The 8^th Army and the Afrika Corps having fought an inconclusive battle, retired to their starting lines. General Sir Claude Auchinlek commander of the 8^th Army and Irwin Rommel the Commander of the Afrika Corps.  The same problems faced each of them "What damage have I done to the enemy and when can he attack me again" ?

Rommel's problems aren't ours, the Auk's (Gen. Sir Auchinlek) was.  Knowing his own strength he couldn't just pick up the telephone and say, "Hello Irwin,  Claude here ,wife and kid's OK ? good, look I enjoyed our little frolic today fancy a return match 27^th suit you,  same place? Good, must dash lunch time".

Not likely he'd order his Intelligence staff to discover Rommel's strength and then go to lunch.

British Intelligence ordered a reconnaissance patrol by the Army's Long Range Desert Group and the RAF Reconnaissance Photographic Unit, to count the wreckage on the ground and where possible the RAF to take photos.  That would not tell Gen. Auchinlek how many damaged tanks and wounded men got back, nor how soon they could be repaired, patched up or replaced.  So Intelligence turned to the 'Y' Sections in the desert and in Cairo to intercept the enemy wireless transmissions for reports  on the battle state, spares and replacement demands made on the Germany reserve  all the wireless transmissions were made via the Germany coding machine called Enigma. Meanwhile D/F operators were out in the desert to take bearings on all enemy units transmitting. Reports were compared with wireless messages sent to his supply base and they knew he was demanding reinforcements. The reply came back to him by courier, Dead end ?  By no means!