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On 3 March, the 10th Bersaglieri Regiment supported by 30 tanks counterattacked the British, but lost hundreds killed to machine-gun fire.  

On 3 March, the 10th Bersaglieri Regiment supported by 30 tanks counterattacked the British, but lost hundreds killed to machine-gun fire.  

In mid-March the Allies went back on the offensive. Montgomery's 8th Army hit the Axis southern flank around Mareth with several divisions, breaking the Mareth Line on 20 March. When the 30th Corps was thrown back, Montgomery reinforced the flanking attack, which eventually - on 26 March - forced a German withdrawal. British tanks pursued the retreating Axis forces, but were stopped by anti-tank defences at Wadi el Assuib. When the bridgehead at Wadi Zigzau had to be abandoned on 23 March, General Montgomery decided to switch the main attack from the Mareth Line to the flank where the New Zealanders were making such good progress. So reinforcements and supplies were rushed to Gemera; Bermard Freyberg's 2nd New Zealand Divsion. On Sunday 28 March, the 8th Army occupied Mareth, Toujane and Matmata, taking several thousands of prisoners.

In mid-March the Allies went back on the offensive. Montgomery's 8th Army hit the Axis southern flank around Mareth with several divisions, breaking the Mareth Line on 20 March. When the 30th Corps was thrown back, Montgomery reinforced the flanking attack, which eventually - on 26 March - forced a German withdrawal. When the bridgehead at Wadi Zigzau had to be abandoned on 23 March, General Montgomery decided to switch the main attack from the Mareth Line to the flank where the New Zealanders were making such good progress. So reinforcements and supplies were rushed to Gemera; Bermard Freyberg's 2nd New Zealand Divsion. It was during this battle that Second Lieutenant [[Moananui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu]] of the 28th Maori Battalion won a posthumous VC defending Point 209.

 

On Sunday 28 March, the 8th Army occupied Mareth, Toujane and Matmata, taking several thousands of prisoners.  British tanks pursued the retreating Axis forces, but were stopped by anti-tank defences at Wadi el Assuib.

The next Axis fallback position, at Wadi Akarit north of Mareth, was stormed by the 30th Corps on the night of 5 April. Again, the German and Italian forces made an orderly withdrawal, perhaps assisted by Montgomery's deliberate approach. Gemeral von Arnim now fell back to a defensive line covering the Tunisian capital.

The next Axis fallback position, at Wadi Akarit north of Mareth, was stormed by the 30th Corps on the night of 5 April. Again, the German and Italian forces made an orderly withdrawal, perhaps assisted by Montgomery's deliberate approach. Gemeral von Arnim now fell back to a defensive line covering the Tunisian capital.