37
Mareth Line so as to be in position to go around the enemy's right
flank and cut the Mareth-Gabes road.
On 26 March the 2d New Zealand Division attacked and broke
through the strongly held defile southwest of El Hamma. Heavy
fighting continued throughout the night. In the noise and confusion,
and aided by the darkness, the British 1st Armored Division passed
straight through the enemy. By the 27th the British were at the
outskirts of El Hamma, their advance having been strongly supï؟¾ported by twenty-two squadrons of the Royal Air Force. About the
same time the 4th Indian Division opened the Medenine-Bir Soltane
road, which greatly shortened the line of communication to the El
Hamma sector. Rommel now saw that the Mareth position was
untenable and commenced a general withdrawal.
In the meantime Patton's advance eastward from Gafsa was makï؟¾ing slow progress. On 21 March his 1st Armored Division captured
Sened against only slight opposition and on the following day Makï؟¾nassy was taken, but beyond there the armor was unable to peneï؟¾trate. Farther south the American 1st and 9th Infantry Divisions,
with the help of a Ranger unit, broke through the defensive position
of an Italian division east of El Guettar, but heavy counterattacks
by the German 10th Panzer Division barred further advance to the
east.* However, the Americans materially aided the Eighth Army
by containing the 10th Panzer Division in the El Guettar-Maknassy
sector.
Farther north an attack by the American 34th Division on 25
March failed to break through the strong German position southï؟¾west of Fondouk.
When Montgomery's maneuvers caused Rommel to withdraw from
the Mareth Line, the XXX Corps advanced along the coast. The
2d New Zealand and British 1st Armored Divisions, after their sucï؟¾cess in the El Hamma area, pushed on to Gabes, which they entered
on 29 March.
In the extreme northern sector the British V Corps counterï؟¾attacked on 28 March. It recaptured Sedjenane on 30 March and
penetrated beyond to Cape Serrat. The enemy withdrew from the
salient south of Bou Arada under pressure of other British forces.
Pursuit to Enfidaville (Map 6b).—Rommel's next stand was on
the Wadi Akarit, an excellent defensive position with the flanks
protected by the salt marshes and the sea. At this time Alexander's
general plan was for the Eighth Army to break the Wadi Akarit
position and the American II Corps to assist by threatening Rom-
* The series of actions in this area is known as the Battle of El Guettar.
Digitized by Google
|