Video: 'The World at War: The Desert: North Africa - 1940-1943 (8 of 26)' (Nov. 4, 1942, at 49:41)

(Wednesday, November 4, 1942, 5:30 p.m. Eastern European Time; during the Second Battle of El Alamein, part of Western Desert Campaign of World War II) — German Field Marshall Erwin Rommel disobeyed Adolf Hitler’s orders today and began a retreat from El Alamein in North Africa.

The victory by British forces commanded by Lt. Gen. Bernard Montgomery marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the war, ending Axis hopes of occupying Egypt, taking control of the Suez Canal, and gaining access to the Middle Eastern and Persian oil fields.