Battle of Mersa Matruh

The Battle of Mersa Matruh was fought from 26 to 29 June 1942, following the defeat of the Eighth Army (General Sir Claude Auchinleck) at the Battle of Gazala and was part of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle was fought with the German–Italian Panzer Army Afrika (Panzerarmee Afrika (Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel). The Eighth Army comprised X Corps and XIII Corps.

Battle of Mersa Matruh
Part of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War

Kampfgruppe Graf of the 21st Panzer Division.
Date26–29 June 1942 (3 days)
Location
Mersa Matruh, 120 mi (193 km) east of Egyptian frontier
31°21′00″N 27°14′00″E
Result German–Italian victory
Belligerents
 United Kingdom
 India
 New Zealand		  Italy
 Germany
Commanders and leaders
Claude Auchinleck
William Gott
William Holmes		 Ettore Bastico
Erwin Rommel
Walter Nehring
Strength
200 tanks German: 60 tanks
Italian: 40 tanks
Casualties and losses
8,000 killed, wounded or captured (c. 6,000 prisoners at Mersa Matruh)
40 tanks
Mersa Matruh
Mersa Matruh, Egypt

The battle was fought during the Panzerarmee pursuit of the Eighth Army as it retreated into Egypt. Rommel intended to defeat in detail (one after the other) the British infantry formations, before they had a chance to regroup.The fortress port of Mersa Matruh and 6,000 prisoners were captured, along with a great deal of supplies and equipment. The Axis cut off the line of retreat of X Corps and XIII Corps but was too weak to stop the British from breaking out.

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