July 1942

North Africa

The Allies' third offensive begins late in the day. 8th Army calls it the First Battle of the Ruweisat Ridge. The main objective being the western part of Ruweisat Ridge which has been in Axis hands since the beginning of the month. Lt-Gen William Gott's XIII Corps is to take the lead. Capturing this Auchinleck believes would allow the 8th Army to move to the northwest and 'break through the enemy's center and destroy his forces'. In a secondary move, the XXX Corps is ordered to attack south from Tell el Eisa toward the Miteirya Ridge. The effect of this diversionary effort will be lost by the strange decision not to begin it until the main assault had already been defeated.

Again there is no coordination with the air force and there would be no preliminary bombardment. Maj-Gen Leslie J. Morshead had achieved good results by fighting his division as a division. The assault at 'First Ruweisat' is to be made by 3 separate brigades, all advancing from the southeast. The 4th New Zealand Brigade is directed on Point 63 at the western end of the Ruweisat Ridge just south of Deir el Shein, the 5th Indian Brigade from the 5th Indian Div is to attack another prominent feature, Point 64, farther to the east; and the 5th New Zealand Brigade is the head for that part of the Ridge lying between these two features. Maj-Gen Herbert Lumsden's 1st Armored Div is to provide support: the 2nd Armored Brigade has 46 Grants, 59 Crusaders and 4 Stuarts; the 22nd Armored Brigade has 31 Grants, 23 Crusaders and 21 Stuarts, a total of 191 gun-armed tanks. The attack is directed against the unhappy Italians: The Brescia and Pavia Infantry Divs. There also is 20 tanks from the 8th Panzer Regt of the 15th Panzer Div. The advance begins at 2300 and during the night the 5th Indian Brigade is thrown back in disorder, but both New Zealand brigades, despite heavy casualties, secure their objectives, capturing 1,600 Italians and also knock out 3 tanks.