Victory in Tunisia - Europe 1943

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

After Casablanca, the Tunisian campaign began.

from East - Gen. Kenneth Anderson & British 1st Army and Gen. Bernard Montgomery & British 8th Army
from West - Gen. L.R. Fredendall & U.S. Army 2nd Corps
held back in reserve - Gen. Mark Clark & US 5th Army
Gen. Carl Spaatz led U.S. Air forces, but Arthur Tedder was the Allied Air Commander

Tunisia map
from ILN 1943/05/08 - large

German reinforcement of Tunisia

Field Marshall Albert Kesselring sent troops from Italy
Hitler created 5th Panzer under Gen. Jurgen von Arnim - grew to 11 divisions

German offensive started in Jan. 1943

Jan. 30 drove Americans & British out of Faid Pass & the eastern dorsal

George Patton
from ILN 1943/03/27

Feb. 19 - Kasserine Pass in the western dorsal

Fredendall lost 3000 casualties, 3700 captured, 200 tanks
but German tanks unable to maneuver in narrow mountain passes

March 4 - 2-star Gen. George S. Patton arrived

"blew into Tunisia like a cyclone"
replaced Fredendall as II Corps commander

German prisoners in Tunisia
led by Brit with white flag
from ILN 1943/05/22

Mar. 16 - Gafsa, El Guettar

lesson of Kasserine - take sides of mt. passes first
but U.S. role was only a diversion for main Brit attack in east

Mar. 20 - Monty attacked Mareth line

Apr. 1 - Patton drove down road to Gabes - through minefield

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

Apr. 22 - Allies shot down 16 of 21 Gigant motorised gliders

German gliders used in Crete
from ILN 1941/07/26 - large

Apr. 30 - Germans out of fuel - distilled from local wines and spirits

May 7 - fall of Bizerte

May 8 - Luftwaffe abandoned Tunisia

May 13 - final surrender of German & Italian army - 275,000

was a major disaster for Mussolini

Eastern Front

Russian Caucasus offensive successful - map from Eastern Front images

Jan. 31, 1943 - Paulus surrendered at Stalingrad

Feb. 8 - Russian offensive took Kursk and Kharkov

Mar. 15 - Erich von Manstein took Orel and Kharkov, leaving a Russian salient at Kursk

July 5 - Manstein launched Op. Citadel against Kursk

July 12 - battle of Kursk - 1800 tanks - largest of the war

Image of War changes