Operation Crusader

The British Eighth Army goes on the offensive in North Africa.

The British command sought to relieve Tobruk and push Axis forces away from the Egyptian frontier. Fighting in the desert was marked by rapid armoured manoeuvres.

The operation involved heavy tank losses on both sides. After prolonged fighting, Rommel's forces withdrew and the siege of Tobruk was lifted.

The success did not end the campaign: the front in Libya shifted repeatedly before the final defeat of Axis forces in 1943.

Source: View historical source ↗