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PART IV The Drive to Tunis and the German Surrender

PART IV The Drive to Tunis and the German Surrender. CDT Walters  CDT McCary CDT Rogers  CDT McElrath CDT Porter. Battle of Mareth (March 16-28). Battle Line Up Allied 5 to 1 tank advantage (743-142) Allied 2 to 1 man power advantage Allied Commander: Montgomery (8 th Army)

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PART IV The Drive to Tunis and the German Surrender

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  1. PART IV The Drive to Tunis and the German Surrender CDT Walters  CDT McCary CDT Rogers  CDT McElrath CDT Porter

  2. Battle of Mareth(March 16-28) • Battle Line Up • Allied 5 to 1 tank advantage (743-142) • Allied 2 to 1 man power advantage • Allied Commander: Montgomery (8th Army) • Axis Commander: Messe (1st Italian Army)

  3. Battle of Mareth • Situation: Axis want to hold out in heavily fortified Mareth Line of defenses. Gives the allies the chance to ‘wrap up’ an Axis army. • Concept of the Operation: XXX Corps conducts a frontal attack while X Corps and the New Zealand Corps Envelope the Axis through the Tebaga Gap • Results: Montgomery encounters much stiffer resistance against the main line of axis defenses than expected and the envelopment force becomes the main effort. • Final Outcome: Allied victory, however not the decisive victory that Montgomery had hoped for. “Three German divisions, with the help of Italian cannon fodder, had thwarted three british corps for a fortnight.”

  4. El Guettar(March 16-25) • Patton’s II Corps vs. von Arnim’s Panzer Armee Afrika • Two-pronged offensive to the east led by Patton • Orlando Ward’s tanks (1st Armored Division) and infantry forces • Move 20 miles to Maknassy • Destroy Luftwaffe airfield at Mezzouna • Terry Allen’s forces • Move to seize Gafsa (Gen. Terry Allen’s 1st Infantry Division) • 1st Ranger Battalion (20-21 March) = surprise attack to clear Djebel Orbata and observe “Gumtree Road”

  5. El Guettar • 23 March • Tanks of the 10th Panzer Division, Panzergrenadiers and Italians from the Centauro Division, attacked the positions of the 1st ID • Minefield + Artillery = retreat • Orders to Patton: Increase pressure along the Gafsa-Gabes axis • Slow Allied advance • Official end of El Guettar: 6 April; capture of Wadi Akarit • Take aways: • Excellent defensive capability of the U.S. forces • Poor offensive operations of the U.S.

  6. Battle of Fondouk Pass(April 8-9) • Capture Fondouk Pass, allow British 6th Armoured to intercept Messe before reaching Kairouan and linking with Fifth Panzer • Commanders: • British: Crocker, IX Corps • American: Ryder, 34th Inf. • German: convicts

  7. Battle of Fondouk Pass • Combat • 34th attacks southern pass; pinned down for 2 days; British Lancers break through on April 10th • Outcome: Allies capture the Pass • TOO LATE to catch Messe • Aftermath: British planning, American fortitude questioned • “Bad plan executed badly.” • Increased American / British animosity • Ike unable to censure press • BUT it is still another tactical victory

  8. Final Push into Tunisia • Montgomery initiated with a poor frontal assault but a successful flanking on the Axis right side. • Patton’s II Corps pressured from the West while the Axis powers fell back to the North.

  9. Allied Powers Won • Air superiority, naval superiority, and good intelligence. • Axis powers lack of supplies, fuel, and evacuation. • Germans and Italians trapped with a hopeless cause.

  10. QUESTIONS?

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