Commonwealth tank crews were soon equipped with Crusaders, by 1941. This includes South Africans, New Zealanders and Australians. Other nationalities were also equipped in increasing quantities, as the Crusaders were replaced in British service, like some Free French and Dutch units. Some Mark I and IIs were captured by the Axis during Rommel’s advance, and both the Littorio armored division and German 15th Panzer division used many captured models to compensate for their own losses.
