Victory in Tunisia - Europe January-May 1943

Mediterranean map top - mid bott
from ILN 1941/04/19

After Casablanca, the Tunisian campaign began.

Tunisia map
from ILN 1943/05/08 - large
map 40a from West Point
Nebelwerfer
map 40b from West Point
German prisoners in Tunisia
led by Brit with white flag
from ILN 1943/05/22
German gliders used in Crete
from ILN 1941/07/26

German reinforcement of Tunisia

German offensive in Jan. 1943 drove Americans & British out of Faid Pass & the eastern dorsal.

Jan. 30 - German attack took Faid Pass, the last past held by Allies in Easter Dorsal. American counterattack with Sherman tanks was stopped by 88mm guns in hillsides.

Feb. 1 - Fredendall began offensive toward Maknassy, took Sened Station with troops from 1st and 2nd Battalion of the 168th Infantry, but stopped by Stukas, and force pulled out of Sened Station back to Gafsa. Rather than retreat to the Grand Dorsal, or advance into the Eastern Dorsal, Fredendall dispersed his forces in the open plain between the two mountain ranges.

Feb. 12 - Kesselring approved German plan to stop the Americans from Gafsa that threatened to link up with Monty to break the Mareth Line. Op. SPRING BREEZE by Arnim's panzers would advance through the Faid Pass and take Sidi bou Zid. Op. MORNING AIR by Rommel's panzers would attack Gafsa.

Feb. 14 - Arnim sent Gen Heinz Ziegler to attack Sidi bou Zid, destroyed 46 Sherman tanks. The next day, 29 year old Col. James Alger led the 56 Sherman tanks of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Armored Regiment, in a counterattack, but his tanks were destroyed by German artillery and Tiger tanks. Gen Anderson ordered the evacuation of Gafsa. The Americans had lost a hundred tanks in two days. Iowa's 168th Infantry Regiment was destroyed.

Feb. 17 - Rommel attacked Sbeitla, then advanced into the Kasserine Pass. The American defenders were dispersed on the floor of the pass, driven back by German guns on the high ridges, including the new six-barreled Nebelwerfer mortar. The Americans turned and ran in an "uncoordinated withdrawal" back to Tebessa. However, Rommel had divided his force, sending some to the right toward Thala, some to the left toward Bou Chebka, some in the middle toward Haidra.

Feb. 22 - Rommel's advance to within one mile of Thala was his high point in Africa. American forces rallied with anti-tank guns to stop the panzers, and Rommel retreated back through Kasserine Pass, leaving behind 43,000 mines. American casualties were 6000 of the 30,000 troops in the Gafsa line, had lost 85 miles in one week, more than would be lost in the 1944 Battle of the Bulge. Eisenhower took the blame for a confusing command structure and dispersal of troops in the wrong places.

Mar. 7 - Patton replaced Fredendall who was promoted to a three-star general and given command of a training camp in Tennessee. On Mar. 9, Rommel left Africa and flew to Hitler's command post in the Ukraine. During March, American supplies increased with deliveries from 130 cargo ships, and from assembly plants in Oran that built vehicles and railroad cars. Over 100 airfields were built in Algeria and Tunisia for P-38s and B-24s that achieved air superiority over the dwindling Luftwaffe.

Mar. 16 - Monty began his assault on the Mareth Line, failing to break through at the Zigzaou wadi on the right. However, on Mar. 26 he was successful on the left at the Tebaga Gap, and the mostly Italian defenders under Gen. Meese retreated 60 miles to the defense line at Wadi Akarit.

Mar. 17 - Patton, promoted to a three-star lieutenant general, led his II Corps in a 2-prong offensive to retake Gafsa and Maknassy. After discovering Gafsa to be deserted, he continued on Highway 15 toward El Guettar. He sent 500 Rangers to capture the high ridges of the Djebel Orbata and the 1st Division occupied the Keddab Ridge. In 5 days, he had advanced 75 miles. On Mar. 23, the Americans defeated the 10th Panzer Division. The battle of El Guettar, although a defensive victory, was according to Omar Bradley the "first, solid, indisputable defeat we inflicted on the German army in the war."

Mar. 22 - Orlando Ward's CCA and CCB battalions from the 1st Armored Division took Maknassy, but were stopped by German defenses east of Maknassy.

Apr. 9 - Anderson sent the British 1st Army to take the Fondouk Pass through the Eastern Dorsal. By Apr. 10, the British entered Kairounan and the Axis forces retreated to their final defenses around Tunis and Biserte.

Apr. 10 - Kesselring would not give up in Tunisia. Hitler was hopeful that the tide would turn, as it had on the eastern front with German success in the Kharkov campaign. The meeting of Hitler and Mussolini Apr. 7-11 in Salzburg reaffirmed the decision to continue fighting in Tunisia. Eisenhower allowed Gen. Harold Alexander to plan a mostly British offensive to defeat the last defenders. Monty's 8th Army attacked from the south, Anderson's 1st Army from the west. The French Corps Franc d'Afrique would attack from the north.

Apr. 11 - Charles Collingwood radio report on CBS World News Today.

Apr. 22 - Omar Bradley replaced Patton as commander of II Corps, as Patton began preparations for Op. HUSKY. Allies shot down 16 of 21 Gigant motorised gliders

Apr. 26 - British attacks had failed to break the defenses around Tunis. On Apr. 27, Bradley sent American forces from Sidi Nsir who attacked the hills around El Kradra. The 34th Division broke the line and took the key Hill 609 by May 1. This caused the collapse of the Axis forces who began to surrender, almost 250,000 over the next 10 days. Omar Bradley wrote in his official report about Hill 609, "A strong enemy was repulsed. Fighting all day was intense and bloody. The enemy was engaged with bayonet and grenade, and there were many cases of outstanding bravery." quote from 34th Division

May 7 - Tunis and Bizerte fell.

May 8 - Luftwaffe abandoned Tunisia

May 13 - Harold Alexander officially declared the end of the Tunisian campaign. American casualties were 20,000 including 3000 dead and 7000 missing. British casualties were 38,000 including 6200 dead and 10,600 missing.



The War Elsewhere January - May 1943



On the Eastern Front:

Jan. 31, 1943 - Paulus surrendered at Stalingrad
Feb. 8 - Russian offensive took Kursk and Kharkov
Mar. 9 - German counterattack on Kharkov began
Mar. 15 - Erich von Manstein took Orel and Kharkov, leaving a Russian salient at Kursk
Apr. 12 - German discovery of Katyn Forest graves of 4100 Poles
May 10 - Hitler approved CITADEL plan to attack Kursk
map from Eastern Front images

Battle of the Atlantic began to shift to the Allies

In Jan., Coastal Command Liberators were equipped with 10-cm ASV radar.
In Mar., Dayton Code Breakers helped break German 4-rotor Enigma codes.
May 6 - escorts win battle of convoy ONS-5.

In the Pacific, Guadalcanal and Papua ended, CARTWHEEL plans made

Victory in the Aleutians with Amchitka retaken in Jan., and Attu retaken in May, Japan evacuated Kiska in July.
Feb. 8 - Orde Wingate's Chindits began raids in Burma.
Feb. 18 - New Sixth Army formed under Gen. Krueger.
Mar. 2 - Battle of the Bismarck Sea stopped Japan troop ships heading for New Guinea.
Mar. 10 - Claire Chennault's force in China became the 14th AF.
Apr. 18 - Yamamoto shot down over Bougainville.

In the Air War the CBO began day and night bombing

Jan. 27 - Wilhelmshaven was 1st large raid of American 8th AF over Germany.
Mar. 5 - Essen raid used new Oboe navigation, began 4-month Ruhr campaign.
May - 1000-bomber raid on Cologne.

In Occupied Europe,

Jan. 30 - Vichy formed the hated Milice under Joseph Darnand to work with the Gestapo.
Feb. 28 - Norwegian commandos from Britain destroyed the Norsk Hydro heavy water plant.
Apr. - Warsaw ghetto destroyed.
May - SOE and Greeks blocked Athens railroad, Germans unable to move armored divisions.

Image of War changed

Sources:

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