WI: The Afrika Korps wins at El Alamein? Go to Suez, Palestine?

[James G]

Should Rommel have won at El Alamein, where does he take his German-Italian army? Across the canal and Sinai to Palestine?
This is late 1942 so there are no friends in Syria nor Iraq. Stalingrad is about to be encircled by the Red Army too, 'distracting' matters somewhat.

[EwellHolmes]

Probably not much; his supply situation was already critical and once Operation TORCH occurs he'll be forced to pull back and set up a new defensive position. Butterflies could, however, prevent the disaster at Stalingrad.

[stevep]

Aug 10, 2020 8:43:14 GMT James G said:

Should Rommel have won at El Alamein, where does he take his German-Italian army? Across the canal and Sinai to Palestine?
This is late 1942 so there are no friends in Syria nor Iraq. Stalingrad is about to be encircled by the Red Army too, 'distracting' matters somewhat.

  James

  There were two battles of El Alamein in 42.  Are you referring to the 1st in July when Rommel tried but failed to break through?  If he had he might have made a desperate grab for Alexandria and possibly even held it if there had been an uprising by Arab groups who believed they would be better off under Nazi rule!!  However keeping such a forward position could probably be awkward if Britain can disrupt supply to the port, although this might depend on how well Britain can maintain its own forces there.  Otherwise as you say fall back to the canal as a defensive position and denying its use to the enemy.  At this point the German advance towards Stalingrad is looking promising so Rommel's almost certainly going to be ordered to advance further quickly.  A lot would depend on how total the British defeat has been and what they can do to support the region but as you say come Torch he's going to have to turn around very quickly, with even further to go.

  If you mean the 2nd in October/November than a German win is pretty much impossible and simply means he's just about hung onto his exposed forward position which is about when 6th A got kettled.  Again its going to change quickly come Torch as he will have to withdraw to Tunisia but might not be chased quite as much by a mauled 8th A.

  Steve

[James G]

Aug 10, 2020 16:50:14 GMT stevep said:

Aug 10, 2020 8:43:14 GMT James G said:

Should Rommel have won at El Alamein, where does he take his German-Italian army? Across the canal and Sinai to Palestine?
This is late 1942 so there are no friends in Syria nor Iraq. Stalingrad is about to be encircled by the Red Army too, 'distracting' matters somewhat.

  James

  There were two battles of El Alamein in 42.  Are you referring to the 1st in July when Rommel tried but failed to break through?  If he had he might have made a desperate grab for Alexandria and possibly even held it if there had been an uprising by Arab groups who believed they would be better off under Nazi rule!!  However keeping such a forward position could probably be awkward if Britain can disrupt supply to the port, although this might depend on how well Britain can maintain its own forces there.  Otherwise as you say fall back to the canal as a defensive position and denying its use to the enemy.  At this point the German advance towards Stalingrad is looking promising so Rommel's almost certainly going to be ordered to advance further quickly.  A lot would depend on how total the British defeat has been and what they can do to support the region but as you say come Torch he's going to have to turn around very quickly, with even further to go.

  If you mean the 2nd in October/November than a German win is pretty much impossible and simply means he's just about hung onto his exposed forward position which is about when 6th A got kettled.  Again its going to change quickly come Torch as he will have to withdraw to Tunisia but might not be chased quite as much by a mauled 8th A.

  Steve

I was thinking the second battle but, as you point out, the first battle might have been the best timing with regards to what I was thinking with a march on Cairo and/or Jerusalem.