Nobody expected Rommel's Second North African Offensive! BATTLESTORM

Erwin Rommel launched his second offensive in North Africa on the 21st of January 1942, and takes the British 8th Army completely by surprise. The Deutsches Afrika Korps got bogged down in the desert, but Rommel and the Marcks Group advanced via the coast road, intending to encircle the British 1st Armoured Division. Could he succeed? Let's find out.

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📚 BIBLIOGRAPHY / SOURCES 📚

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📽️ MORE VIDEOS IN THE BATTLESTORM SERIES 📽️

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ABOUT TIK 📝

History isn’t as boring as some people think, and my goal is to get people talking about it. I also want to dispel the myths and distortions that ruin our perception of the past by asking a simple question - “But is this really the case?”. I have a 2:1 Degree in History and a passion for early 20th Century conflicts (mainly WW2). I’m therefore approaching this like I would an academic essay. Lots of sources, quotes, references and so on. Only the truth will do.

This video is discussing events or concepts that are academic, educational and historical in nature. This video is for informational purposes and was created so we may better understand the past and learn from the mistakes others have made.

[TheImperatorKnight]

SPOILER ALERT!

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Despite working several 13-15 hour days this week, I wasn’t able to get the entire video done in time. It turns out that it’s impossible to script, shoot and edit an entire Battlestorm episode in one week, even if the research was already done in advance. It was so bad, that even though I had done the research, I had to leave a lot of the references out because I didn’t have time to put them all in. Therefore I had no choice but to split into two parts. I wasn’t intending to do so, but I had no choice. The entire video would have been 42 minutes long, and I only had about 20 minutes of it edited in time.

[pacmax]

wow-another battlestorm thing, TIk you are doing a insane amount of work, very much appreated

[calumdeighton]

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!
Or the desert fox in this case.

[peterlynchchannel]

I don't know how TIK expects Chuikov and the 62nd to keep holding out if Operation Uranus is delayed much longer.

[ThegalacticusShow]

Thank you for this. My grandfather served in the desert rats and sadly he died some time ago and never got to ask him what he did. This sheds some light on what he was up to

[kellyshistory]

Hi Tik, quick question. I have access to a database with all of Goebbels diary entries (in German but they can be translated). I've seen you use them in other videos but you mention there are sections missing. The English translations were based off surviving paper copies found after 1945, but they discovered the entire microfilm collection in the Soviet Archives after 1990. That is why the online database I have uses. I was wondering if you wanted me to send you diary entries for any video's you are working on in the future to fill in those gaps?

[PhNIXx]

God the African theater is my favorite.. and i love your Africa campaigns. This is a pleasant surprise and a nice break from the grind of Stalingrad!

By the way TIK - love the green and red box around the divisions when describing the two groups - nice visual aid. also i love the unit insignia at 50% opacity (or what it is) for troop movement/planning before it is set in motion. Really clearly setup the following actions - some really nice experimentation with clarity here.

Damn Rommel like to do bold manouvers.

Edit: i always read the patron names when they scroll by to look for my own.. and i noticed my name was absent. Apparently there were issues with the payments. So i guess vanity has some benefits some times.

[IrishTechnicalThinker]

Never clicked a video so fast. I imagine Mark Felton watching these episodes they're that good.

[GoodGirlKate]

When you just finished the last North African Battlestorm part yesterday
and wished there was more, TIK has you covered :D

[xJavelin]

Back to North Africa! I couldn't be happier. As much as I can appreciate the level of work and detail thrown into Stalingrad, it's a bit much. It was the Operation Compass video so long ago that got me into this channel in the first place. I always hoped that TIK would complete his analysis of this theatre of the war.

[ronswanson]

Don’t be hard on yourself Tik, if you release a battlestorm, then you’ll bring joy to thousands of people’s lives. Thank you.

[johnelliott]

You should never sell yourself short, I don't expect everything you have done and the best part is it always turns out to be a great surprise to get a awesome in detail breakdown of how a theater or battle went and turned out. Thanks for your time and effort in making it, usually don't get such a good in depth, detailed, breakdown of how a theater of battle went. Awesome stuff and a very pleasant surprise to see you do this. Thank you for your time and effort with this theater of the war.

[fookdatchit]

this channel, is pure YT gold. and will probably be watched for decades to come. Hope so, amazing research and the presentation is out standing

[TimZandbergen]

Now all we need is Halder's second Stalinggrad offensive, and the war will be won!

[oceanmadrosci]

*Nobody expected rommel's inquisition*

[chuckmccallister]

Great episode as usual. I can't wait for another Battlestorm Stalingrad, keep up the good work!

[misterbaker]

Just wanted to say thanks. I was on a Vietnam era and Ww2 Pacific are of interest. Since I found you I’m reading about the east. Already bought and read When Titans Clashed and now reading Stahels Kiev 1941. I really appreciate the work you put into these. Wow just wow!! If you ever come to the states and specifically Ohio I’d love to buy yah a drink and smoke!!

[seinine]

So 2 weeks we wait for a Battlestorm Stalingrad and, meanwhile, we get... a Battlestorm desert! I love u TIK...

[theodore]

i can already tell i am going to enjoy this new battlestorm series

[greggcal]

I never knew that Rommel had intel on the Brits. I had only read that the Brits were able to track Rommel's resupply and starve his army. As always, great stuff.