Aspects of the event
Description
On 28 February 1943, Kampfgruppe Lang's attack on Beja entered an ambush. While they had been delayed at Sidi N'sir on the 26th, the British had hurriedly prepared a defence at Kzar Mezouar. It was at the western end of the "Hunt's Gap" valley, the last place where the Germans could be predicted to arrive, because junctions beyond it offered them multiple routes.
Several Panzers, including 3 Tigers, were immobilised here during the next few days of battle, and then destroyed by the Germans when they could not be recovered during the retreat. Another group of wrecks with 4 Tigers were left 1km to the northeast.
A German situation report, made on the evening of 4 March, puts total losses for Operation Ochsenkopf at 19 Pz.III, 8 Pz.IV and 7 Tigers. The report states that "If tonight's planned resumption of recovery efforts for the tanks left on the front line goes well, the number of losses can be reduced by 5 Pz.IV and 2 Pz.VI." It's not clear which two Tigers they hoped to recover, but the attempt failed.
This group comprises Tigers 11, 823 and 833 of PR 7 with some Pz3 and Pz.4. The photos were taken after the battle, when wrecks had already been bulldozed off the road. General Eisenhower visited the site.
That summer, a British officer made a two-page list of all the Tigers that he could find in Tunisia. This image is an extract from it. At this battleground, which he called Hunt's Gap, he counted six Tiger turrets and five hulls. He recognised only one turret-hull pair as belonging together. The tactical numbers that he noted are 11, 811, 823, 833 and 112. The latter must be an error because we know that Tiger 112 was in service long after this battle. Most likely it was Tiger 142 that he saw.
Location
in Google MyMaps
Photos
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