What is the desert warfare definition of a 'box'?

May 23, 2008 7:12 AM

In the terminology of armored desert warfare, what is a 'box'?

In Mellenthin's Panzer Battles, there are many descriptions of the form:

"[Strictly speaking there was no such thing as an "Alamein Line," although the gap between the Qattara Depression and the sea was filled by a number of boxes.]

He decided that the Afrika Korps should make a feint in the direction of the Qattara Depression, but should move on the night 30 June/1 July to a position about ten miles southwest of El Alamein station. We believed that the British 10th Corps, with the 50th Division and the 10th Indian Brigade, was holding the Alamein Box and a position to the southwest of it at Deir el Abyad. We thought that the 13th Corps with the 1st Armored Division, the 2nd N.Z. Division, and the 5th Indian Division was holding the southern sector of the line, between the Qaret el Abd Box and the Qattara Depression. Rommel decided to repeat the tactics which had served him so well at Matruh; under cover of the darkness the Afrika Korps was to penetrate between the boxes at Alamein and Deir el Abyad and get in rear of the 13th Corps. Ninetieth Light Division was to swing south of the Alamein Box and cut the coast road to the east of it—exactly the same orders as at Mersa Matruh. If we could once get our troops in rear of the British, Rommel was convinced that their defense would collapse."

A 'box' appears to be a defensive emplacement of some kind, but given the fluid nature of the Africa campaign it doesn't appear to be a minefield per se (minefields are separately mentioned in addition to boxes). Given its fixed nature, perhaps it has something to do with sighted-in artillery sections?

posted by felix to grab bag (12 comments total)

Its a fortified bunker, also known as a pillbox, usually there will be a heavy duty machine gun in there.
posted by BobbyDigital at 7:20 AM on May 23, 2008

Pillbox? Doesn't seem to fit the context of "the Alamein/Qaret el Abd Box" though, unless they mean a really big bunker, as one pillbox wouldn't be that important.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 7:22 AM on May 23, 2008

Yeah, I don't think it's a pillbox, because that pillbox would have to be several miles big. It could be a network of them, but I don't think they had that much fortification in the area.
posted by felix at 7:39 AM on May 23, 2008

It reads more like a fortress. The term is interchangeable in text.

From a war simulator case study: Each box was a self-contained fortress supported by mines and fences.

From a history text: With its flanks thus protected, the line was braced by three bastions-the El Alamein Box near the coast; Fortress A (also known as the Kaponga Box, or the Qattara Box), a well-prepared stronghold about 20 miles to the south- south-west; and Fortress B, some 15 miles farther south-south- west, close to the edge of the Qattara Depression.

From a person's account of WW2: Then the battalion got orders to form part of a force to set up a defensive position named the ‘Gerawla Box’. This was a square with the sea to the north and entrenched infantry on the other three sides.

From a Egyptian tourism website: The al-Alamein Line was fortified by a series of boxes enclosed by barbed wire and secured by minefields. There were ten boxes in all, each equipped with water piped from the Nile and stored in underground reservoirs near the railway at al-Alamein. Each contained two infantry battalions, and field, anti-tank and anti-aircraft artillery. At intervals along the line were hospitals, storerooms and headquarters.
posted by junesix at 7:43 AM on May 23, 2008

Didn't Montgomery use a lot of anti-tank guns to fight Rommel and Co., in Africa? Perhaps a "Box" was a strategic placement of these weapons? Its been a long while since I read about these campaigns, so I could be making this all up.
posted by Atreides at 7:44 AM on May 23, 2008

I toss my bad thesis in support of Junesix's.
posted by Atreides at 7:45 AM on May 23, 2008

It's a geographic reference (both on land and at sea) defining an area that a unit operates in. See the Wiki entry on the modern term, "Kill box."
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 7:47 AM on May 23, 2008

This says:

Between late January and May, following their withdraw from the German front at Agedabia, the British had been busy creating what was to be called the "Gazala Line". This was a series of defended "Boxes", rather than the tradition line of 1914-18 vintage, running from Gazala on the eastern side of Jebel south into the desert. A full brigade, behind belts of barber wire and mines manned each; they were too widely separated to provide mutual support. Instead the desert between them was patrolled and hopefully controlled by roving armoured units. The most important of these "Boxes" was Bir Hacheim, which would be the pivot point of any armoured flank attack for either side. This box was manned by the 1st Free French Brigade consisting mainly of French Legionnaires, Commanded by General Koenig. Sixteen miles to their right lay another box manned by the 150th Infantry Brigade and further North still was the "Knightsbridge Box", held by 201st Guards Brigade. (This was the old 22nd Guards Brigade that had been renamed to avoid confusion with the 22nd Armoured Brigade). Other boxes manned by British or South Africans, then reached to the sea.

posted by Zed_Lopez at 7:48 AM on May 23, 2008

It's a geographic reference (both on land and at sea) defining an area that a unit operates in. See the Wiki entry on the modern term, "Kill box."

Isn't Kill Box a modern term that wouldn't have existed in WW2? The article you linked to says it was "developed by the U.S. Air Force in the late 1980s".
posted by burnmp3s at 7:52 AM on May 23, 2008

Isn't Kill Box a modern term that wouldn't have existed in WW2? The article you linked to says it was "developed by the U.S. Air Force in the late 1980s".

"Kill box," yes (with the prefix), which is why I noted it was the modern term for the concept. But it's the same idea as Zed_Lopez posted above.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 9:01 AM on May 23, 2008

Actually, that'd be the inverse. A 'kill box' is a trap zone into which you hope the enemy drives. Zed describes a box as a representation of an area invested with troops operating in perimeter defense of that area.
posted by felix at 9:48 AM on May 23, 2008

The definition of "box" that I remember, from being an M1A1 crewman in the Army, is the formation described here:

Box formation. The box formation arranges the unit with forward and trail elements. The box formation can easily be changed to any other formation. It is used to facilitate rapid movement, yet still provide adequate security. The box formation:

- Provides firepower to the front and flanks.
- Can be quickly changed to other formations.
- Is easy to control; it facilitates speed of movement.
- Requires sufficient space for dispersion laterally and in depth.
- Is recommended for use in the pursuit.

However, I think Mellenthin simply meant a static position that was fortified in depth in all directions, as described by Zed_Lopez above.
posted by me & my monkey at 11:18 AM on May 23, 2008