HC Deb 16 March 1943 vol 387 cc1050-1W
Mr. Granville

asked the Secretary of State for War the numbers of Allied forces stationed in the Middle East before our recent offensive from Egypt; the total numbers of British and Allied forces engaged in the battle of El Alamein; the numbers of Axis forces defeated and the number of Axis prisoners taken, the estimated number of their casualties and our own losses?

Sir J. Grigg

I regret that it is not in the public interest to give the particulars asked for about the strengths of the British and Allied forces. It is estimated that 90,000 Germans and 45,000 Italians were engaged in the battle of El Alamein. The German casualties totalled about 30,000, of which 7,200 are prisoners. Nearly all the Italians were casualties and of these about half are prisoners. As the Prime Minister said in the House on 11th November, our casualties in the battle amounted to 13,600 officers and men.