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.

    612/698 (page 450)
    Armoured Division on the left were then passed through and drove astride the Tunis road. A tank battle developed south of Furna and the enemy were driven off to the south-east by the 6th Armoured Division: infantry were brought up to cover the exposed right flank. Resistance stiffened, but in the afternoon the 7th Armoured Division captured Massicault. In the evening another tank battle was fought north of Massicault and the enemy, who had twenty tanks of the 15th Panzer Division, was driven away to the north-east. The Allied Air Forces provided complete support and had overwhelming domination of the air. Farther north the U.S. 2nd Corps continued their progress. While their 34th Infantry Division moved in the direction of Tebourba, their 1st Infantry Division engaged the enemy along the line of the Oued Tine, south of Mateur. After fighting heavily all day, their 1st Armoured Divi- sion, operating north-east from Mateur, took the high ground commanding the road to Ferryville. Their 9th Infantry Division, operating north of the Garaet Achkel, approached within 9 miles of Bizerta. Next day (7 May) the U.S. 1st Infantry Division forced a crossing of the Oued Tine, south-east of Mateur, and the rst Armoured Division occupied Ferryville: then the gth Infantry Division, advancing on the north of the Garaet Achkel, broke down all remaining resistance and in the afternoon swept into Bizerta. Thus the U.S. 2nd Corps completed an operation of great difficulty. On the morning of 7 May to the north of the Massicault—Tunis road the 7th Armoured Division took St. Cyprien and the advance continued on le Bardo. In the afternoon, after severe fighting in the suburbs, ‘Tunis was entered and occupied. The 6th Armoured Division reduced a strong- point at la Mornaghia and the high ground to the south was occupied by infantry. Farther south the enemy withdrew from the region north of the Sebkret el Kourzia and the British 1st Armoured Division reached the region of Bir Mcherga, on the main Pont du Fahs—Tunis road. On the same day, moreover, the French 19th Corps took Pont*du Fahs and some high ground to the east of the town. In a single day, therefore, Tunis and Bizerta fell, and movements were in train to prevent the manning of a last resistance in the Zaghouan—Enfida- ville-Cap Bon fortress. (ix) The Destruction of the Axis Armies It has already been stated that von Arnim had foreseen the loss of Bizerta and Tunis and that he had planned that the forces in these areas should retire across the plains of Tunis to Hammam Lif. In the event, the occupation of Bizerta by the U.S. 2nd Army was the signal for the enemy troops in that area and to the south of it to implement the plan. But the British 7th and 6th Armoured Divisions had on the same day broken out across the plains and entered Tunis, surprising the enemy there and cutting the roads from the north to Hammam Lif. Moreover,