Page "Leslie Morshead" Paragraph 28

At the Second Battle of El Alamein, the 9th Division was given responsibility for clearing a corridor through the German and Italian forces in the North and threatening to cut off those between the coastal road and the sea.

In the initial assault the division hacked its way through the enemy defences but failed to clear the minefields.

However, as the British attack faltered, the main effort switched to the 9th Division, which punched a massive dent into the German and Italian position over the next five days at great cost, " crumbling " the Afrika Korps in the process, and ultimately forcing Rommel to retreat.

" I am quite certain ," Leese informed Morshead, that this breakout was made possible by Homeric fighting over your divisional sector.

" During the El Alamein Campaign, the 9th Division suffered 22 % of the British Eighth Army's casualties ; 1, 177 Australians were killed, while 3, 629 were wounded, 795 were captured and 193 were missing.