On the night of 23 October 1942, the second Battle of Alamein began. The defence line was 8 km deep and, stretching from the sea to the Qattara Depression and could not be outflanked.

Montgomery's attempted to break through Rommel's line. The British and Commonwealth troops of the 8th Army failed to do this. After two days Montgomery switched to a drive, by the Australians, towards the sea. This drew off German strength. Montgomery expected to win with the New Zealand division and hundreds of tanks. They were checked, incredibly, by the remaining ninety tanks of the Afrika Korps. The breakthrough was finally made. As the Axis Forces retreated the 8th Army followed in pursuit. Rommel got away.

The British 8th Army lost 13500 dead, wounded and missing, and the Axis perhaps over 20 000 (the exact figures are not known). The 8th Army captured Tripoli and eventually reached the Mareth Line, the German defence line in Tunisia.