Southern Operations, Tunisia 1943 | Encircling at Gabès | Easy Red 2 скачать в хорошем качестве

Southern Operations, Tunisia 1943 | Encircling at Gabès | Easy Red 2

3/28/1943 The encirclement of Gabès occurred in late March 1943 in southeastern Tunisia, following the Axis withdrawal from the Mareth Line. Allied forces of the British Eighth Army under Bernard Montgomery advanced rapidly north along the coastal plain toward the port city of Gabès. At the same time, the successful flanking attack through the Tebaga Gap threatened to cut off Axis forces retreating from southern defenses. Facing the danger of being trapped between converging Allied columns, German and Italian units attempted a fighting withdrawal while demolishing infrastructure to slow pursuit. Despite these efforts, Allied forces pressed aggressively, forcing the Axis to abandon Gabès on 29 March 1943. Although a complete encirclement was narrowly avoided, the maneuver compelled the Axis to retreat farther north toward new defensive positions at Wadi Akarit. The loss of Gabès deprived Axis forces of a key logistical hub and marked the collapse of their southern Tunisian defenses. This phase of the campaign demonstrated the increasing operational coordination of Allied forces and accelerated the compression of Axis armies into northern Tunisia, where they would ultimately surrender in May 1943.