On 22 December 1941, men of The Royal Tank Regiment pose on and around a Matilda tank, southwest of Gazala in Libya.

The men are said to have been fighting continuously in the desert for more than a month, but are still in a cheerful mood.

During the British Eighth Army's Operation Crusader, lack of supplies forced Rommel to shorten his lines of communication and on 7 December 1941, the Axis forces withdrew to the Gazala position and on 15 December began a withdrawal to El Agheila.

For ten days, the Axis forces withdrew to a line between Ajedabia and El Haseia, maintaining their lines of communication and avoiding being cut off, unlike the Italians in 1940–1941.

The mere presence of the British armour had prompted Rommel to withdraw from Gazala, but the opportunity for the British to gain a big victory had been missed.

Up to early 1942, in the war in North Africa, the Matilda proved highly effective against Italian and German tanks, although vulnerable to the larger calibre and medium calibre anti-tank guns.

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