Battle of Gazala

E14846

World War II battle battle

The Battle of Gazala was a major World War II confrontation in 1942 near Tobruk in Libya, where Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps defeated British-led forces and paved the way for the fall of Tobruk.

Aliases (3)

Battle of Ain el-Gazala (preliminary actions) ×1
Battle of Gazala–Bir Hakeim ×1
Gazala battles ×1

Statements (49)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	World War II battle → battle →
alsoKnownAs	Battle of Gazala–Bir Hakeim →
belligerent	Axis powers → British Empire → Dominion of South Africa → Free French Forces → India (British India) → Kingdom of Italy → Nazi Germany → United Kingdom →
casualtiesAndLosses	heavy on both sides →
combatantCommander	Claude Auchinleck → Erwin Rommel → Ettore Baldassarre → Ludwig Crüwell → Neil Ritchie →
conflict	Western Desert Campaign →
consequence	Axis advance into Egypt → capture of large Allied supplies at Tobruk → fall of Tobruk on 1942-06-21 →
country	Libya →
date	1942-05-26 →
endDate	1942-06-21 →
followedBy	Fall of Tobruk → First Battle of El Alamein →
front	Western Desert Front →
location	Cyrenaica, Libya → near Gazala, Libya →
notableEngagement	Cauldron battles → defence of Bir Hakeim →
notableFor	collapse of British Gazala Line defences → use of mobile armoured tactics by Erwin Rommel →
outcome	Axis breakthrough of Gazala Line →
partOf	North African Campaign →
precededBy	Battle of Ain el-Gazala (preliminary actions) →
primaryAlliedFormation	13th Corps (British Army) → 30th Corps (British Army) → Eighth Army (United Kingdom) →
primaryAxisFormation	Deutsches Afrikakorps → Italian XX Motorised Corps → Panzerarmee Afrika →
result	Axis victory →
startDate	1942-05-26 →
strategicObjective	capture of Tobruk → expulsion of Allied forces from Cyrenaica →
theatre	North African theatre of World War II →
war	World War II →
year	1942 →

Referenced by (28)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
21st Panzer Division → Eighth Army (United Kingdom) → Italian XX Motorised Corps → XIII Corps →	engagement
British Eighth Army → Eighth Army → North African campaign → Western Desert →	notableBattle
15th Panzer Division → DAK → German Afrika Korps →	engagedInBattle
1st South African Division → 21st Panzer Division → Ariete Armoured Division →	participatedIn
Italian Ariete Division → Panzer Army Africa →	battle
Middle East theatre of World War II → North African campaign →	hasPart
90th Light Africa Division → British 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division →	notableEngagement
Battle of Gazala ("Battle of Ain el-Gazala (preliminary actions)") → Battle of Tobruk (1942) →	precededBy
Battle of Gazala ("Battle of Gazala–Bir Hakeim") →	alsoKnownAs
Desert Fox →	associatedWithBattles
German-Italian Panzer Army →	engagedIn
Tobruk →	eventLocation
World War II battles →	hasNotableBattle
Battle of Bir Hakeim ("Gazala battles") →	partOf