Tunisia / [prepared ... under the direction of K. Mason].

  • Great Britain. Naval Intelligence Division
Date:
1945
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Tunisia / [prepared ... under the direction of K. Mason]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    607/698 (page 445)
    | Division began to penetrate the Monts des Ksour and by the evening of the | 25th had occupied Ksar el Hallouf. On the main Mareth line the Air Force was active. { Meanwhile in the el Hamma area aircraft (‘tank busters’) destroyed twenty-three enemy tanks; the 24th and 25th saw only patrol activity, but suddenly on the 26th a new phase opened withthearrival of the rst Armoured Division to reinforce the New Zealand Division which that afternoon, having secured an important position on Djebel Melab, attacked along the el Hamma road and gained all objectives. The rst Armoured Division then passed through the gap to the Oued el Merteba, and the enemy fell back with heavy losses in men and equipment. The attack was supported by | twenty-two squadrons of the Western Desert Air Force. { ‘The Mareth position was thus outflanked. The goth and 164th German. Divisions and all remaining armour were sent to the el Hamma area to reinforce the 21st Panzers and the large force of German and Italian in- fantry already engaged there. In spite of very heavy fighting the advance went on, and by midday on 22 March Italians were surrendering in large ' numbers and the remaining Germans were clinging to el Hamma and the oueds near it. i On that day also the 4th Indian Division was pressing down on Toujane, to which also the 7th Armoured Division with an Infantry Brigade was advancing. By last light on 28 March the 5oth Division was in Mareth, the 51st Division was 2 miles beyond the Zarat—Mareth road, and Toujane . was occupied. That night the enemy evacuated el Hamma, and Gabés fell next day. Only enemy detachments remained on the shores of the Chott | Djerid, and with them the French camel troops dealt effectively. (vi) The Forcing of the Wadi Akarit, and Pursuit General Messe decided to make a stand along the Wadi Akarit (Oued el Akarit), a naturally strong position: there was no time to prepare defences or mine the approaches. It was held by the infantry and the remaining armour was posted well in the-rear, partly to refit and partly to guard the right flank against the U.S. 2nd Corps, which in fact attempted an attack on 30 March: the tanks were, however, held up by minefields and by tank opposition and no progress was achieved. f The Eighth Army quickly took up battle positions and reconnoitred. On | the night of 5 April the Gurkha Rifles seized Djebel Beida and took a large number of prisoners. In t the early hours of 6 April, after a short barrage, the general attack was launched. The 51st Division was on the right, the 50th in the centre, and the 4th Indian Division on the left. By the after- [ noon of 6 April Djebels Roumana and Fatnassa had been stormed ; counter- attacks by German tanks and infantry against the 5oth Division and the 4th Indian Division had failed. During the night the enemy withdrew northward, harassed by armour and leaving much booty. At the same time he began to pull in his forces at Maknassy and el Guettar, and the = nd