Bizerte and Tunis

The words

1. Allied Advance

   American armor and infantry worked together in the drive toward Bizerte. British forces entered Tunis as the Allies cut roads linking the remaining Axis positions.

   Operations, final offensive · Army campaign history: Tunisia (opens a new tab)

2. Allied Victory

   The Tunisian victory secured North Africa for the Allies. The army next faced another major Mediterranean campaign, the invasion of Sicily.

   Analysis, next campaign · Army campaign history: Tunisia (opens a new tab)

3. Axis Collapse

   As the bridgehead shrank, Axis forces lost room to maneuver and could not organize a mass evacuation. The surviving formations surrendered as Allied forces closed in.

   Final air operations and evacuation · Air Force history: Tunisia and the blockade (opens a new tab)

4. Axis Defeat

   Allied aircraft and naval forces attacked Axis supply routes across the Mediterranean. Cutting reinforcements, fuel and transport weakened the armies defending Tunisia.

   Air blockade of Tunisia · Air Force history: Tunisia and the blockade (opens a new tab)

5. Axis Powers

   Germany and Italy supplied the armies defending Tunisia. Convoy protection also tied down Italian escort vessels and German aircraft that could otherwise have served elsewhere.

   Convoy protection and Axis resources · Air Force history: Tunisia and the blockade (opens a new tab)

6. Bizerte

   American troops entered Bizerte on May 7, 1943. Securing the northern port helped split the remaining Axis positions and brought large numbers of prisoners into Allied custody.

   Howe, ch. XXXIV, capture of Bizerte · Howe, ch. XXXIV: the end in Tunisia (opens a new tab)

7. Cap Bon

   Axis commanders considered a final stand on Cap Bon peninsula. Shortages of fuel and ammunition prevented a prolonged defense there.

   Howe, ch. XXXIV, final collapse · Howe, ch. XXXIV: the end in Tunisia (opens a new tab)

8. German Troops

   German occupation authorities created labor camps in Tunisia. Thousands of Tunisian Jewish men were forced to work in camps, near the front and in cities.

   German occupation of Tunisia · Holocaust Museum: forced-labor camps (opens a new tab)

9. Italian Troops

   The Italian First Army continued resisting after the two cities fell. Giovanni Messe surrendered on May 13, 1943, and ordered his troops to give themselves up.

   Howe, ch. XXXIV, Italian surrender · Howe, ch. XXXIV: the end in Tunisia (opens a new tab)

10. Longstop

    Longstop Hill commanded the road toward Tunis. Capturing this high ground was part of preparing a route for British armor during the April offensive.

    Opening plan for the April advance · London Irish history: the road to Tunis (opens a new tab)

11. Medjez

    The road from Medjez el Bab led toward Tunis. British plans called for infantry to clear nearby heights before armor made its breakthrough.

    Opening plan for the April advance · London Irish history: the road to Tunis (opens a new tab)

12. Prisoners

    The mass surrender strained Allied prisoner compounds. Detention areas had to be enlarged as long columns of German and Italian captives arrived on foot and in vehicles.

    Howe, ch. XXXIV, prisoner compounds · Howe, ch. XXXIV: the end in Tunisia (opens a new tab)

13. Tunis

    British forces entered Tunis on May 7, 1943. The capital’s capture cut into the Axis bridgehead, but fighting continued in other pockets.

    Howe, ch. XXXIV, liberation of Tunis · Howe, ch. XXXIV: the end in Tunisia (opens a new tab)

14. Von Arnim

    Hans-Jürgen von Arnim commanded Axis Army Group Africa. He surrendered on May 12, 1943, while other formations still held out.

    Howe, ch. XXXIV, final surrenders · Howe, ch. XXXIV: the end in Tunisia (opens a new tab)

15. Vulcan

    Vulcan was the Allied plan for the final ground offensive in Tunisia. American and British formations advanced on the remaining Axis positions from separate sectors.

    Did you know?

    The Army glossary uses Husky for the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943. That operation appears in puzzle 24.

    Army chronology: operation code names (opens a new tab) · Army campaign history: Tunisia (opens a new tab)