| A British Matilda II tank driver, stunned, exits his vehicle into captivity. His tank might be repaired and become Beutepanzer (literally ”captured tank”) to augment the numbers of the beleaguered Panzer Armee Afrika. This Britischer Kriegsgefangener (“British Prisoner of War”) remains unidentified. At 0800 Hours, the commander of the 23rd Armoured Brigade ordered it forward, intent on following his orders to the letter. Major-General Alexander H. Gatehouse (May 20, 1895 – August 21, 1964) — General Officer Commanding 1st Armoured Division — had been unconvinced that a path had been adequately cleared in the minefields and had suggested the advance be cancelled. However, XIII Corps Commander Lieutenant-General William H. E. “Strafer” Gott (August 13, 1897 – August 7, 1942) rejected this request, and ordered the attack but on a centre line 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) south of the original plan, which he incorrectly believed was mine-free. These orders failed to get through, and the attack went ahead as originally planned. The brigade found itself mired in mine fields and under heavy fire. They were then counter-attacked by the 21st Panzer Division at 1100 Hours and forced to withdraw. The 23rd Armoured Brigade was destroyed, with the loss of 40 tanks destroyed and 47 badly damaged. | |
| Image Filename | wwii2087.jpg |
| Image Size | 656.27 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2562 x 2103 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | Kreigsberichter |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | July 1, 1942 |
| Location | |
| City | El Alamein |
| State or Province | Matrouh |
| Country | Egypt |
| Archive | |
| Record Number | |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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