El Alamein - the infantry go forward

24th October 1942: Men must advance as their own shellfire creeps forward in front of them - and trust that it will keep moving ahead of them

Scottish troops never go far without their Pipers. Each battalion of Highlanders has its Pipe Major and Pipers. Not all of them wear their kilts in the desert, but they invariably lead their troops into and out of battle with pipes playing.

A sequence of images showing a counterattack after German tanks came over a ridge and were beaten off by anti tank guns. British infantry advance at the double towards the ridge beyond the disabled enemy tank

The British infantry running past the enemy tank

When enemy shells came close, the infantry lay flat to avoid being hit, then, up again and on to the ridge

On the ridge two officers carefully examine the enemy positions through their binoculars.

The artillery bombardment of the evening of the 23rd was but a prelude to an attack led by the infantry. Only later would the tanks be passed through the cleared lanes through the minefields to exploit these first attacks.

This meant a direct assault on the German and Italian lines, they would be well dug in with prepared lines of fire. It was hoped that the artillery fire would have killed or at least disorientated the enemy infantry in their trenches.