Eighth Army were relying on the Desert Air Force to provide them with two clear days without serious air opposition but torrential rain and storms the night before the offensive resulted in the cancellation of all the air-raids planned to interdict the Axis airfields and destroy their aircraft on the ground.
8. armé satsede på at Desert Air Force kunne sikre den to hele dage uden alvorlig modstand i luften, men styrtende regn og blæst natten før offensiven førte til aflysning af alle de luftangreb, der var planlagt mod aksemagternes flybaser for at ødelægge deres fly på jorden.