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73-563: Ochsenkopf , German for "ox's head", may refer to: Operation Ochsenkopf , a battle during the Second World War Ochsenkopf (Malbun) , a mountain on the border of Liechtenstein and Austria Ochsenkopf (Fichtel Mountains) , a mountain in Upper Franconia, Bavaria Ochsenkopf (Jägerhaus) , a mountain of Saxony, southeastern Germany Ochsenkopf (Rittersgrün) ,

146-594: A defile about 24 km (15 mi) north-east of Béja. The 128th Infantry Brigade had support from seventy-two 25-pounders, fifteen 5.5 inches (140 mm) medium guns and two squadrons of Churchill MK IIIs of the North Irish Horse. A tank-killing zone had been prepared with minefields, anti-tank guns, hull-down Churchill tanks and direct fire areas for medium and heavy artillery. A cab rank of Hurricane Mk IID fighter-bombers, equipped with 40 mm Vickers S guns, circled overhead in communication with

219-560: A "blocking force" to Libya to support the Italian army, commanded by the future Field Marshal Erwin Rommel . The German blocking force at first was based only on Panzer Regiment 5, which was put together from the second regiment of the 3rd Panzer Division . These elements were organized into the 5th Light Division when they arrived in Africa from 10 February – 12 March 1941. On 2 March 1941,

292-414: A counter-attack in which forty Germans were killed and sixty captured. Further along the road towards Sidi Nsir, artillery broke up another German attack. Eight Tiger Is had been immobilized by mines and had to be blown up by their crews to avoid capture. A British tank officer went forward to investigate, saw no sign of Germans, reached the tanks and found the turrets open and the crews gone. On 2 March,

365-632: A formation which was also made up from an assortment of smaller elements in August 1941, the German forces in this theatre were still vulnerable. In the early months of 1942 the supply situation improved, with the British island fortress of Malta coming under intense air attack, allowing Axis supply convoys from Italy to get through. The British Operation Acrobat was planned to drive the DAK back to Tripoli , but

438-521: A last effort to break through the British positions on 31 August 1942 at the Battle of Alam el Halfa , but the Germans were again repulsed. In a series of battles in this area the 21st Panzer Division commander Von Bismarck was killed by a British mine and Oberst C. H. Lungerhausen took command until Major General Heinz von Randow arrived on 18 September. On 23 October 1942, the British offensive and

511-505: A mechanical engineer by the name of Alfred Becker . Working at a conversion facility near Paris called Baukommando Becker , Becker provided the unit with most of its transport and all of its assault guns. On June 17, 1943 Schnelle Brigade West was upgraded to Schnelle Division West , and on June 27, 1943, was assigned the name 21st Panzer Division in memory of the unit that had fought and been captured in North Africa. Major Becker

584-625: A mountain of Saxony, southeastern Germany Ochsenkopf (Kitzbühel Alps) , a mountain of the Alps Ochsenkopf Transmitter , a radio and TV transmitter for the Bayerischer Rundfunk See also [ edit ] Hoher Ochsenkopf , a mountain in the Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with

657-466: A quick counter-offensive by Rommel surprised the British and pushed them back out of Cyrenaica. Reaching Derna by 3 February 1942, the 21st Panzer was the linchpin of the assault. Just days earlier, on 30 January 1942, Major General Georg von Bismarck was appointed as the new divisional commander. Gazala was taken on 5 June 1942, and during the battle from 20 to 21 June, 21st Panzer along with 90th Light Division and 15th Panzer Division broke through

730-453: A thick fog fell across the valley, which hampered RAF sorties. The Germans attacked again and in the fog, D Company was surprised and a platoon was overrun but the rest of the attack was repulsed by artillery-fire and infantry of the 1/4th Hampshires. The fog lifted and immediately the RAF made eight sorties into the valley and caught German supply columns as artillery concentrations were directed by

803-430: A vice. On 21 December, von Randow was killed. By the time it reached Tunis , 21st Panzer had ceased to exist as a cohesive unit and was split up into Battle Groups ( Kampfgruppen ) Pfeiffer and Gruen . They were subsequently renamed Battle Groups Stenkhoff and Schuette , which took part in the Battle of Kasserine Pass . Major General Von Hulsen surrendered the remnants of the division on 13 May 1943. After Africa,

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876-520: A year later. It was heavily engaged in the fighting at the Normandy beachheads, being the only Panzer division to engage the Allies on the first day. The division was formed from the elements of the newly created Schnelle Division West (Fast Division West), a newly designed, highly mobile type of formation that was intended to be able to cover a great deal of territory to reach a point of invasion. It

949-415: The 501st Heavy Panzer Battalion and motorised infantry from the 10th Panzer Division. The rest of the 10th Panzer Division was to attack once the objectives were achieved and advance westwards, about 25 mi (40 km) south of Medjez. The area was held by the 128th (Hampshire) Infantry Brigade and numerous batteries of artillery. On 26 February, the northern attack of Ochsenkopf commenced and

1022-638: The Battle of Kasserine Pass (19–24 February) , the Axis created Army Group Africa ( Heeresgruppe Afrika / Gruppo d'Armate Africa ) as a command headquarters for the 5th Panzer Army and the Italian 1st Army in Tunisia. Adolf Hitler and the German General Staff Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) believed that Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen von Arnim should assume command but Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring

1095-534: The British Eighth Army made up of XIII Corps and XXX Corps . Eighth Army launched Operation Crusader on 18 November 1941, which forced Rommel to retreat to El Agheila by the end of the year, allowing the British to re-occupy Cyrenaica and lift the siege of Tobruk. The 21st Panzer, along with 15th Panzer Division , did score a notable victory over XXX Corps (and in particular the 7th Armoured Division ) on 22 November at Sidi Rezegh and broke through to

1168-740: The Lincolnshire Regiment , the DLI and Churchill tanks of the North Irish Horse drove the Germans back in determined fighting. The British position became untenable due to withdrawals by the French further west in the Medjez area, when Axis troops occupied high ground dominating the town. The French commander had thought his position was being outflanked and ordered a withdrawal. The German penetration towards Béja and Medjez along with

1241-612: The Second Battle of El Alamein began. The Germans were overwhelmed and 21st Panzer was reduced to only four tanks by 7 November. During the long retreat to Tunisia , the 21st Panzer fought the rear guard actions. To compound German problems, the Anglo-Americans landed in Morocco and Algeria during Operation Torch and Panzerarmee Afrika , as it was now called, was threatened with annihilation, as it would be caught in

1314-541: The Tobruk perimeter, capturing nearly 35,000 prisoners. As a result, the British Eighth Army fell back. The fighting had taken its toll on the division, with the 15th and 21st Panzer only able to field 44 tanks between them. Four-fifths of their transport vehicles had been captured when they crossed into Egypt. The British prepared a new defensive position at Mersa Matruh. 21st Panzer was used to sweep behind

1387-629: The V Corps ( Charles Allfrey ) sector on 26 February. Unternehmen Ochsenkopf was a plan to penetrate the British defences on 26 February, with Korpsgruppe Weber (General Friedrich Weber ) of the 334th Infantry Division , elements of the Luftwaffe Hermann Göring Division which had recently arrived and the parts of the 10th Panzer Division not involved in Unternehmen Frühlingswind (Operation Spring Storm), in three groups or horns, in

1460-515: The barbed wire and the defenders were soon overwhelmed and destroyed. Djebel Djaffa, further west, held by a battalion of French Colonial troops was attacked simultaneously by the paratroopers. The French were surprised and swiftly overrun, most being captured. A hasty counter-attack by the Surreys on Fort MacGregor was attempted but was stopped just forward of the start line and the Surreys withdrew with many casualties. British artillery bombarded

1533-425: The forward observation officers and air observation post observers. The German tanks and infantry suffered many casualties; the serpentine road which the Axis transport was using was turned into a wilderness of bomb craters and burning vehicles, which forced a withdrawal. The 2/4th Hampshires held on to their last positions as the Germans tried to advance along a wadi to the south. The British surprised them with

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1606-676: The 21st Panzer were then almost entirely lost in the Falaise Pocket . The remnants of the unit merged with the 16th Luftwaffe Field Division . Of the 223 tanks of the 21st and other Divisions captured in the area by British forces between 8–31 August, about three quarters were abandoned/destroyed by their crews. In December, Rundstedt decided not to commit the 21st to offensive actions in Operation Wacht am Rhein , leaving it to provide flank cover, which probably saved it from total destruction. On 29 December, 21st Panzer reported

1679-402: The 504th Heavy Panzer Battalion, while the 501st repaired 25 of its tanks bringing it back up to quarter strength. However, Ochsenkopf was to be the last major Axis offensive by the 5th Panzer Army in Africa. On 25 March, General Alexander ordered a counter-attack. On 28 March, the 46th Infantry Division attacked with the 138th Infantry Brigade, keeping the 128th Infantry Brigade in reserve and

1752-491: The 56th Reconnaissance Regiment , Valentine tanks of the 17th/21st Lancers , elements of the 51st Royal Tank Regiment (51st RTR) and the North Irish Horse. The next day almost as soon as they arrived, the Surreys and the Valentines of the 17/21st Lancers counter-attacked Djebel Djaffa, which was recaptured after some resistance. The 334th Division struck at Tally Ho corner just before midnight, surprised and overran

1825-579: The 5th Light Division was joined by elements of 15th Panzer Division forming the Afrika Corps . In late summer the 90th Light Infantry Division was formed and joined the Africa Corps. On 15 August 1941, the 5th Light Division was redesignated 21st Panzer Division. After being renamed the 21st Panzer Division, the unit did not enjoy any particular success throughout the remainder of the year. The British regrouped and were reinforced, and formed

1898-517: The Allies on 1 April. On 7 April, Anderson ordered the 78th Infantry Division to clear the Béja–Medjez road. With artillery and close air support, the division methodically advanced 16 km (10 mi) through difficult mountain terrain for ten days on a 16 km (10 mi) front. The 4th Infantry Division moved up on the left of the 78th Infantry Division and pushed towards Sidi Nisr. With

1971-461: The Battle of Kasserine. Until 1 March, the British conducted expensive but successful counter-attacks, which delayed the Axis advance on the hamlet. On 2 March, a Durham Light Infantry (DLI) counter-attack was a costly failure and the battalion was withdrawn to a wooded area outside Sedjenane; more German attacks on Sedjenane that day and the next were defeated. A counter-attack by a battalion of

2044-729: The British XIII Corps, where it engaged in an intense combat with the 2nd New Zealand Division at the Battle of Mersa Matruh . The British were defeated and fell back to a new line at El Alamein . In a series of battles fought in July 1942, the Eighth Army was able to stop the advance of the Afrika Korps at the First Battle of El Alamein . Shortages in equipment, ammunition and fuel limited further actions. Rommel made

2117-555: The British advanced and mopped up halfway along the road to Steamroller Farm, held by about 2,000 men from two battalions of the Hermann Göring Division, elements of a panzergrenadier regiment, 5 cm Pak 38 and 88 mm anti-tank guns. A squadron of the 51st RTR in Churchill Mk III tanks and a company of Coldstream Guards set off just before midday on 28 February and by 4:00 p.m. they were in sight of

2190-610: The Egyptian border, posing a threat to the Eighth Army. Over-stretched supply lines and the urgent need to assist the Axis forces around Tobruk, which were being hard-pressed by XIII Corps, obliged them to withdraw. On returning to Sidi Rezegh, the division lost Major-General Johann von Ravenstein , who was captured while on reconnaissance during 29 November. Although joined by the Special Use Division Africa ( 90th Light Infantry Division after 27 November 1941),

2263-450: The French withdrawal had caught the 139th Infantry Brigade in a salient and two companies of Sherwood Foresters were overrun. On 4 March, the British retreated 24 km (15 mi) from Sedjenane toward Djebel Abiod to stabilise the front. The Axis attack on Djebel Abiod was delayed for five days by the defence of Sedjenane and it was not captured. The southern horn of the operation was to be conducted by Kampfgruppe Audorff with

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2336-782: The German Oberbefehlshaber Süd (OB Süd, Commander-in-Chief South) argued for Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel , who was appointed to command the new Army Group Africa on 23 February. Comando Supremo , the Italian General Staff, ordered Rommel to end the attack at Kasserine, in view of the Allied reinforcement of the Tebessa area, to conduct a spoiling offensive against the Eighth Army (General Bernard Montgomery ) as it approached

2409-598: The German tanks knocked out were because of armour-piercing ammunition; the rest by a roughly equal combination of infantry anti-tank weapons, artillery, aircraft rockets or cannon, or were abandoned/destroyed by their crews. The last major action the 21st Panzer took part in on the Western Front was the stubborn resistance it gave the British Guards Armoured Division during Operation Bluecoat , on 1 August 1944. The surviving forces of

2482-587: The Germans quickly captured the Sidi Nsir hamlet and railway station, where the road and railway connecting Béja and Mateur diverged, the road east into the hills and the railway along the easier north-east route. The 172nd Field Regiment RA, with three batteries of 25-pounder gun-howitzers , and 155 Battery, with eight 25-pounders, were dug in around a farm, with the 5th Battalion Hampshire Regiment . They were to monitor German movements but most were poorly-trained, with no battle experience. At Hampshire Farm,

2555-536: The Germans withdrew, having lost over forty tanks and nearly sixty other armoured vehicles; two out of the four German infantry battalions were taken prisoner, in addition to the killed and wounded. Many of the prisoners had been on the Eastern Front and claimed that they had never experienced such a weight of bombardment. The offensive had failed to achieve the main objectives and Arnim called off further attacks. Anderson had considered abandoning Medjez, until

2628-533: The Hermann Göring Parachute Division, the 334th Infantry Division and supporting panzer battalions. Protecting this area was a British force known as Y Division, an ad hoc force, which had been formed from the 38th (Irish) Brigade, a mixture of commandos, Grenadier and Coldstream Guards , elements of the 1st Parachute Brigade and Churchill tanks of C Squadron 142 (Suffolk) Regiment under command. The kampfgruppe attacked on

2701-429: The North Irish Horse stopped the Germans until dusk. B Company was ordered to withdraw after a platoon was overrun and a second was in danger of collapse. C Company was overrun by German infantry and armour later in the day but the attackers were unable to advance further. The next day Lang found he was only 10 mi (16 km) from Hunt's Gap but was down to six operational tanks. The 2/5th Leicesters arrived and

2774-527: The allies to withdraw and delay a further advance, while Rommel prepared the attack of the 1st Italian Army (the former German-Italian Panzer Army) from the Mareth Line defences against the Eighth Army. The subsidiary Unternehmung Ausladung began on the morning of 26 February, to outflank the British in Sedjenane and the high ground opposite Green Hill, with an attack on the hilly coastal strip to

2847-411: The area. The depleted Hermann Göring Regiment had suffered many more casualties; its commander had assumed that the tank sortie was from a much bigger formation and sent a message to Fliegerführer Afrika that he had been attacked by a "mad tank battalion which had scaled impossible heights" and "compelled his ultimate withdrawal". Kampfgruppe Lang had 77 tanks, including twenty Tigers of

2920-461: The attached 36th Infantry Brigade , 1st Parachute Brigade and French units (including a tabor of specialist mountain Goumiers ). The division was supported by the field artillery of two divisions, medium and heavy guns. In four days, the 46th Infantry Division recaptured the ground lost to Division von Manteuffel and took 850 German and Italian prisoners. Sedjenane was re-captured by

2993-412: The attack of the 1st Italian Army on the Eighth Army were delayed for a week by the failure of Unternehmen Ochsenkopf and the Battle of Medenine was a costly failure. Allfrey was promoted to major-general on 9 March. An Axis success would have meant the loss of Béja and the retirement of the Allied line along the northern sector, including a withdrawal from Medjez el Bab, which would have prolonged

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3066-823: The battles of the North African Campaign from 1941 to 1943 during World War II when it was one of the two armoured divisions making up the Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK). It was first formed as the 5th Light Division in early 1941. The Italian army group in North Africa was routed by the British Commonwealth Western Desert Force in Operation Compass 9 December 1940 – 9 February 1941 under General Wavell . The German Armed Forces High Command ( Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ) decided to send

3139-568: The campaign and interfered with Allied plans for the Allied invasion of Sicily . The Germans lost 71 panzers —nearly 90 per cent of the tanks used—while sixty other vehicles were destroyed or captured. The Germans suffered nearly 2,800 casualties and another 2,200 men, who could not be easily replaced, were captured. The British suffered 1,800 casualties and lost 2,300 prisoners, 16 tanks, 17 guns, 13 anti-tank guns and forty other vehicles. On 17 March, Axis forces were reinforced by

3212-743: The command of Sepp Dietrich which were to push northwest to retake Bayeux but this plan was abandoned when the divisional staff were killed in an air raid . The division continued to fight as part of the front throughout June and July. Between 6 June and 8 July, 21st Panzer reported the loss of 54 Panzer IVs, with 17 Panzer IVs arriving as replacements. On 3 July a German report stated the following number of enemy tanks destroyed by 21st Panzer according to weapon used: Pz : 37, Sturmgeschütz : 15, Mot. Pak & Flak : 41, Artillery: 3, Infantry: 5. Total 101. To 27 July German tank losses continued in similar numbers. Between 6 June and 7 August, British reports based on captured vehicles suggested that about half of

3285-546: The commando garrison, whose survivors were rescued by Churchill tanks. The Germans pressed on to a small ridge 6 mi (9.7 km) to the east of El Aroussa, where two battalions of the Hermann Göring Division and a supporting panzer company assaulted a position defended by the Churchill tanks of Suffolk Squadron, 142nd Regiment RAC. Firing from hull down positions, the Churchill tanks knocked out four Panzer IVs , disabled three Panzer IIIs and destroyed an 88 mm gun for

3358-503: The defences of the Mareth Line from the east. The villages of Gafsa, Metlaoui and Tozeur were to be held by mobile troops and most of the attack group was to return to the 1st Italian Army. The 10th Panzer Division had retired from Thala by early on 23 February and the 21st Panzer Division ended its attack on Sbiba on 24 February. The divisions were to refit and also rejoin the 1st Italian Army, ready for an attack in early March,

3431-404: The defenders were to absorb the first shock of an Axis attack on Béja, to give the defenders between Medjez and Beja at Hunt's Gap time to prepare. It was estimated the Germans attacked with thirteen infantry battalions, c.  13,000 men, with the supporting troops of two divisions c.  (30,000 men) on the northern front. During the night, Verey light signals began to go up in

3504-476: The division was reformed in Europe, where it garrisoned Caen, until 16th field luftwaffe division relieved it of its duty. It was then moved to Paris, where it remained for rehabilitation and garrison duty until the Allied landings at Normandy . The new division's commander was Oberst Edgar Feuchtinger who was promoted to Generalmajor on 1 August 1943 and Generalleutenant (equivalent to Major-General) exactly

3577-480: The evening of 25 February, their first objectives being Tally Ho corner, an important road junction and a knoll nicknamed Fort MacGregor. The Luftwaffe had attacked the British positions and shot up transport behind the front. At Fort MacGregor, D Company of the East Surreys were attacked by the paratroopers of the Hermann Göring Division. After two German attacks were repulsed, paratroopers blew holes in

3650-545: The farm. German artillery-fire was directed at them and shortly afterwards they were attacked by Junkers Ju 87 ( Stuka ) dive bombers, losing five Churchills. The 1st Troop pressed forward into the farm area with the Coldstream Guards but were pinned down. Another Churchill tank, commanded by Second Lieutenant J. C. Renton, arrived and two tanks made a 1,500 yd (1,400 m) dash across an exposed causeway covered by an 88 mm gun. At 20 yd (18 m)

3723-481: The first 8.8 cm "88" dual purpose anti-aircraft/anti-tank guns arrived and provided much needed firepower. Although the DAK commander, Erwin Rommel, was under strict orders to remain on the defensive, he ordered an attack on 31 March 1941 by the 5th Light and 4th Italian divisions, which was a big success, as the British began a retreat that would, by April, see German forces pushing into Egypt after an advance of some 600 miles (970 km). In late April and into May,

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3796-532: The following strength: 72 Panzer IV tanks, 38 Panther tanks and 8 Flakpanzer IV . From January 7 to 21 Col Hans von Luck's 125 Regiment of the 21st took part in Operation Nordwind , aiming to sever the American supply line to Strasbourg . Two weeks of heavy fighting in the villages of Rittershoffen and Hatten followed. Luck recalled to Stephen Ambrose fifty years later that the battle was "one of

3869-411: The ground, waiting for targets. On 28 February, Rommel ordered Oberst Rudolf Lang to hurry up and he ordered a pre-dawn attack by about ten Panzer IVs and lorried infantry after an artillery bombardment against the positions of B Company, 2/4th Hampshires. Churchill tanks knocked out four Panzer IVs, which halted the attack. The Germans then attacked again and penetrated C Company but the tanks of

3942-518: The gun fired and grazed the turret, before the crew fled and the Churchill flattened the gun; the Churchills then reached the summit of the pass and surprised the Germans there. The tanks came across German transport and shot them up as they went by, then knocked out two Panzer IIIs and two anti-tank guns as they tried to deploy. The Germans fled and as dusk fell the column was destroyed. Hollands and Renton were ordered to rejoin their squadron but

4015-527: The hill for several hours with all the medium and heavy guns and when the Surreys attacked again, it was empty save for six shell-shocked Germans. The paratroopers had been devastated by the shelling and had no choice but to withdraw. The summit was no bigger than a football pitch and was strewn with human remains, mostly German but also the British dead of D Company. Allfrey sent forward the Lancashire Fusiliers , 600 men of No. 6 Commando ,

4088-407: The hills around Sidi Nsir, and at 6:30 a.m. next morning, German mortars began firing on the British guns. After 45 minutes, German tanks drove down the road from Mateur and four of the 25-pounders opened fire. No. 1 gun had been specially placed at the top of a slope to cover the approach from Mateur and fired over open sights. The leading German tanks ran onto mines, were damaged and withdrew with

4161-550: The hills held by the Free French between Cap Serrat , the railway and Sedjenane . The French managed to repulse an Italian attack but were then overrun and many were taken prisoner. On 27 February, elements of the 139th Infantry Brigade of the 46th Infantry Division and attached No. 1 Commando , supported by the 70th Field and 5th Medium regiments RA , moved up to counter the German advance but lacked air support and were short of artillery ammunition, after taking part in

4234-529: The infantry. At 11:00 a.m. the Germans made another attempt on the left flank, but F Troop opened fire and hit four German tanks, setting them ablaze. German infantry engaged B Company with small-arms fire, but were repulsed. Around midday, the Germans prepared to attack again, but massed British artillery fire broke up the attack before it began. By 1:00 p.m., thirty German tanks, self-propelled guns and infantry had worked round both flanks and were within 600 yd (550 m). The highest observation post

4307-404: The leading tank stalled and had to be given a tow start . The tank sortie destroyed two 88 mm, two 75 mm, and two 50 mm anti-tank guns, four smaller anti-tank guns, 25 wheeled vehicles, two 3-inch mortars and the two Panzer IIIs and inflicted nearly 200 casualties. The next day the French owner of the farm arrived at El Aroussa to say that the Germans had gone and the British occupied

4380-467: The loss of a Churchill. The German infantry suffered many casualties and the survivors withdrew after determined resistance by the British infantry supported by massed artillery. The British received reinforcements and counter-attacked after another bombardment, pushing the Germans back from Tally Ho corner into the hills east of the Medjez-El-Bab to El-Aroussa road during the night. After dark,

4453-481: The moves to be covered by minor operations on the 5th Panzer Army front. On 24 February, Arnim flew to Rome without consulting Rommel and advocated an offensive towards Béja, being convinced that the British First Army (General Kenneth Anderson ), had sent reinforcements south from the northern front to save Sbiba and Thala . Arnim gained the approval of Kesselring for an attack on a wide front against

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4526-627: The north between the town and Cap Serrat. The area was lightly held by poorly-equipped French troops of the Corps Francs d'Afrique . Division von Manteuffel led the attack with elite troops of the Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger Regiment (motorized) "Barenthin" (Major Rudolf Witzig ) and the Italian 10th Bersaglieri Regiment . The Axis forces, with air support from the Luftwaffe made good progress across

4599-408: The objective of the road junction at El Aroussa . In the north, the improvised Division von Broich/von Manteuffel (Division von Manteuffel), in the subsidiary Unternehmen Ausladung (Operation Disembarkation), was to defeat the British in the Sedjenane valley, cut the communications from Jefna to Djebel Aboid and cover the northern flank of Korpsgruppe Weber . The operations would force

4672-597: The remaining guns began; seven tanks were hit but one by one, the remaining British guns were hit by tank-gun and machine-gun fire. By nightfall, only one 25-pounder and several Bren guns remained, engaging the German tanks at ranges of from 10–20 yd (9.1–18.3 m). "Tanks are on us" was the last wireless message and Newham ordered the evacuation of battalion headquarters. When the battle began, there had been nine officers and 121 other ranks; nine men reached British lines, seven of whom were wounded. The defence of Sidi Nsir gained time to prepare defences at Hunt's Gap,

4745-428: The salient at Medjez relieved and lateral roads in the V Corps area cleared, Anderson began to prepare the big attack scheduled for 22 April to take Tunis. Within three weeks the Axis front collapsed and the 230,000 remaining troops in Tunisia surrendered. Books Journals Websites 21st Panzer Division (Wehrmacht) The 21st Panzer Division was a German armoured division best known for its role in

4818-496: The shape of a bull's head. The northern horn, with most of the tanks, was to advance on the route from Mateur from the north-east, to capture Béja 40 km (25 mi) west of Medjez. The second group was to attack from Goubellat towards Sloughia and Oued Zarga to envelop the British at Mejez El Bab and the third group was to carry out a pincer attack in the Bou Arouda valley, then advance through El Aroussa to Gafour, with

4891-445: The southern flank by infiltrating forward under cover of a hill. At 3:00 p.m., German infantry commenced small-arms fire at close range and a column of tanks led by a Tiger moved along the road into the battery position, as thirteen more tanks gave covering fire from hull-down positions. The British gunners switched to armour piercing shot and knocked out three tanks, which blocked the road. At 5:30 p.m., another German attack on

4964-451: The success of the defence of Hunt's Gap, the no retreat order issued by General Harold Alexander (commander of the 18th Army Group ) and the end of the German attack, which saved the village. By 5 March, 2/4th Hampshires had lost 243 men killed or missing and were relieved by the 8th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders , of the 36th Infantry Brigade, 78th Division. Weber ordered Lang to fall back to defensive positions; Rommel

5037-504: The title Ochsenkopf . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ochsenkopf&oldid=1254350900 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Operation Ochsenkopf After

5110-551: Was assigned the command of the division's assault gun battalion, Panzerjäger-Abteilung 200 . The division was under the command of Rommel, who was responsible for German forces from the Netherlands to the Loire . Rommel had been away from the front during the first days of the invasion on leave to visit his family; he re-assumed command on 9 June. The division was grouped with two panzer divisions, 12SS and Panzer Lehr , under

5183-450: Was attacked, its wireless transmitter destroyed and telephone lines cut. Eight Messerschmitt Bf 109s fighters strafed each gun in turn all day, inflicting casualties and also attacked rear areas. Several of the British vehicles on the road to Hunt's Gap were hit, and ammunition had to be salvaged at risk by the gunners. Bivouacs and ammunition dumps were also hit and left burning. Just after 2:30 p.m., German lorried infantry turned

5256-497: Was dismayed when he heard that 19 Tigers had been destroyed. Major Hans-Georg Lueder, commander of Schwere Panzer Abteilung 501 (Heavy Tank Battalion 501) was severely wounded and the detachment lost so many tanks that it ceased to be an effective fighting force. None of the Axis operational objectives were met, despite gaining some ground in the west. The battle cost the Germans the initiative; at best they had only slightly delayed an Allied offensive. The divisions needed for

5329-457: Was thought that a number of these formations would be set up in France, each with greater mobility and transport than a standard panzer division. German industry was unable to provide the vehicles for these units, and only a single brigade was formed, known as Schnelle Brigade West . This was largely fitted out with captured French half tracks and light tanks that had been armoured and up-gunned by

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