When a commander has won a decisive victory, it is generally wrong for him to be satisfied with too narrow a strategic aim,

for that is the time to exploit success.

It is during the pursuit, when the beaten enemy is still dispirited and disorganized,

that most prisoners are made and most booty captured.

Ervin Rommel

Welcome to the history of the 20th century.

Music The

...their...

...their...

...their...

...their... Episode 367, El Alamein.

In April 1942, Adolf Hitler took some time off to relax at the Berghoff, but he had to interrupt his retreat on the 29th of April to meet with Benito Mussolini. This was their first face-to-face meeting since August of 1941.

Then the invasion of the USSR looked to be a smashing success.

Now, Hitler needed to reassure Mussolini that the campaign in the east was still winnable.

He told Mussolini that any kind of negotiated settlement to the war was unacceptable. The Axis powers had sacrificed much. They were entitled to their reward.

Mussolini asked Hitler to move ahead with Operation Hercules, the plan to invade Malta.

Hitler did not refuse. He merely told Mussolini that after last year's losses on Crete,

Germany would need more time to rebuild its paratroop units. He pointed out that since he'd redeployed

Luftwaffe units from the east to Sicily,

the British air and naval forces stationed on Malta had largely been neutralized, making it easier for

Italian ships to deliver increasing quantities of supplies and reinforcements. This made Malta

less important. The more crucial goal for now

...