Military Miniatures

In February 1941, things were looking very bad for Italy in North Africa.  A large Italian army was suffering defeat after defeat by a smaller British army.  Although the German army was being stretched beyond its limits, Adolf Hitler did not believe he could watch the Italian army collapse, thereby exposing Europe's Southern flank.  He ordered a small German mechanized force to North Africa under the command of General Erwin Rommel.  Shortly after the Africa Korp's arrival on February 14, General Rommel went on the attack...a legend known as the "Desert Fox" was beginning and would culminate in being honored by Sir Winston Churchill when he stated in the house of commons "We have a very daring and skillful opponent against us, and, may I say across the havoc of war, a great general".

Monty's Desert Rats...the British 8th army fought  many a see-saw battle in the North African desert in 1941 and 1942.  This army consisted of English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, Czech and Indians.  They fought the battle of  Tobruk in 1941 and the battle of El Alamein which would mark the turning point in the desert war, eventually leading to the axis surrender in 1943. The 8th army earned a great repuation amongst friend and foe alike. It was its engagment with Rommel's Africa Korps which we all remember and will remember for centuries to come...