Sedjenane
Encyclopedia
Sedjenane is a town in northern Tunisia
, on the railway line to Mateur
and the port of Bizerta.
in World War II. Following the initial landings of Operation Torch
, the Allied rush for Tunis
was halted by German paratroops (operating in the ground role) in the hills east of the town in November 1942. Troops of the 8th Battalion the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
were ambushed as they advanced on the road through the hills on November 29 1942 and their wrecked Universal Carriers in No man's land
became a grim symbol of the ensuing stalemate to Allied troops over the following several months of the Tunisian Campaign. These dominant hills, known to the Allies, as 'Green Hill', 'Baldy' and 'Sugarloaf' were a barrier to further Allied advances in the north through to February 1943. As war correspondent Alan Moorehead
wrote in his 1944 book African Trilogy:
"Sejenane was a wayside railway town in the wet cork forests on the way to Mateur. Whoever held Mateur held Bizerta, and whoever held Green and Bald Hills outside Sedjenane held Mateur." (1)
On February 26 1943, the Germans broke the stalemate with their 'Ox Head' offensive. A complementary blow to their Kasserine Pass offensive earlier that month, this was an attempt to outflank the British troops in Sedjenane and on the high ground opposite 'Green Hill' with an attack on the hilly coastal strip to the north between the town and Cap Serrat which was only lightly held by poorly-equipped French troops of the Corps Franc d'Afrique (2).
The German advance, led by Colonel Rudolf Witzig
's Parachute Engineer Battalion, was held by a series of counter-attacks by the 16th Battalion Durham Light Infantry
and two troops of No. 1 Commando
on February 27 1943, supported by the 70th Field and 5th Medium Regiments, Royal Artillery
. 16 DLI mounted a further, disastrous counter-attack at dawn on March 2 1943 in which it suffered severe casualties. That afternoon, the Germans also successfully advanced from the east towards Sedjenane and broke through the ranks of the 5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters
.
The 6th Battalion the Lincolnshire Regiment, several Churchill tanks of the North Irish Horse
, plus elements of No. 1 Commando and 16 DLI were involved in the defence of the town, which finally fell to the Germans on March 4.
Sgt William L Nelson, of H Company, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
for his actions at Djebel Dardys, northwest of Sedjenane, on April 24 1943.
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, on the railway line to Mateur
Mateur
Mateur is a town in northern Tunisia. It is located at around , close to the Lac Ichkeul National Park.- Overview :Located in the southwest of the governorate of Bizerte, Mateur is the county seat of a delegation of 57,562 inhabitants while its town counts 44,345 inhabitants divided in 8315...
and the port of Bizerta.
The First Battle of Sedjenane, February-March 1943
The town became of strategic importance during the Allied Invasion of North AfricaNorth Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
in World War II. Following the initial landings of Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, the Allied rush for Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
was halted by German paratroops (operating in the ground role) in the hills east of the town in November 1942. Troops of the 8th Battalion the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland....
were ambushed as they advanced on the road through the hills on November 29 1942 and their wrecked Universal Carriers in No man's land
No man's land
No man's land is a term for land that is unoccupied or is under dispute between parties that leave it unoccupied due to fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dumping ground for refuse between fiefdoms...
became a grim symbol of the ensuing stalemate to Allied troops over the following several months of the Tunisian Campaign. These dominant hills, known to the Allies, as 'Green Hill', 'Baldy' and 'Sugarloaf' were a barrier to further Allied advances in the north through to February 1943. As war correspondent Alan Moorehead
Alan Moorehead
Alan McCrae Moorehead OBE was a war correspondent and author of popular histories, most notably two books on the nineteenth-century exploration of the Nile, The White Nile and The Blue Nile . Australian-born, he lived in England, and Italy, from 1937.-Biography:Alan Moorehead was born in...
wrote in his 1944 book African Trilogy:
"Sejenane was a wayside railway town in the wet cork forests on the way to Mateur. Whoever held Mateur held Bizerta, and whoever held Green and Bald Hills outside Sedjenane held Mateur." (1)
On February 26 1943, the Germans broke the stalemate with their 'Ox Head' offensive. A complementary blow to their Kasserine Pass offensive earlier that month, this was an attempt to outflank the British troops in Sedjenane and on the high ground opposite 'Green Hill' with an attack on the hilly coastal strip to the north between the town and Cap Serrat which was only lightly held by poorly-equipped French troops of the Corps Franc d'Afrique (2).
The German advance, led by Colonel Rudolf Witzig
Rudolf Witzig
Rudolf Witzig was a German Fallschirmjäger during World War II and Oberst in the Bundeswehr. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
's Parachute Engineer Battalion, was held by a series of counter-attacks by the 16th Battalion Durham Light Infantry
Durham Light Infantry
The Durham Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1968. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 68th Regiment of Foot and the 106th Regiment of Foot along with the militia and rifle volunteers of County Durham...
and two troops of No. 1 Commando
No. 1 Commando
The No. 1 Commando was a unit of British Commandos and part of the British Army during the Second World War. It was raised in 1940 from the ranks of the existing independent companies. Operationally they carried out a series of small scale cross channel raids and spearheaded the Operation Torch...
on February 27 1943, supported by the 70th Field and 5th Medium Regiments, Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
. 16 DLI mounted a further, disastrous counter-attack at dawn on March 2 1943 in which it suffered severe casualties. That afternoon, the Germans also successfully advanced from the east towards Sedjenane and broke through the ranks of the 5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters
Sherwood Foresters
The Sherwood Foresters was formed during the Childers Reforms in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 45th Regiment of Foot and the 95th Regiment of Foot...
.
The 6th Battalion the Lincolnshire Regiment, several Churchill tanks of the North Irish Horse
North Irish Horse
The North Irish Horse is a yeomanry unit of the British Territorial Army raised in the northern counties of Ireland in the aftermath of the Second Boer War...
, plus elements of No. 1 Commando and 16 DLI were involved in the defence of the town, which finally fell to the Germans on March 4.
The Second Battle of Sedjenane
The town was retaken by the Allies on April 1 1943. The subsequent Allied counter-attacks in March 1943, to first stem the German advance and then to retake Sedjenane, represented the first time that British and German paratroop troops had fought each other. The use of the term 'Red Devil' to describe a British paratrooper reputedly has its origins in these engagements, fought by men of the 1st Parachute Brigade.The US Army at Sedjenane
US forces took over the positions in the Sedjenane area and in front of 'Green Hill' on April 12 1943 through to the conclusion of the North African Campaign in May 1943.Sgt William L Nelson, of H Company, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for his actions at Djebel Dardys, northwest of Sedjenane, on April 24 1943.
External links
- The 16th Battalion Durham Light Infantry at Sedjenane
- The 70th Field Regiment Royal Artillery at Sedjenane, the eyewitness account of Major Harry Craggs MC
- An obituary for Major Robert Thorman MC, who was awarded the Military Cross for his actions with the 6th Battalion, the Lincolnshire Regiment on March 4th 1943
- William L Nelson Medal of Honor
- Battle Report of the North Irish Horse at Sedjenane
- Photographs of several Churchill tanks which fell into Axis hands at Sedjenane in March 1943