Sept: Second Battle of Fort Capuzzo
• October 9: The Western Desert Air Force is formed under the command of Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Coningham to conduct air operations in North Africa. Strength of the force amounts to three squadrons of Wellington bombers, five squadrons of Blenheims, three of Hurricanes and one Gladiator squadron. In addition, three squadrons of Lysanders are assigned to Army co-operation duties.
• November 15-30: Blenheims and Wellington of the Western Desert Air Force attack targets deep inside enemy territory, and Lysanders and Blenheims provide complete reconnaissance of Italian defences at Sidi Barrani
• December
  • December 8: Battle of the Camps (also known as Battle of the Marmaric)
  • December 9: British Imperial Forces launch Operation Compass
  • December 10: Third Battle of Fort Capuzzo
  • December 16: Sallum captured by Allies

--- 1941 ---

• January:
  • January 3-5: First Battle of Bardia
  • January 5: Bardia captured by British and Australian force
  • January 9-26: First Battle of Tobruk
  • January 21: The Desert Air Force takes part in the Allied attack on Tobruk. Overwhelmed by the onslaught, the Italian Tenth Army is completely destroyed and the port falls within 48 hours.
  • January 22: Tobruk captured by British and Australian force
  • January 24-26: Battle of Derna
• February:
  • February 5: Fall of Benghazi
  • February 5-7: Battle of Beda Fomm
  • February 5: Beda Fomm captured by British
  • February 7: Italian Tenth Army surrenders
  • February 9: Churchill orders halt to British and Australian advance at El Agheila to allow withdrawal of troops to Greece
  • February 14: First units of the Afrika Korps under Erwin Rommel start to arrive in Libya during Operation Sonnenblume
• March:
  • March 21-23: Battle of the Oasis
  • March 24: First Battle of El Agheila; Allied forces at El Agheila defeated
  • March 31: The German Afrika Korps start an offensive to recapture Tobruk. Because of the need for aircraft on other campaigns (particularly in Greece), only three squadrons of Hurricanes and one of Blenheims remained in defence of the port. Within two weeks, the port was surrounded and Axis forces had crossed the Egyptian border.
• April:
  • April 3: Benghazi captured by Axis
  • April 6-8: Battle of Mechili
  • April 10: Siege of Tobruk (April 10 - November 27)
  • April 12: Second Battle of Bardia
  • April 12: First Battle of Sallum
  • April 12: Fourth Battle of Fort Capuzzo
  • April 15: British pushed back to Sallum on Egyptian border with Libya
  • April 30: First Battle of Halfaya Pass
• May:
  • May 15: British troops, supported by Australian forces, launch Operation Brevity to gain more territory from which to launch Operation Battleaxe later in the year
    • May 15-16: Fifth Battle of Fort Capuzzo
    • May 16: Operation Brevity is called off. Allied forces fall back onto the Halfaya Pass, captured the previous day.
  • May 26: German forces launch Operation Skorpion and move up to Halfaya Pass
    • May 27: German forces recapture Halfaya Pass
    • May 27: Third Battle of Halfaya Pass
• June:
  • June 14: British and Empire desert forces in North Africa launch Operation Battleaxe, an attempt to relieve Tobruk. Despite every available Allied aircraft (105 bombers and 98 fighters) being used in support of ground operations, and the arrival of reinforcements from Egypt, the operation was a failure, and highlighted the need for effective air-ground communication.
  • June 15: British and Commonwelth troops launch unsuccessful Operation Battleaxe
    • June 15-17: Fourth Battle of Halfaya Pass
    • June 15: Battle for Point 206
    • June 15-16: Battle for Hafid Ridge
    • June 15-16: Sixth Battle of Fort Capuzzo
    • June 16: Battle of Sidi Omar
    • June 17: Battle of Sidi Suleiman
• July 5: Auchinleck replaces Wavell as C-in-C Middle East Command
• August 15: German Panzer Group Afrika activated with Rommel in Command
• October 1: 5th Light Division redesignated 21st Panzer Division
• November:
  • November 18: Launch by Auchinleck's of Operation Crusader
  • November 19 - December 4: Battle of Bir el Gubi
  • November 19 - December 1: Battle of Sidi Rezegh (Known by the Germans as "de Salis Ridge"[4])
  • November 21 - December 7: Second Battle of Tobruk
  • November 21: Battle of Bir el Haiad
  • November 22: Battle of Bir Ghirba
  • November 22: Second Battle of Sidi Omar
  • November 26: Ritchie replaces Cunningham as commander Eighth Army
  • November 27: Battle of Bir el Chleta
  • November 29 - December 4: Battle of Ed Dedu
  • November 29 - December 1: Battle of Belhamed
• December
  • December 1: Battle of Zafarana
  • December 2: Battle of Belhamed Road
  • December 7: Tobruk siege relieved by 8th Army
  • December 11-27: First Battle of Cyrenaica Line
    • December 13: Battle of Alem Hamza
    • December 13-14: Battle of Point 204
  • December 23: Battle of Antelat
  • December 23: Second Battle of Beda Fomm
  • December 25: Agedabia reached by the Allies
  • December 31: Front lines return to El Agheila

--- 1942 ---

• January:
  • January 2: Battle of Bardia
  • January 12: Third Battle of Sallum
  • January 21 : Second offensive of Rommel begins
  • January 23 : Second Battle of El Agheila; Agedabia captured by Axis forces
  • January 23: Second Battle of Cyrenaica Line
  • January 28-29: Second Battle of Benghazi; Benghazi captured by Axis forces
• February 4 : Front line established between El Gazala and Bir Hakeim
• May:
  • May 26 : Axis forces assault the Gazala line, the Battle of Gazala and Battle of Bir Hakeim begins
  • May 27: Battle of Retma Box and The Cauldron''
    • May 27 - June 12: Battle of El Adem
    • May 28- June 10:Battle of Bir Hakeim
    • May 29 - June 4: Battle of Bir-el Harmat
    • May 31: Battle of 150th Brigade Box
• June:
  • June 11 : Axis forces begin offensive from "the Cauldron" position
  • June 13 : Battle of Knightsbridge; "Black Sunday". Axis inflicts heavy defeat on British armoured divisions;
  • June 15: Battle of Point 650
  • June 20-21: Second Battle of Tobruk; Axis forces recapture Tobruk after launching a massive land and air assault.
  • June 26-28: Battle of Mersa Matruh
  • June 28: Battle of Fuka
  • June 30: Axis reaches El Alamein and attack, the First Battle of El Alamein begins
• July:
  • July 4: First Battle of El Alamein continues; Axis digs in and Eighth Army launch series of attacks; in the initial seven days of fighting, aircraft of the Desert Air Force fly 5458 sorties, delaying Rommel's advance and enabling the British Eighth Army to take up its positions at El Alamein.
    • July 1-2: First Battle of the Coast Road
    • July 1: Battle of Deir el Shein
    • July 2: First Battle of Ruweisat Ridge
    • July 3-5: Battle of the Qattara box (Also known as Battle of the Kaponga box)
    • July 10: First Battle of Tel el Eisa
    • July 14: Second Battle of Ruweisat Ridge
    • July 14: Second Battle of Tel el Eisa
    • July 22: Third Battle of Ruweisat Ridge
    • July 27: Third Battle of Tel el Eisa
    • July 27: Battle of Miteiriya Ridge
  • July 31: Auchinleck calls off offensive activities to allow Eighth Army to regroup and resupply
• August:
  • August 13 : Alexander and Montgomery take command respectively of Middle East Command and Eighth Army
  • August 30 - September 2: Rommel launches unsuccessful Battle of Alam el Halfa
• September 2: Battle of Himeimat
• October 23-November 4: Montgomery launches Operation Lightfoot starting the Second Battle of El Alamein iIn Northwest Africa. Fighter aircraft of the Desert Air Force maintain constant air patrols over enemy airfields after a four-day bombing campaign wipes out most of the opposing forces. With overwhelming air power, the Allies advanced steadily westward through North Africa.
  • October 23-28: Operation Lightfoot
    • October 23-25: Battle of the Oxalic Line
    • October 23: Fourth Battle of Ruweisat Ridge
    • October 24-26: Battle of Kidney Ridge
    • October 25: Fourth Battle of Tell el Eisa
    • October 25-26: Battle of Point 29
  • October 26-28: The German Counter Attack
    • October 27: Battle of Position Snipe
    • October 28 - November 1: Battle of Thompson's Post
• November: During Allied landings on 8 November (Operation Torch), additional fighters arrived in support and help maintain air superiority.
  • November 1-2: Operation Supercharge
    • November 2: Battle of Tell el Aqqaqir
    • November 2-4: Battle of Sidi Abdel Rahman
    • November 2: Battle of Himeimat
• November 5 : Axis lines at El Alamein broken
• November 8: Operation Torch is launched under the command of General Eisenhower, Allied forces land in Morocco and Algeria
  • November 8-10: Operation Blackstone
  • November 8-10: Operation Brushwood
  • November 8-10: Operation Goalpost
  • November 8: Battle of Arzew
  • November 8: Operation Reservist
  • November 8: Battle of Tafarquay Airfield
  • November 8: Battle of Youk-Les-Bains Airfield
  • November 8: Battle of Algiers
    • November 8: Operation Terminal
  • November 17: First Army (Operation Torch's Eastern Task Force) and Axis meet at Djebel Abiod in Tunisia
  • November 17 - Nov. 26: Battle of Djebel Abiod
  • November 27: First Army advance halted between Terbourba and Djedeida, 12 miles from Tunis, by Axis counterattack
• Eighth Army Offensive
  • November 7: Battle of Mersa Matruh
  • November 9: Battle of Sidi Barrani; Sidi Barani captured by Eighth Army
  • November 9: Third Battle of Halfaya Pass
  • November 13: Battle of Agedabia
  • November 13: Third Battle of Tobruk; captured by Eighth Army
  • November 20: Second Battle of Benghazi; Benghazi captured by Eighth Army
• Tunisia Campaign
  • November 24: First Battle of Medjez
  • November 24: First Battle of Djedeida Airfield]
  • November 26: Battle of Djebel Abiod
  • November 27: Second Battle of Medjez
  • November 28: Second Battle of Djedeida Airfield
  • December 1: First Battle of Tebourba
  • December 16-17: Battle of Maknassy
  • December 22-23: Battle of Longstop Hill
  • December 22-25: Second Battle of Tebourba
• December:
  • December 10: First Army front line pushed back to defensive positions east of Medjez el Bab
  • December 12: Second Battle of the Coast Road
  • December14-16: Second Battle of El Agheila
  • December 15: Battle of the Zadi Zem Zem[8]
  • December 22: First Army starts three day offensive towards Tebourba which fails
  • December 25: Battle of Sirte; Sirte captured by Eighth Army

Place names and landing grounds
Links on numbers refer to sections in separate Report
Links in square brackets refer to coordinates on separate Map
Links on names refer to information in web documents (usually Wikipedia)

Names of people in Allied Forces

Other people named

Air Force Groups and Squadrons

Aircraft types