Key Facts
- Date
- 26–27 October 1942
- Axis armoured vehicles destroyed
- 52–57
- British casualties
- 72
- Anti-tank guns deployed
- 19 (thirteen + six 6-pounders)
- Distance from Kidney Ridge
- 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south-west
Strategic Narrative Overview
Once in position, the battalion faced continuous Axis armoured counter-attacks and sustained artillery and machine-gun bombardments throughout 26 and 27 October 1942. Armed with nineteen 6-pounder anti-tank guns and receiving only intermittent support from the 1st Armoured Division's tanks and artillery, the defenders repelled multiple assaults, steadily knocking out dozens of Axis armoured vehicles while holding their ground under intense pressure.
01 / The Origins
By late October 1942, the British Eighth Army was conducting Operation Lightfoot, a major offensive at El Alamein in Egypt aimed at breaking Axis defensive lines. As part of this operation, the 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade was ordered on the night of 26/27 October to occupy a shallow desert depression called Snipe, south-west of Kidney Ridge, intending to use it as a forward base for an advance by the 24th Armoured Brigade.
03 / The Outcome
The British battalion successfully held Outpost Snipe, inflicting the destruction of 52 to 57 Axis armoured vehicles at a cost of 72 casualties. The defence spoiled the largest Axis counter-attack against positions taken during Operation Lightfoot. Rommel later concluded that armoured assaults on prepared defensive ground were unlikely to succeed, reflecting the tactical impact of the engagement on Axis strategic thinking.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Erwin Rommel.
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.