Changes

==El Guettar==

==El Guettar==

While the 8th Army rolled up the German southern flank, Patton's revitalized 2nd Corps drove east into their flank, drawing Axis reinforcments from the south, thereby weakening the opposition to Montgomery's push.

While the 8th Army rolled up the German southern flank, General George Patton's revitalized 2nd Corps drove east into their flank, drawing Axis reinforcments from the south, thereby weakening the opposition to General Bernard Montgomery's push.

During the [[Battle of El Guettar]], the 5th Bersaglieri Regiment and supporting German and Italian tanks held up the US 2nd Army Corps, though the Americans did well in capturing in Jebel Mcheltat in fierce hand-to-hand combat, a 1, 500-foot hill.

During the [[Battle of El Guettar]], the 5th Bersaglieri Regiment and supporting German and Italian tanks held up the US 2nd Army Corps, though the Americans did well in capturing in Jebel Mcheltat in fierce hand-to-hand combat, a 1,500-foot hill.

On 23 March, the 10th Panzer Division and supporting 7th Bersaglieri Regiment attacked the US 1st Division on the slopes of Djebel Berda, advancing six miles behind American lines and capturing 170 soldiers.

On March 23, the 10th Panzer Division and supporting 7th Bersaglieri Regiment attacked the US 1st Division on the slopes of Djebel Berda<ref>"On March 23, Lieutenant Colonel Robert H. York commanded the 1st Battalion of an Infantry Regiment of the First Division, which was in position on the northeastern slopes of Djebel Berda, generally facing Hill 369, about seven miles east of El Guettar. At dawn that day, the German 10th Panzer Division and elements of the Italian 7th Bersaglieri Regiment attacked the 1st Division with at least two hundred vehicles. Colonel York's regiment, owing to its position, bore the brunt of the attack. The enemy tanks succeeded in penetrating the valley between the 3d and 1st Battalions which held the high ground on either side and some of the enemy tanks reached a position about six miles to the rear of the 1st Battalion before the attack was finally broken down." Infantry Journal, Volumes 54-55, p. 42, United States Infantry Association, 1944</ref>, advancing six miles behind American lines with the Italian Supreme Command reporting 170 Allied soldiers captured.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19430324&id=M4ohAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dZgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2523,3907893&hl=en Yankee Units Within Hour's Drive of Sea; Blast 30 Nazi Tanks, Reading Eagle, 24 March 1943]</ref>

On the night of 27/28 March, the US 47th Regiment captured Hill 369 from the Italians, but its 2nd Battalion was overrun in chaotic night-fighting and the battalion commander, two officers and 175 men from ''Echo'' Company were captured.  

On March 28, the US 47th Regiment captured Hill 369 from the Italian defenders, but its 2nd Battalion was soon overrun in the ensuing Italian counterattack and the battalion commander, two officers and 175 men from ''Echo'' Company were captured.<ref>''"At H-Hour, 6 A.M. March 28th, the 47th was in position to take the day's objective, Hill 369. It fell quickly, but the darkness and poor maps had led the 47th astray to El Hamra Ridge ... The 2nd Battalion 47th had been sent on a flanking movement that might have done the job. But it was caught in a murderous crossfire decimating Company E. The Battalion C.O. and the Communications Officer were captured as were the commander of Company E and 175 of his men."'' The 9th Infantry Division: Old Reliables, John Sperry, p.11, Turner Publishing Company, 2000</ref>

On 28 March, the Free French Forces finally seized El Hamma Ridge and the Axis forces were forced to abandon Gabès. The ''Raggruppamento Sahariano'' (under General Alberto Mannerini) had fought stubbornly for several days on the key ground:{{cquote|The enemy positions seemed impregnable, and, in fact, the Italians manning them held out for three days ... Rommel, in a last desperate effort replaced the Italians with crack German troops. Hand-to-hand fighting followed, but the enemy, finally fell back into the ravine, leaving many dead behind.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19430401&id=zjRAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TVkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2804,4830439&hl=en Fighting French Troops' Part Advance in Advance on Gabes]</ref>}}

On 28 March, the Free French Forces finally seized El Hamma Ridge and the Axis forces were forced to abandon Gabès. The ''Raggruppamento Sahariano'' (under General Alberto Mannerini) had fought stubbornly for several days on the key ground:{{cquote|The enemy positions seemed impregnable, and, in fact, the Italians manning them held out for three days ... Rommel, in a last desperate effort replaced the Italians with crack German troops. Hand-to-hand fighting followed, but the enemy, finally fell back into the ravine, leaving many dead behind.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19430401&id=zjRAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TVkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2804,4830439&hl=en Fighting French Troops' Part Advance in Advance on Gabes]</ref>}}