Changes

As the US 2nd Corps units pushed on to cut the Bizerte-Tunis road, they found surrendering ''Afrika Korps'' units clogging the roads, impeding further advance. Several German commanders had already been flown out, and entire Germans divisions began surrendering on May 9,<ref>"At 11 a.m. yesterday Major General Krause, commanding artillery of the Africa corps sent an emissary to Maj. Gen. Omar N. Bradley and requested an armistice so the surrender might be negotiated ... The wholescale surrender of the enemy battalions began and by early afternoon all the northern region where the enemy had been cut off by the wedge the British First Army drove through was cleaned up. The bulk of the German armor was there and the total of prisoners was over 25,000, in addition to another 25,000 taken by the British. Five other generals were among those who surrendered wit Krause. They were Major General Borowitz, commander of the 15th armored division; Major General Neuffer, commander of the air force artillery division; Lieutenant General Bülowius commander of the Mannteuffel division; Major General Von Vaerst, commander of the Fifth Armored Army; and Major General Baumsenge, commander of the Bizerte Air Forces." [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19430510&id=aNdjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hn8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6139,1068195&hl=en Six Nazi Generals Captured In North Africa, The Deseret News, 10 May 1943]</ref><ref>"Major General Karl Robert Max Bülowius quickly joined von Vaerst, Krause and Borowietz as an allied POW when he too surrendered his unit, the Manteuffel Division on May 9, 1943. As the North African campaign continued to collapse, other German generals from Armeed Gruppe Afrika arrived in Alled hands as well, including Major General Carl Peter Bernard Köchy." Hitler's Generals in America: Nazi POWs and Allied Military Intelligence, Derek R. Mallett, p. 248, University Press of Kentucky, 2013</ref>including 30,000 German POWs that surrendered to a sole British armoured car squadron.<ref>"The German fighting spirit ebbed to nothingness and tens of thousands of Nazi soldiers threw up their arms and raised white flags in surrender to a squadron of British armored cars that reached Cape Bon's Lighthouse Hill at 3 p.m. today ... The Germans made no real attempt to hold Cape Bon. They quit cold. I could have outfitted a division with the rifles, machine guns and artillery discarded by the enemy along the 40-mile road from the neck to the tip of Bon peninsula along which I drove behind a string of armoured cars since noon ... Hitler fed them well, dressed them well and inspired them with what they thought almost a holy mission. But they did not fight today. They quit. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19430513&id=5DcxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AWoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3882,6649318&hl=enGerman Fighting Spirit Missing As Troops Rush To Surrender, By Daniel De Luce, Associated Press Staff Writer, 11 May 1943]</ref>

As the US 2nd Corps units pushed on to cut the Bizerte-Tunis road, they found surrendering ''Afrika Korps'' units clogging the roads, impeding further advance. Several German commanders had already been flown out, and entire Germans divisions began surrendering on May 9,<ref>"At 11 a.m. yesterday Major General Krause, commanding artillery of the Africa corps sent an emissary to Maj. Gen. Omar N. Bradley and requested an armistice so the surrender might be negotiated ... The wholescale surrender of the enemy battalions began and by early afternoon all the northern region where the enemy had been cut off by the wedge the British First Army drove through was cleaned up. The bulk of the German armor was there and the total of prisoners was over 25,000, in addition to another 25,000 taken by the British. Five other generals were among those who surrendered wit Krause. They were Major General Borowitz, commander of the 15th armored division; Major General Neuffer, commander of the air force artillery division; Lieutenant General Bülowius commander of the Mannteuffel division; Major General Von Vaerst, commander of the Fifth Armored Army; and Major General Baumsenge, commander of the Bizerte Air Forces." [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19430510&id=aNdjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hn8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6139,1068195&hl=en Six Nazi Generals Captured In North Africa, The Deseret News, 10 May 1943]</ref><ref>"Major General Karl Robert Max Bülowius quickly joined von Vaerst, Krause and Borowietz as an allied POW when he too surrendered his unit, the Manteuffel Division on May 9, 1943. As the North African campaign continued to collapse, other German generals from Armeed Gruppe Afrika arrived in Alled hands as well, including Major General Carl Peter Bernard Köchy." Hitler's Generals in America: Nazi POWs and Allied Military Intelligence, Derek R. Mallett, p. 248, University Press of Kentucky, 2013</ref>including 30,000 German POWs that surrendered to a sole British armoured car squadron.<ref>"The German fighting spirit ebbed to nothingness and tens of thousands of Nazi soldiers threw up their arms and raised white flags in surrender to a squadron of British armored cars that reached Cape Bon's Lighthouse Hill at 3 p.m. today ... The Germans made no real attempt to hold Cape Bon. They quit cold. I could have outfitted a division with the rifles, machine guns and artillery discarded by the enemy along the 40-mile road from the neck to the tip of Bon peninsula along which I drove behind a string of armoured cars since noon ... Hitler fed them well, dressed them well and inspired them with what they thought almost a holy mission. But they did not fight today. They quit. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19430513&id=5DcxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AWoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3882,6649318&hl=enGerman Fighting Spirit Missing As Troops Rush To Surrender, By Daniel De Luce, Associated Press Staff Writer, 11 May 1943]</ref>

The ''Hermann Göring'' Division was the first Axis unit to collapse on May 7, the 5th Panzer Army was the next to dissolve and surrender on May 9, with the Italian ''Spezia'' Division closing the gap created by the German collapse. The German 90th Light Division was also the first to collapse in the Italian sector, with Messe's 'Italian' Army fighting a week longer than their German comrades in the final confrontations in Tunisia.<ref>''"Not only should Tunisia have exploded the myth of Hitler's military acumen, it should have discredited the idea that Germans fought better than the Italians, since Messe's 1st Italian  Army held out longer than Arnim's 5th German Army and the DAK, even both groups had about six divisions and faced roughly equal Anglo-American forces. Indeed, Hermann Goring division was the first to be scattered on 7 May, DAK the next to break and surrender on 9 May, with the Italian Spezia division closing the gap created by the German collapse and watching still combat-efficient German units march off into captivity on 11 May. Whether it is significant that the German 90th Light division was the first to collapse in Messe's 'Italian' Army, there is no doubt that the Italians fought well and held out longest in Tunisia.'' The Second World War: The German war 1939-1942, Jeremy Black, Page 265, Ashgate, 2007</ref>

The ''Hermann Göring'' Division was the first Axis unit to collapse on May 7, the 5th Panzer Army was the next to dissolve and surrender on May 9, with the Italian ''Spezia'' Division closing the gap created by the German collapse. The German 90th Light Division was also the first to collapse in the Italian sector after a brief bombardment<ref>''"For an hour the positions held by the 90th Light Infantry were obscured by a pall of smoke. At the end of the bombardment they surrendered. General Von Sponeck ... told General Keightley when he surrendered to him that although only two men had been killed and three wounded during the bombardment the morale of his men had been shattered."'' Tunisian Battle, John D'Arcy-Dawson, p. 248, Macdonald & Company, Limited, 1943</ref>, with Messe's 'Italian' Army fighting a week longer than their German comrades in the final confrontations in Tunisia.<ref>''"Not only should Tunisia have exploded the myth of Hitler's military acumen, it should have discredited the idea that Germans fought better than the Italians, since Messe's 1st Italian  Army held out longer than Arnim's 5th German Army and the DAK, even both groups had about six divisions and faced roughly equal Anglo-American forces. Indeed, Hermann Goring division was the first to be scattered on 7 May, DAK the next to break and surrender on 9 May, with the Italian Spezia division closing the gap created by the German collapse and watching still combat-efficient German units march off into captivity on 11 May. Whether it is significant that the German 90th Light division was the first to collapse in Messe's 'Italian' Army, there is no doubt that the Italians fought well and held out longest in Tunisia.'' The Second World War: The German war 1939-1942, Jeremy Black, Page 265, Ashgate, 2007</ref>

The British 56th ''Black Cat'' Division and 1st Free French Division took several of the Italian-held hills in the region of Takrouna during the period May 6-13 1943, but not before suffering serious setbacks and severe losses.<ref>"The New Zealanders around Takrouna estimated that 20,000 enemy were still in front of them, so SRY supported the newly arrived 56 (Black Cat) Division fresh from Syria in an attack on the 11th/12th May. Alas there was no success and many casualties.."  Monty's Marauders, Patrick Delaforce Pen and Sword, 2008</ref>

The British 56th ''Black Cat'' Division and 1st Free French Division took several of the Italian-held hills in the region of Takrouna during the period May 6-13 1943, but not before suffering serious setbacks and severe losses.<ref>"The New Zealanders around Takrouna estimated that 20,000 enemy were still in front of them, so SRY supported the newly arrived 56 (Black Cat) Division fresh from Syria in an attack on the 11th/12th May. Alas there was no success and many casualties."  Monty's Marauders, Patrick Delaforce Pen and Sword, 2008</ref>

<ref>"On May 12th this Italian force was still resisting from positions just north of Enfidaville. A French division attacking their right was repulsed and then counterattacked. The Air Force, being called upon for aid, made a strong bombing attack at 1530, supported by all the artillery whose fire could be brought to bear."  Finale in Tunisia, Colonel Conrad H. Lanza, Page. 488, The Field Artillery, July 1943</ref>

<ref>"On May 12th this Italian force was still resisting from positions just north of Enfidaville. A French division attacking their right was repulsed and then counterattacked. The Air Force, being called upon for aid, made a strong bombing attack at 1530, supported by all the artillery whose fire could be brought to bear."  Finale in Tunisia, Colonel Conrad H. Lanza, Page. 488, The Field Artillery, July 1943</ref>

<ref>[http://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/ww2/middle_east/qme025.shtml Enfidaville]</ref>

<ref>[http://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/ww2/middle_east/qme025.shtml Enfidaville]</ref>