Complex sentence: Crew were a different matter, however, and a consequence of the operation was the removal of the Crusader AA tanks, possible due to the lack of air opposition; their crews were used to man the replacement Shermans provided to the division.
Split into simpler sentences: Crew were a different matter however and consequence of the operation was the removal of the Crusader AA tanks, due to the lack of air opposition. Their crews were used to man the replacement Shermans provided to the division.