The Desert War

The North African desert. Its mysteries have made it a land of intrigue and espionage. Armies have fought over it since time began.

In November 1942, American and British troops landed on its shores to begin the first offensive against the Axis powers. Three months later, in February 1943, American troops first encountered Hitler's Panzer divisions in a bloody battle at Kasserine Pass.

These were battles fought in the barren trackless terrain where inexperienced leaders and raw American soldiers, some just weeks out of recruit training, saw the horror of war for the first time.

See how the desert war toughened a green General Dwight Eisenhower and reinvigorated General George Patton. You'll see how they matched wits with the "Desert Fox," Erwin Rommel.

In this exciting episode of "War Stories With Oliver North," you'll hear from five Army soldiers who survived "Operation Torch." And you will go inside the secret world of spying in the lands from Cairo to Casablanca.

From this bloody first offensive against Hitler emerged a battle-tested American Army. The skills they honed in North Africa are studied and used as blueprints for today's battlegrounds.

Executive producer: Pamela K. Browne
Produced and written by: Cyd Upson and Gregory Johnson
Associate producer: Michael Weiss
Editor: Scott Biederman
Designer: Greg Van Why