Page "Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein" Paragraph 17

Montgomery's assumption of command transformed the fighting spirit and abilities of the Eighth Army.

Taking command on 13 August 1942, he immediately became a whirlwind of activity.

He ordered the creation of the X Corps, which contained all armoured divisions to fight alongside his XXX Corps which was all infantry divisions.

This was in no way similar to a German Panzer Corps.

One of Rommel's Panzer Corps combined infantry, armour and artillery units under one corps commander.

The only common commander for Montgomery's all infantry and all armour corps was the Eighth Army Commander himself.

Correlli Barnett commented that Montgomery's solution "... was in every way opposite to Auchinleck's and in every way wrong, for it carried the existing dangerous separatism still further.

" Montgomery reinforced the long front line at El Alamein, something that would take two months to accomplish.

He asked Alexander to send him two new British divisions ( 51st Highland and 44th ) that were then arriving in Egypt and were scheduled to be deployed in defence of the Nile Delta.

He moved his field HQ to Burg al Arab, close to the Air Force command post in order better to coordinate combined operations.

Montgomery was determined that the Army, Navy and Air Forces should fight their battles in a unified, focused manner according to a detailed plan.

He ordered immediate reinforcement of the vital heights of Alam Halfa, just behind his own lines, expecting the German commander, Erwin Rommel, to attack with the heights as his objective, something that Rommel soon did.

Montgomery ordered all contingency plans for retreat to be destroyed.

" I have cancelled the plan for withdrawal ", he told his officers at the first meeting he held with them in the desert.

" If we are attacked, then there will be no retreat.

If we cannot stay here alive, then we will stay here dead.