Operation Lightfoot (1942)

[johnfowles]

As we start to plan details of the next such operation (Many thanks Char for being so on the ball) I thought that information on another "Operation Lightfoot" might entertain a few folks:-
With my other (Nevil Shute ) hat on I had cause to visit a splendid BBC Archives section about World War 2
as part of a discussion about a fine Shute novel called ""Requiem For A Wren I reported in a thread at
http://groups.google.com/group/nevil...366fa56e?hl=en
on finding
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/s...a2719956.shtml

As the page had a search box I tried "Lightfoot" and discovered Operation Lightfoot
in which an archive contributor was wounded see:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/s...a2719956.shtml

Naturally curious I binged on and discvovered that there are full details of the Operation in a wiki at:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_..._of_El_Alamein

"With Operation Lightfoot, Montgomery hoped to cut two corridors through the Axis minefields in the north".....
"There was a reason for the name Operation Lightfoot. The infantry had to attack first. Many of the anti-tank mines would not be tripped by soldiers running over them since they were too light (hence the code-name). As the infantry advanced, engineers had to clear a path for the tanks coming behind. Each stretch of land cleared of mines was to be 24 feet (7.3 m) wide, which was just enough to get tanks through in single file. The engineers had to clear a five-mile (8 km) route through the 'Devil’s Gardens'. It was a difficult task that was not achieved because of the depth of the Axis minefields."
so Lightfoot was a vital part of The Battle of El Alemein (one of the major turning points of WW2)
"The Battle at El Alamein was Montgomery's first offensive battle and involved the most extensive use of deception techniques and secrecy yet. Montgomery planned the battle in 3 stages; the 'break in', the 'dog fight' and the 'break out'. The break in involved 4 infantry divisions engaging in Operation LIGHTFOOT, the 'crumbling' process that then cleared the way for the 1st and 10th armoured Divisions to attack
This matter is very topical bearing in mind the very recent hoo hah about an abortive Libyan tent near New York!!

[timetraveler]

If you don't mind my opinion on the tent matter, I personally think that the real estate people, as well as the owner of the property, should be considered traitors, or some such thing. I mean, the SOB's tore down a fence, as well as cut down a dozen trees that belonged to the people next door, all so that Libyan Loon could put up a tent that he & his personnell had to know wasn't legal in the first place.