Second Battle of El Alamein

British and Commonwealth forces under Bernard Montgomery attacked Axis positions held by the German and Italian armies near El Alamein. Minefields and prepared defences made the battle prolonged and costly.

The Axis retreat removed the immediate threat to Alexandria, Cairo and the Suez Canal. Combined with Allied landings farther west, it changed the direction of the North African campaign.

The Key to Rebecca builds its espionage plot around the intelligence struggle preceding the British victory.