When the Axis forces faced the onslaught of the Eighth Army on October 23, 1942, they were in every way inferior. The most serious handicap was undoubtedly the absence of their famous leader. Rommel, ill, had gone to rest and be treated in Germany on September 23. General Stumme had taken command, b
The following morning, the German paratroopers, exhausted, once again stormed the hill. To their surprise, they meet no resistance. Even before all the importance of this news could be appreciated, Captain Kleye landed at the western limit of the band held by the Germans:he had come to see the gener
To the west of the Maleme runway and around the Tavronitis bridge, the contingents disembarked from the gliders made their junction with the paratroopers and entrenched themselves in the bed of the dry river. In the valley of the Prison, large numbers have succeeded in disembarking, without oppositi
Nearly 3 million liters of gasoline are needed for the operation, but three days before it begins, we learn that the expected tanker is blocked by wreckage in the middle of the Corinth Canal. We are going to look for clearance divers in Kiel to clear the passage. Then the gasoline is put into 200-li
The sun is veiled by dust and smoke. The survivors of the bombardment painfully extricate themselves from their trenches which are too shallow and snort, rubbing with their dirty hands their eyes blinded by the sand. Then they start cleaning their weapons. They did not hear the next attack coming u
Leaving the latter in the care of the anti-tank guns, he charged the Panzergrenadieren with bayonets to force them to drop out. But the pressure from the enemy was too strong. By nightfall, the Thomas company was reduced to its chief, a sergeant and five men. The brigade gave the order to withdraw a
The operation was to begin on November 29, according to a very attractive plan on the map, but which was pathetically unrealistic in the facts. Djedeida was the target of a battalion from the Northampton regiment, reinforced with a battery of 25-pounder shells and Grant medium tanks from battle grou
Resourceful, these paratroopers found an Italian motorcycle with sidecar in working order; using the railway line as a roadway, bouncing at breakneck speed on the sleepers, they managed to evacuate the two wounded at night to Sidi Nisr, where they received first aid. Hill had three bullets in the ch
It was then that the Germans committed an incredible mistake, which remains partly unexplained to this day. Brigadier General E.E. Cass, commanding the 11th British Brigade, had decided on a new attempt (without much hope, but it had to be...). The next day he committed his last fresh reserves, the
On November 30, the English launched a regular attack, with artillery support, against the green (commando No. 6 in brigade reserve), and against the bald (Royal West Kent). The “Buffs” (a nickname for the regiment) had been ordered to hold on all around the position and then exploit their advantage
November 42:the Allies attempt a daring coup:take TunisFour days after the breaking of Rommels lines at El-Alamein, on November 4, 1942, the Allied forces landed in Morocco and in Algeria.Their leader, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, had to face very serious political and military difficulties:the ris
In addition, this campaign in Tunisia constituted excellent tactical preparation and morale in the war that the three allies were going to wage in Western Europe.For the young American army, it had been an indispensable test bed. Under the command of leaders like Patton, this army was to draw lesson
Such were the results of the efforts and sacrifices of the three allies.Efforts of the French first, who, after having covered the concentration and the approach of the English and the Americans, aided them effectively, on the Dorsale, in a mountain war for which our allies, motorized, were ill-prep
To understand this message, one must remember the setbacks and hardships of a long winter:the total failure of the British thrust on Tunis at the end of November 1942, the failure of the French offensive in December on the pivot of the Dorsale and that of the English, on Christmas Day, in front of L
On the evening of the 12th and during the day of the 13th, the divisions of Oran and Algiers push towards the east strong detachments which will complete the liaison with the British and French forces of the Armed City.At the Algiers division, General Conne launched, on the 12th, on the Zriba - Bou-
On May 1, the 6th Armored Division was at Bou-Ficha, directly in the rear of the former Rommel army.On May 12, marching from Bou-Ficha towards the south, it attacked in reverse this army, supported by an intense aerial bombardment of the Western Desert Air Force and by its artillery firing from nort
During these events, in the north, under the constant pressure of the American 2nd Corps, the enemy had stalled on the night of May 2 to 3 and, the next day, the 1st D.B.U.S. had occupied Mateur. The Germans had then tried to hold the heights between Tébourba and the east of Mateur, momentarily stop
On May 5, at 5 p.m., the right division of the 5th corps (1st D.I.) launched its preliminary attack on Djebel-bou-Aoukaz, with powerful air support. It seizes it in the evening, thus ensuring the security of the left flank of the attack of the 9th corps, whose divisions gain, in the night, their sta
We left the 19th corps established south of the plain of Pont-du-Fahs and the steep-sided Pont-du-Fahs - Saouaf road, facing the Zaghouan. For the attack set for May 4, General Koeltz gave the following instructions:• Left. the division of Oran will seize the threshold of Pont-du-Fahs, thus opening
Baptized Operation Vulcan, its plan fixed the major offensive on May 6, after two preliminary operations:• On May 4, the 19th French corps would attack the first to try to blow up the hinge of the Zaghouan, at the junction of the two enemy armies, an action which had the effect of attracting the opp
President of theFrench Republic Patrice de Mac-Mahon 3rd President of the Republic Elected on Appointment May 25, 1873 by the Assembly Extended for 7 years on November 20, 1873 Presidency May 24, 1873 January 30, 1879 Predecessor Adolphe Thiers Successor Jules Grévy Born July 13, 1808 in S
The Gulf War was a conflict between the United States and Iraq in 1991 as a result of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. The Gulf War was a conflict that took place between the United States (leading international forces) against Iraq in early 1991. The American attack was a consequence of the i
During the Seven Years War, the Prussian Army fielded 49 line infantry regiments of each type (musketeers and fusiliers). Of the soldiers that made up the infantry regiments, at least 1/3 were foreign mercenaries, coming mainly from the small German states neighboring Prussia. But there were othe
ABOUT 2.5 MILLION YEARS AGO Appearance of homo habilis: A new species of hominid develops in Africa, it is the homo habilis (the clever man ). He is so called because he is able to make and use tools. The first Homo habilis skeletons were discovered in 1959 in Olduvai Gorge. It measures between