Original set of x11 WWII Photographs – Captured German and Italian Tanks, Artillery & Military Vehicles – North Africa – After the Battle of El Alamein, 1942

Original set of x11 WWII Photographs – Captured German and Italian Tanks, Artillery & Military Vehicles – North Africa – After the Battle of El Alamein, 1942

A fascinating collection of 11 original Second World War black-and-white photographs showing captured and destroyed Axis military equipment in the North African desert, taken following the Allied victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein in October–November 1942.

The photographs provide an impressive visual record of the battlefield aftermath, documenting the large quantities of German and Italian military equipment abandoned, captured or destroyed during the fighting and subsequent Allied advance.

Tanks and Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Among the photographs are several interesting examples of wartime armoured vehicles, including American-built M3 Lee/Grant medium tanks, identifiable by their distinctive combination of a turret-mounted gun and a larger gun mounted in the hull.

These tanks were supplied to British forces in North Africa under Lend-Lease and played an important role in the desert campaign before being superseded by newer designs.

The collection also includes views of other armoured vehicles and tanks, photographed individually and in lines among the captured battlefield equipment.

Artillery and Anti-Tank Guns

Several photographs show impressive collections of captured artillery pieces, including:

German 8.8cm Flak anti-aircraft guns, commonly known as the famous 88.

German field and anti-tank artillery on wheeled carriages.

Heavy-calibre artillery pieces, photographed in lines following their capture.

An impressive heavy gun mounted on a motor vehicle chassis.

Artillery pieces photographed with their original gun carriages, recoil systems and associated equipment.

The 8.8cm Flak gun became particularly feared in North Africa, where German crews made extensive use of its high-velocity performance against Allied tanks.

Military Transport and Recovery Vehicles

The photographs also feature German military transport and support vehicles, including a tracked half-track artillery tractor, believed to be from the Sd.Kfz.7 family, photographed alongside heavy artillery.

There is also a particularly interesting photograph of a heavy gun mounted on a large wheeled military truck, illustrating the various ways artillery was transported and deployed in the desert campaign.

Historical Background – The Battle of El Alamein

The Second Battle of El Alamein, fought between 23 October and 11 November 1942, was one of the decisive turning points of the Second World War.

Under General Bernard Montgomery, the British Eighth Army launched a major offensive against General Erwin Rommel’s German-Italian Panzer Army.

After weeks of intense fighting, the Axis forces were forced into a major retreat westwards across North Africa.

The retreat left behind enormous quantities of equipment, including tanks, guns, armoured vehicles and transport. Allied forces subsequently photographed and collected much of this material, providing a remarkable historical record of the campaign.

The Photographs

An interesting group of original wartime photographs, offering multiple views of captured and destroyed military equipment in the North African desert.

Rather than simply depicting individual vehicles, these photographs document the scale of the equipment left behind following one of the most important Allied victories of the war.

An excellent collection for the militaria collector, Second World War historian or anyone with an interest in the North African campaign.

A fascinating original photographic record of the aftermath of the Battle of El Alamein, 1942.

Condition: Please refer to the photographs for the individual condition of each original print.

Size 5 in x 3.5 in