After British forces defeated Italian forces in North Africa, Germany tapped Gen. Rommel to drive eastward along the North African coast to seize the Suez Canal. British forces were routed, and it came down to a stand at El-Alamein. There, British forces kept the Germans bottled up and unable to overrun Egypt. After several long, bloody battles, and with assistance from Australian and New Zealand forces, the Allies won the day. Rommel signaled Hitler that the cause was lost. He was not granted permission to retreat but began withdrawing troops, leaving the Italians alone to be trounced by allied forces.