The birth and baptism of fire of one of Britain’s most illustrious military units Studded with numerous firsthand descriptions from soldiers in the African desert Head to head with Erwin Rommel in Africa, the British Eighth Army enjoyed superior numbers and a more effective air force, but despite the valor of its men, it had difficulty turning those advantages into battlefield victory because of command, equipment, and morale problems. After modest success during Operation Crusader in November 1941, the Eighth Army found itself battered and driven back for much of the ensuing year as Rommel scored victory after victory. Not until the fall of 1942 at the Alamein Line did the Eighth Army’s fortunes begin to reverse.