The Battle
The fall of Tobruk, Libya, in June 1942 made the British retreat to El Alamein and enabled the German forces to move into Egypt. This dire situation resulted in a change of British commanders. Gen. Bernard Montgomery took over with orders to defeat Rommel. Single-minded, Montgomery ordered his forces to clear more than 500,000 mines planted by the Germans to stop British armor, with great losses of 14,000 men. Rommel's causalities were higher.