The British attack in North Africa

18th November 1941: Operation Crusader launched - a major attack intended to relieve Tobruk and to defeat German forces in North Africa

British 25 pounder gun during the pre dawn barrage.

The new Commander, Middle East Forces, General Sir Claude Auchinleck had come under some pressure to launch an assault to relieve Tobruk and move on to the attack against the Afrika Korps. Operation Battleaxe had proved a bloody failure in June, when the British had discovered that their tanks were no m…