By September 1942, Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps stood perilously close to breaking through to Cairo and the Nile. The Desert Fox had captured Tobruk three months earlier and turned the city into a vital Axis supply port. In a desperate attempt to halt the Germans and buy time for the Allies, the British launched a daring amphibious raid on Tobruk, combining forces from the Royal Marines, Royal Navy, SAS, Long Range Desert Group, and other secret units. Boldly conceived and bravely conducted, the assault nevertheless failed with terrible losses.