El Alamein was the site of the turning point for the North African campaign where the Africa Korps made it within about 100 km of Alexandria, Egypt, on July 1, 1942. Three major battles occurred between July and November 1942. The Allied Eighth Army held out against Germany and Italy and eventually drove the Axis troops back to Tunisia. About 70,000 were wounded at El Alamein with some 11,000 killed. The Australian 9th Division, which had been at Tobruk, played a major role at El Alamein with about 6,000 casualties suffered.