Bring It On Like El Alamein Eps. 9

To alleviate the pressure on Ruweisat ridge, Auchinleck made a strategic move: he instructed the Australian 9th Division to launch another assault from the north. In the wee hours of July 17th, the Australian 24th Brigade, backed by the 44th Royal Tank Regiment and robust air cover, stormed Miteirya ridge, humorously dubbed "Ruin ridge" by the Aussies. The initial night attack was a success, netting 736 prisoners, mostly from the Italian Trento and Trieste motorised divisions. However, the Axis swiftly bounced back with vigorous counter-attacks, forcing the Australians to retreat to their starting line with 300 casualties. While the Australian Official History attributes the counter-attack to "German" forces, records suggest it was the Trento Division that spearheaded the onslaught.

With the Eighth Army enjoying a significant material advantage over the Axis, Auchinleck's plan was ambitious: the Indian Infantry 161st Brigade would aim to seize Deir el Shein along Ruweisat ridge, while the New Zealand 6th Brigade would attack from the south toward the El Mreir depression. At dawn, two British armoured brigades—the 2nd Armoured Brigade and the fresh 23rd Armoured Brigade—were to charge through the gap created by the infantry. It was a complex and daring strategy.

The night assault by the infantry kicked off on July 21st. Despite the New Zealanders securing their objectives in the El Mreir depression, logistical hiccups and a shortage of support arms left them vulnerable. As dawn broke on July 22nd, the British armoured brigades faltered yet again. Nehring's 5th and 8th Panzer Regiments swiftly retaliated with a fierce counter-attack, decimating the exposed New Zealand infantry and inflicting over 900 casualties.

Meanwhile, the Indian 161st Brigade faced mixed fortunes. While the left flank initially failed to clear the western end of Ruweisat, a renewed effort succeeded. However, on the right, the attacking battalion managed to breach the Deir el Shein position but was ultimately repelled in close combat.

Adding to the calamity at El Mreir, at 08:00, the 23rd Armoured Brigade charged forward, as per orders. Despite concerns about minefields raised by Major-General Gatehouse, XIII Corps commander Lieutenant-General William Gott pressed ahead, albeit on a different path than planned. The brigade soon found itself ensnared in minefields and under heavy fire. A subsequent counter-attack by the 21st Panzer at 11:00 forced them to retreat, resulting in the near-total annihilation of the 23rd Armoured Brigade.

As dusk fell, Gott ordered the 5th Indian Infantry Division to mount a night attack to seize the western half of Ruweisat ridge and Deir el Shein. The 3/14th Punjab Regiment launched the assault at 02:00 on July 23rd but lost direction. Despite a daylight push that breached the position, relentless fire from three sides led to a loss of control as the commanding officer fell, and four senior officers were either wounded or went missing.