The Allied landings on the coast of North Africa caught the Germans by surprise. The ensuing days found Feldmarschall Kesselring scrambling to put men in Tunisia. Lead elements of the 5th Fallschirmjager Regiment landed in Tunisia and were ordered to secure a bridgehead around Tunis. The key to Tunis was Medjez el Bab (“Key to The Gate”). Hauptmann Knoche’s 3rd Battalion arrived at “the Gate” on the 18th and tried to talk the Vichy forces that held the city into allowing him to occupy Medjez el Bab. The French knew the British were only miles away and kept stalling for time. Knoche couldn’t allow the British to take Medjez el Bab and ordered an attack to take the town the next morning. . .
Attacker: German (Elements of Battalion III, Fallshirmjäger Regiment 5)
Defender: Free French/American/British (Division Tunis, Elements of US 175th Field Artillery and R Company, 1st Parachute Battalion)
Turns: 6.5 Players: 2 OBA: None Night: No
Medjez-El Bab, Tunisia 1942-11-19
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:15.0 D:11.5
AFVs: A:0 D:0
Guns: A:2 8cm GrW 34 x 2 D:2 OQF 25-Pounder Gun-How. x 1 Canon de 37 mle 16 TR x 1 Mortier de 60 mle 35 x 1
