under Major-General Harold Freeman-Attwood, and Major-General Raymond Briggs's 1st Armoured Division, which had been transferred over from the British Eighth Army. Crocker's first battle on 8 April was an attempt to cut off the retreating Italian First Army, and he ordered Keightkey's 6th Armoured Division to take the Fondouk Pass but he majorly underestimated the strength of the Italian defences there. Also under command for the operation was the U.S. 34th Infantry Division, under Major General Charles W. Ryder, which Crocker ordered to seize a key position to the right of the pass. Elements of Philip Roberts's 26th Armoured Brigade, part of the 6th Armoured Division, cut across the Americans' line of attack and caused a considerable amount of confusion. In addition, Crocker's handling of his infantry was also thought to be somewhat poor. Although the British armour did eventually break through, the Italians had by now escaped the trap. Crocker was later very critical of the Americans, which caused upset at Allied Forces Headquarters (AFHQ) and infuriating General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander in North Africa. The campaign continued on, with the Allies slowly tightening the noose over the Axis forces, who were still fighting harder than ever. Crocker's IX Corps was involved in heavy fighting during the latter stages of the fighting, and managed to capture two key features, Selchet el Kourizia and Two Tree Hill, on 24 April, but despite this, IX Corps still failed to break through into the Tunis Plain. On 27 April, Crocker was wounded in a training accident, during a demonstration of a PIAT (Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank) anti-tank weapon, shortly before the final battle for Tunis and saw no further action in North Africa. A piece of shrapnel had entered Crocker's upper chest. Command of IX Corps passed temporarily to Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks, who transferred over from the British Eighth Army's X Corps. The war in North Africa came to an end soon afterwards, with the surrender of almost 250,000 Germans and Italians. Crocker was, nonetheless, appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 5 August 1943 for his command in Tunisia, and General Sir Harold Alexander, commander of the Allied 18th Army Group (which controlled both the British First and Eighth Armies), believed Crocker to have performed well throughout his relatively brief time in action. North-western Europe Crocker returned to England in May after his IX Corps