Tunisia

US POWs in Tunisia

bigpigeon.us webpage WWII-Germany > The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia, © 2023 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 27 Nov 2022.
The Allies lost the race to Tunis, and then fought for six months before the Axis forces in Tunisia were finally cornered and surrendered.

Preliminaries - The Tunisian Campaign began with four salient events in November 1942:

On 5 November, after the British Eighth Army victory at El Alamein in northwest Egypt, Rommel's German and Italian army began a long withdrawal west from Egypt across Libya.
General Bernard Montgomery's Eighth Army then began following the retreating German and Italian forces.
Within a week after the 8 November Operation Torch Allied landings in Morocco and Algeria, the British First Army, which included the US II Corps, began advancing east from Algeria into northern and central Tunisia.
Soon after the 8 November Torch landings, the Axis began rushing troops from France and Italy into northern Tunisia, using both sea transport and an airlift.

For the Tunisian Campaign, US forces comprised II Corps, part of the British First Army. II Corps was initially commanded by General Lloyd Fredendall. After the February 1943 Battle of Kassserine Pass debacle, Fredendall was replaced by General George Patton.

Tunisian Campaign Overview:

From late November 1942 to late February 1943, several Axis attacks countered Allied advances.
Starting in March, repeated Allied successes pushed back Axis forces.
In May 1943, a quarter of a million German and Italian troops were trapped and surrendered in extreme northeastern Tunisia ending the Tunisian Campaign.

Tunisia, 1942-43

Northern Tunisia, November-December 1942:

17 November: British First Army (Operation Torch's Eastern Task Force) and Axis meet at Djebel Abiod in Tunisia.
27 November: First Army advance halted between Terbourba and Djedeida, 12 miles west of Tunis, by Axis counterattack.
10 December: First Army front line pushed back to defensive positions east of Medjez el Bab.
22 December: First Army starts three-day offensive towards Tebourba which fails.

Central Tunisia, January-April 1943:

30 January: Axis forces capture Faïd pass in central Tunisia.
14 February: Axis advance from the Faïd area launches Battle of Sidi Bou Zid against U.S. II Corps.
16 February: Axis enters Sbeita.
19 February: Axis penetrates Kasserine Pass.
22 February: Axis begins withdrawal across Kasserine Pass.
6 March: George Patton takes command of II Corps.
8 & 9 April: Battle for Fondouk Pass.

Tunisia, Dawn 14 Feb '43

The Battle of Sidi Bou Zid/Battle of Kasserine Pass

Men from southwest Iowa counties were heavily involved in combat in Tunisia, especially starting on 14 February 1943 just west of Faid Pass at the Battle of Sidi Bou Zid, in the lead-up to the Battle of Kasserine Pass. Major units in the Battle of Sidi Bou Zid were:
US:

168th Infantry Regiment (Iowa National Guard) of the 34th Infantry Division.
Elements of the 1st Armored Division.

Germany:

10th Panzer Division, rushed from Vichy France to Tunisia after the Allied invasion of North Africa.
21st Panzer Division, part of Rommel's Afrika Korps, which had retreated from Egypt through Libya into Tunisia.

Near Sidi Bou Zid, nearly half of the 168th Infantry Regiment surrendered on 17 February after being left in untenable positions. Lost were:

Regimental headquarters and the 3rd Bn. on Djebel Ksairra.
Half of the 2nd Bn. on Djebel Lassouda. Lt. Colonel Robert Moore of Villisca led the remainder of the 2nd Bn. to safety during the night.

1st Bn. was further south and survived intact.

The Overall Battle of Kasserine Pass:

After the Battle of Sidi Bou Zid, German units continued westward, breaking through Kasserine Pass on 19 February.
Resistance stiffened as additional Allied units were rushed to the area.
On 22 February Rommel called off the offensive and Axis withdrawal began.
Consequences: In addition to the large loss of POWs, the Allied cause suffered from a decline in British confidence in American leadership and fighting ability.

The Battle of Sidi Bou Zid - the First Day

Commentary - the Battle of Sidi Bou Zid:

Kern's Crossroads in the map's upper-left corner was named for Lt. Col. William B. Kern, CO of 1st Bn., 6th Armored Inf. Regt., 1st Armored Div. Kern was seriously injured in March 1943 and was replaced by Lyle J. Deffenbaugh of Council Bluffs, who then was killed in action in Italy in May 1944.
Waters in the upper-right corner refers to John K. Waters, CO of 1st Bn., 1st Armored Regt., 1st Armored Div., who was captured on 14 Feb. Waters was the son-in-law of General George Patton. An attempt to free Waters and other POWs let to the Task Force Baum fiasco in late March 1945, arguably the last Allied defeat in the ETO.
Of the 20 dead listed below, seven were attributable to the Battle of Sidi Bou Zid. Of these seven, two were POWs who died in captivity.

Southern Tunisia, February-April 1943:

4 February: Axis forces in Libya retreat to Tunisian border south of the Mareth Line. (Tripoli, Libya had been captured by the British Eighth Army on 23 January.)
6 March: Axis forces launch Operation Capri against British Eighth Army at Medenine but lose 55 tanks.
16 March: Battle of the Mareth Line begins.
19 March: Eighth Army launches Operation Pugilist.
23 March: U.S. II Corps defeats 10th Panzer Division at Battle of El Guettar. Battle of Mareth ends.
26 March: Eighth Army launches Operation Supercharge II outflanking and making the Axis position at Mareth untenable. Battle of Tebaga Gap takes place.
6 April: Right wing of British First Army links with Eighth Army. Battle of Wadi Akarit takes place.

Northern Tunisia, April-May 1943:

1 May: 34th Division captures Hill 609.
7 May: Allies enter Bizerte and Tunis.
13 May: Axis Powers surrender in Tunisia.

Final Victory in Tunisia

Sources for Big Pigeon's The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia webpage:

The page header photo, US POWS in Tunisia, was found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kasserine_Pass#/media/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-557-1002-10,_Tunesien,_amerikanische_Kriegsgefangene.jpg.
The Tunisia, 1942-43 map was found at Wikimedia Commons and is courtesy of Kirrages.
A Tunisian Campaign Timeline is adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_African_campaign_timeline.
The Tunisia, Dawn 14 Feb '43 map by Gene Thorp is courtesy of Rick Atkinson's An Army at Dawn.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sidi_Bou_Zid gives a good overview of the Battle of Sidi Bou Zid.
The Final Victory in Tunisia map by Gene Thorp is courtesy of Rick Atkinson's An Army at Dawn.
The Battle of Sidi Bou Zid map is courtesy of history.army.milStaffRides.
For a more-detailed map of the 34th Division's capture of Hill 609, see https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-MTO-NWA/maps/USA-MTO-NWA-XIII.jpg
The footnote photo, Col. Moore Comes Home, shows Lt. Col. Robert Moore, former commanding officer of the Second Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment, returning to Villisca, Iowa in 1943. The photo, by Buddy Bunker of the Omaha World Herald, won a 1944 Pulitzer Prize.

Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia:

Taken from the bigpigeon.us WWII Roster module.

02-01 - The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia: (20 dead, updated 1 Jan 2023)

The Battle of Sidi Bou Zid noted below is often considered part of the Battle of Kasserine Pass.

† Ball, John Jesse "Jack", SN 20-706-539, US Army, Pott. Co.

Co. L (Council Bluffs), 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div. --> Co. C, 1st Ranger Bn., II Corps; KIA 25 Mar 1943 El Guettar, Tunisia; Battle of El Guettar - The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Halbert, Dean Warren, SN 20-706-778, US Army, Montgomery Co.

Co. M, 168th Inf. Reg., 34th Inf. Div., II Corps; captured 16 Feb 1943 near Sidi Bou Zid, Tunisia; sent to Stalag 2-B in north Germany; DNB 28 Aug 1943 at a work camp at Gambin, near Stolp, Pomerania; executed with Franklin Reed after failing to return in a timely manner from a toilet break; Battle of Sidi Bou Zid - The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Henderson, Robert William, SN 20-706-543, US Army, Pott. Co.

Co. L, 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div., II Corps; KIA 16 Feb 1943, Djebel Ksaira, SE of Sidi Bou Zid, Tunisia; Battle of Sidi Bou Zid - The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Huffman, Cecil, SN 39-390-197; US Army, Douglas Co., MO & Cass Co.

Medical Detachment, 49th Inf. Regt., 9th Inf. Div., II Corps; KIA 30 Mar 1943 El Guettar, Tunisia; Battle of El Guettar - The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Kidwell, Harold Eldin, SN 20-706-194, US Army, Mills Co.

Co. I (Glenwood), 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div., II Corps; KIA 4 Apr 1943 near Fondouk, northern Tunisia; The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Martin, Clarence Reuben, SN 20-706-198, US Army, Mills Co.

Co. I, 168th Inf. --> Co. I, 133rd Inf., both 34th Inf. Div., II Corps; KIA 29 Apr 1943, near Hill 609, 20 miles SW of Mateur, northern Tunisia; Battle of Hill 609 - The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† McCormick, Dale Thomas, SN 20-706-807, US Army, Montgomery Co.

Co. M, 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div., II Corps; KIA 7 May 1943 approaching Chouigui Pass, northern Tunisia; The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Miller, Wesley Robert, SN 20-705-513, US Army, Montgomery Co.

Co. F, 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div., II Corps; KIA 2 Feb 1943 Tunisia; The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Moore, Loyd Harry, SN 20-700-138, US Army, Pott. Co.

Hq. Co., 34th Inf. Div., II Corps; DNB 14 Jun 1943 Mateur, Tunisia, injuries in truck accident; The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Phillips, George Donald, SN 37-194-330, US Army Air Force, Pott. & Jefferson Cos.

91st Fighter Sqdn., 81st Fighter Gp., Twelfth Air Force, based at Monastir Airfield, SE of Sousse, 100 miles S of Tunis, Tunisia; group flying Bell P-39 Airacobras; DNB 11 Jul 1943 in hospital, Sfax, Tunisia from rifle bullet in head; The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Phinney, Russell Dayton Jr., SN 20-704-300, US Army, Pott. Co.

168th Inf. Regt. Band, 34th Inf. Div., II Corps; KIA 18 Feb 1943, Djebel Ksaira, SE of Sidi Bou Zid, Tunisia; Battle of Sidi Bou Zid - The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Ratigan, Michael Dennis Jr., SN 37-035-643, US Army, Shelby Co.

6th Armored Inf. Bn., 1st Armored Div., II Corps; KIA 15 Feb 1943 near Sidi Bou Zid, Tunisia; Battle of Sidi Bou Zid - North Africa > The MTO > Tunisia; BNR.

† Snyder, Charles William, SN 20-706-428, US Army, Cass Co.

Co. K, 168th Inf. Regt., transferred to Co. K, 133rd Inf. Regt., both 34th Inf. Div., II Corps; KIA 8 Apr 1943 Fondouk, Tunisia; Battle of Fondouk Pass - The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Stinn, Richard Theodore, SN 37-037-441, US Army, Shelby Co.

HQ Co., 2nd Bn., 135th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div., II Corps; DNB 23 Aug 1943 Tunisia; shell explosion while training; The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Storm, Clarence Lamont, SN 20-705-518, US Army, Pott. Co.

Co. F, 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div., II Corps; KIA 1 May 1943 near Hill 609, 20 miles SW of Mateur, northern Tunisia; Battle of Hill 609 - The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Thompson, Robert O’Neal, SN 20-704-031, US Army, Page & Montgomery Cos.

Anti-tank Co.,168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div., II Corps; captured 16/17 Feb 1943 near Sidi Bou Zid, Tunisia; sent to Stalag 3B in east Germany; DNB 22 Dec 1944 Stalag 3B, Fürstenberg am Oder, Brandenberg, Germany; Battle of Sidi Bou Zid - The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Thorne, Chester Oscar, SN 20-706-841, US Army, Montgomery Co.

Co. M, 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div., II Corps; DOW 27 Apr 1943, northern Tunisia; accidental gunshot; The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Waage, Paul Allen, SN 20-704-306, US Army, Pott. Co. & Douglas Co., NE

Drummer, 168th Inf. Regt. Band, 34th Inf. Div., II Corps; KIA 17 Feb 1943 Djebel Ksaira, SE of Sidi Bou Zid, Tunisia; Battle of Sidi Bou Zid - The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Williams, Dale Withers Jr., SN 17-078-051, US Army, Pott. Co.

1st Armored Regt., 1st Armored Div., II Corps; DNB 2 May 1943 near Mateur, northern Tunisia; The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia.

† Wiseman, Russell Forest, SN 20-706-850, US Army, Montgomery Co.

Co. M. (Red Oak), 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div., II Corps; KIA 16 Feb 1943 SE of Sidi Bou Zid, Tunisia; Battle of Sidi Bou Zid - The MTO > North Africa > Tunisia; BNR.

Footnote: As I worked on the bigpigeon.us World War II webarea, I was struck by the thought that during this war ordinary men taken from civilian life, such as small-town druggist Bob Moore, were so soon and so often called upon to do extraordinary things.
- RAC 1 Aug '19

Col. Moore Comes Home