Battle of Sidi Bou Zid

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Battle of the El Guettar
Part of The Tunisia Campaign
Date 14 February, 1943 - 17 February 1943 Location Sidi Bou Zid, Tunisia Result German Victory
Combatants
10th Panzer Division 21th Panzer Division	1st Armored Division
Commanders
Hans-Jürgen von Arnim	General Lloyd Fredendall

Tunisia Campaign
Capri – El Guettar – Kasserine Pass – Pugilist – Sidi Bou Zid

The Battle of Sidi Bou Zid was a World War II battle that took place during the larger Battle of Tunisia, fought between the 10th and the 21th Panzer Divisions under Hans-Jürgen von Arnim and the American 1st Armored Division under General Lloyd Fredendall in northeast Tunisia near Tunis.

Contents 1 Background 2 The battle 3 External links 4 References and notes

[edit] Background

The battle of Sidi Bou Zid was part of the Tunisia Campaign, a series of battles between forces of the German/Italian Axis, and allied forces consisting primarily of U.S., British and Vichy French.

Since November 1942, the area surrounding Sidi Bou Zid had been under the control of the Allied forces.^[1]

On January 1943, Axis forces under commands of both Rommel (also known as Desert Fox) and Hans-Jürgen von Arnim were still concentrated and defending the Mareth Line, originally a French fortification near the coastal town of Medenine in southern Tunisia which was occupied by the Germans after Operation Capri.^[2] At this point most of Tunisia was now in German hands especially after taking the Faïd Pass from its French defenders on January 30.

[edit] The battle

At 4 A.M. on February 14 the German tanks, under the leadership of Lieutenant General Heinz Ziegler, the deputy to Arnim, surrounded two U.S. infantry battalions through Faïd and Maizila passes, sites that General Dwight D. Eisenhower himself had inspected three hours earlier.^[3] The American task force was led by Lloyd Fredendall, a much criticized commander who neither visited the front nor considered input from commanders farther forward. He was settled in Tebessa 80 miles away from the battlefield.^[4]

The Germans drove off an American armored counterattack using more than 80 Panzer IV, Panzer III and Tiger II tanks. The attack started with an advance of tanks belonging to the 10th Panzer Division under the cover of a sandstorm. The 1st Armored Division troops tried to delay the German advance by firing a 105-mm. M101 howitzer semi-fixed ammunition installed in a M4 Sherman tank. This tactical move was in vain as they were shelled by German 8.8 cm KwK 43 anti-tank guns.^[4][5] In parallel, the 21th Panzer Division started hitting the 168th Infantry’s 3rd Battalion positions on Djebel Ksiara (hill). Under heavy shelling, Colonel Thomas Drake leading 1,900 men of his 3rd Battalion requested permission to retreat. This request was denied by Fredendall who ordered them to hold their positions and wait for reinforcements until the help arrived. This never happened.^[4]

In fact, under the weak command of Lloyd Fredendall, U.S. infantry were scattered between two distant hills Djebel Lessouda and Djebel Ksiara where mutual support was very difficult.^[4]

The Germans handled the battle with ease and with heavy losses before U.S. withdrawal on February 17. After being rescued by General Patton's son-in-law, Lieutenant Colonel John K. Waters, who was held as POW at OFLAG XIII-B camp, many U.S. infantry will join others on February 19 to fight the Battle of the Kasserine Pass. ^[6]

[edit] External links

• Tank battle at Sidi Bou Zid - School of Journalism / Indiana University (Bloomington)

[edit] References and notes