▁operation ▁that ▁captured ▁K uf ra . ▁After ▁the ▁battle , ▁he ▁had ▁his ▁men ▁swe ar ▁an ▁o ath ▁known ▁today ▁as ▁the ▁Ser ment ▁de ▁K ou fra ▁(" O ath ▁of ▁K uf ra " ): ▁ ▁L ec ler c ▁lear nt ▁a ▁great ▁deal ▁about ▁how ▁to ▁handle ▁and ▁supply ▁a ▁force ▁adv ancing ▁across ▁the ▁desert , ▁and ▁was ▁reward ed ▁with ▁the ▁British ▁Dist ingu ished ▁Service ▁Order . ▁He ▁began ▁planning ▁a ▁far ▁more ▁am bit ious ▁advance ▁into ▁Lib ya . ▁This ▁was ▁delayed ▁by ▁a ▁year ▁due ▁to ▁Gener alf eld mar sch all ▁Er win ▁R omm el ' s ▁defeat ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁E ighth ▁Army ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Gaz ala , ▁and ▁the ▁subsequent ▁German ▁and ▁Italian ▁advance ▁into ▁Egypt . ▁L ec ler c ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁Gén éral ▁de ▁brig ade ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁and ▁p inned ▁two ▁metal ▁stars ▁captured ▁from ▁the ▁It ali ans ▁on ▁his ▁k ep i . ▁ ▁De ▁Ga ulle ▁ordered ▁the ▁plan ▁for ▁an ▁advance ▁into ▁Lib ya ▁to ▁be ▁put ▁in ▁motion ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁the ▁E ighth ▁Army ' s ▁victory ▁in ▁the ▁Second ▁Battle ▁of ▁El ▁Al ame in ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁L ec ler c ▁set ▁out ▁from ▁Fort ▁Lam y ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁with ▁ 5 0 0 ▁European ▁and ▁ 2 , 7 0 0