A British infantryman capturing a German tank crewman at El Alamein, 1942

Photograph, World War Two, North Africa (1940-1943), 1942.

The 2nd Battle of El Alamein in 1942 turned the tide of battle in the Western Desert in the Allies' favour. General Montgomery spent months building up an overwhelming advantage in men and armour, before launching his attacks against Field Marshal Rommel's German and Italian troops.

On the night of 24 October 1942, under cover of a 600-gun barrage, the 8th Army attacked the Axis positions at El Alamein. After ten days of bitter attritional fighting, the heavily defended German line was breached. On 4 November Montgomery's armour broke through and the pursuit of the defeated Germans and Italians towards Tunis began.

From a collection of 147 official photographs, 1941 (c)-1942 (c).