As Rommel's Axis forces were driven out of Egypt following their defeat at El Alamein, Operation Torch saw Allied forces numbering over 100,000 land in North Africa, at Oran, Algiers and Casablanca. Vichy French forces put up fierce resistance, particularly at Casablanca, although Algiers surrendered that evening.

At Oran, the sloops HMS Walney and HMS Hartland ran the gauntlet of shore batteries in an attempt to land an assault party in the harbour. Hartland was sunk and every man on Walney's bridge was killed, save only Captain Peters, her Canadian commanding officer, who was blinded in one eye but pressed on the attack, despite his ship being ablaze. Walney reached her target jetty, but sank alongside. Peters and a few survivors made it to shore, but he tragically died five days later when the aircraft evacuating him back to the UK crashed. He was awarded the Victoria Cross.

In Madagascar, the campaign against Vichy forces drew to a close with the fall of Ihosy. British and Commonwealth forces, mainly from South Africa and East Africa, had suffered worse casualties from malaria than from actual combat.