abwehr adolf hitler albert kesselring alexandria allies of world war ii aspirant battle of alam el halfa battle of bir-el harmat battle of gazala battle of kufra battleship benito mussolini bernard saint-hillier bersaglieri cairo central african republic charles de gaulle claude auchinleck commonwealth of nations cyrenaica demi-brigade desert warfare dimitri amilakhvari egypt el alamein erwan bergot erwin rommel free french forces friedrich von mellenthin frogman fusiliers marins geographic coordinate system heterogeneous hotchkiss gun howitzer ian stanley ord playfair india italian invasion of egypt jock column land mine levant libya lieutenant colonel luftwaffe malta march battalion military occupation nazi germany neil ritchie north african campaign north african campaign timeline oasis operation agreement operation battleaxe operation brevity operation compass operation crusader operation herkules operation salaam operation skorpion operation sonnenblume ottoman empire panzer paris pierre messmer radomir pavitchevitch royal air force royal navy siege of tobruk southeast asia suez canal susan travers tank tobruk walter cowan western desert campaign wikimedia commons winston churchill