German occupy Tunisia

[daveh]

Has anyone any details or references to the German occupation / invasion of Tunisia?

Was there any French resistance? Were airborne units simply flown in to airfields and then reinforced? was there an invasion by the germans from the sea or did transports turn up in harbour and get unloaded peacefully?

All information would be very welcome
Thanks

[panzertruppe2001]

Very interesting question. And i have two more. Which was the status of Tunisia between November 1942, May 1943

Was Tunisia military occupied by Germany and Italy? If the answer was yes, who were the military governors
Was Tunisia a Vichy protectorate? Were there French troops alongside the Germans and Italians "protecting" the protectorate?(with the exception of the Africaine Legion)

And what about the occupied zones of Egypt in 1942?

I know that this places were Italian zone, but did Italy designed authorities in this places (Sollum, Sidi Barrani, Marsa Matruh, etc)

Thanks

[Achtacht]

Hi all new to the Forum,

I hope these can give you some answers,

Tunisia was part of the French Empire in North Africa, when the allies launched operation Torch, The Vichy Goverment requested help from there allies.

The French troops who remained in Tunisia under German control not surrender their arms, as requested by Admiral Darlan, but they were not forced to fight the allies or the French troops fighting with the allies either.

German and Italian re enforcements where either flown in by Me 323's and Ju52, which was not easy as several where shot down including an Me 323 by a B25 Mitchell returning from a raid on Tunisia and spotted th eplane at low level.

Troops where also shipped over , several convoys where attacked by the RN and several ships wher sunk in the Port os Tunisia, including a unit of the Herman Göring Division, who troops has disembarked and stood by waiting for their Heavy equipment onboard another ship and watched as the ship was attacked and sunk! they then waited 14 days in the port before getting replacment equipment.

Hope this Helps

Andy
http://www.axis42.co.uk

[Steve]

The French Governer of Tunisia was Admiral Esteva commanding about 15,000 troops. The Vichy Prime Minister Laval accepted an offer of German help which meant the dispatch of Axis forces to Tunisia with German planes arriving on the afternoon of the 9th. On the 10th Laval met with Hitler who insisted on the use of ports and air bases in Tunisia but Laval tried to hedge saying the French could not agree to Italians moving in. Hitler ordered the seizier of bases in Tunisia together with the Italians. Admiral Darlan in charge in North Africa under American pressure ordered a cease fire between Vichy forces and allied forces at 11.20am on the 10th. The first German troops to land in Tunisia on the 9th were confined by a ring of French troops. Under American pressure Darlan ordered Esteva to resist on the 11th but this was later revoked and when the Americans complained on the 12th Darlan said the order was only suspended and agreed to reissue it. The Germans started to disarm Vichy forces in Tunisia from the 11th.

[daveh]

thank you achtacht and steve for your informative replies

[Graham Clayton]

The Beja district suffered a heavy bombing raid on the 20th of November, 1942, which apparently killed dozens of Jews, with the majority of the remaining population fleeing the district, staying at district farms. Some fled to Algeria as refugees.

Source: "The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust: A-J", Shmuel Spector, Geoffrey Wigoder (NYU Press, 2001)

There were also arbitrary arrests of Jews, confiscation of property, forced labour, deportations and wearing of the yellow star.

Source: "Among the righteous: lost stories from the Holocaust's long reach into Arab Lands", Robert Satloff, (PublicAffairs Publishing), 2007

[doogal]

Where there any other operational strategies considred by the command of the fifth panzer army prior to the battle at Kasserine?? Is it right that von Arnim did not co-operated with Rommel in the way that Rommel wanted him to??
Or is that just Rommel propaganda that has built up over the years??
I have little info on Tunisia before or after Kasserine, and have only just started looking at the war in Africa but for some reason have it in my head that von Arnim was the northern of what would havwe been two pincers closing on the allied rear positions.
Please illuminate...

[UMachine]

The Beja district suffered a heavy bombing raid on the 20th of November, 1942, which apparently killed dozens of Jews, with the majority of the remaining population fleeing the district, staying at district farms. Some fled to Algeria as refugees.

Source: "The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust: A-J", Shmuel Spector, Geoffrey Wigoder (NYU Press, 2001)

There were also arbitrary arrests of Jews, confiscation of property, forced labour, deportations and wearing of the yellow star.

Source: "Among the righteous: lost stories from the Holocaust's long reach into Arab Lands", Robert Satloff, (PublicAffairs Publishing), 2007

IIRC,a few camps are mentioned in that book as well.Very little data.

[phylo_roadking]

Was there any French resistance?

Actually - there was, but not anywhere near Tunis! Instead - the opposition was in the SOUTH, when the DAK crossed into Tunisia from Libya

Gen.Georges Barre, the commander of Vichy forces in Tunisia, didn't like the Germans very much...but loathed the Italians! On 9th November an Italian fighter squadron landed on a strip near Tunis - and Barre immediately moved his forces into the hills, established roadblocks and formed a loose defensive line running from Teboursouk to Medjez el Bab...and sat down to wait and watch

On the 15th, after the American 509th had landed near Tebessa and operated in Central Tunisia, a British liaison officer reached Barre...and on the 16th British Airborne landed at Souk el Arba; with all this going on, Barre decided to opt for the Allies...

Unfortunately, on the 19th Walter Nehring arrived from the south and demanded access for his troops through Medjez el Bab! Barre refused....and the DAK attacked French positions twice, being driven back each time, though the French were left in bad shape, being basically without armour or artillery. Barre at that point was forced to retire and leave the way clear for the DAK to enter Tunisia from Libya.

(The above from Exit Rommel)

[UMachine]

Was there any French resistance?

Actually - there was, but not anywhere near Tunis! Instead - the opposition was in the SOUTH, when the DAK crossed into Tunisia from Libya

Gen.Georges Barre, the commander of Vichy forces in Tunisia, didn't like the Germans very much...but loathed the Italians! On 9th November an Italian fighter squadron landed on a strip near Tunis - and Barre immediately moved his forces into the hills, established roadblocks and formed a loose defensive line running from Teboursouk to Medjez el Bab...and sat down to wait and watch

On the 15th, after the American 509th had landed near Tebessa and operated in Central Tunisia, a British liaison officer reached Barre...and on the 16th British Airborne landed at Souk el Arba; with all this going on, Barre decided to opt for the Allies...

Unfortunately, on the 19th Walter Nehring arrived from the south and demanded access for his troops through Medjez el Bab! Barre refused....and the DAK attacked French positions twice, being driven back each time, though the French were left in bad shape, being basically without armour or artillery. Barre at that point was forced to retire and leave the way clear for the DAK to enter Tunisia from Libya.

(The above from Exit Rommel)

The Italians didn't think much of the French either.

[Carl Schwamberger]

Some historians (re: Atkison 'Army at Dawn') claim Barre had cached ammo & rations in the Medjeb al Bab valley for just such a contingency. Its also claimed Barre was frustrated with the Brit liasion & at a later confrence with a Brit General as they dismissed Barre's arguments about the critical nature of the Medjeb al Bab valley & the road junctions therin.

[houbebKhéchine]

Tahent is a small village near Mateur in north of Tunisia near again the port city of Bizerte. As part of an excursion, the children told me one Tahent war that their parents and grandparents lived. Thus, one of them told me the following The little boy told me how his grandfather lived the events of World War II, he told me it happens quite often to bring his grandchildren, to talk about these days to encounter past German soldiers. Yes, Coast Hill 609 or 609
His grandfather was 42 years old at the time when the German price position on the hill, which ended with a big steep cliff hence its name. It has a strategic interest because one can see the surroundings given its altitude, to avert any danger.
The first weeks we were afraid the grandfather said then it turned into a habit, it was no longer afraid and German planes patrolled the skies, no fear, but the winters were harsh, rainy, and we were afraid of French, who could imagine that we work with the Germans, after all are human beings like us, they are young too young to go to war but this is so, each other and decide to pay with their lives. German troops have settled on the hill with their artillery. They spent the winter and spring when offe offensive knows no allies have become very violontes, from April 26, April 29 early morning German troops were surrounded and we could already hear the planes were close allies that they would drop their bombs on the hill. The German sergeant came to the village to inform us that the blow will be fatal and offered to shelter women and children in the fault, it's a huge rift that could be an excellent cover, many soldiers are already down with water supplies, food supplies and the little that remained.
The little boy told me that every time his grandfather came to this level of history began to sob, many have accepted this and went away with natural ropes are lowered into the crevasse. The bombings began, the artillery was trying somehow to retaliate but the fire of the allies have worked hard on the Germans killing many. When the offensive ended April 29 survivors of the village and among them my grandfather was rushed to the top of the hill, just before the fault and then they could quell cries of pain, the bomb was dropped into the fault, killing at depths of tens of people.
Me, I'm looking for now that can enlighten me on this terrible story, because I think there are the remains of these soldiers and civilians at the bottom of the fault.
sincerly thinks

[houbebKhéchine]

Hello from Tunisia;
I'm looking for witnesses of the battles
is held in Tunisia, Cote 609, Zaghouan, Takrouna,
Medjej El Bab, Mareth, Kasserine, Medenine.Tunis,
Kairouan, Sfax ... were bombed. , I
interest to civilians died during the Tunisian
War in Tunisia, and I do not find many
testimony. They are 60,000 civilians died between November
1942 and May 1943. Thank you for helping me, I am spirit
to map with places and dead
Thank you very much

[lebel]

Was there any French resistance?

Actually - there was, but not anywhere near Tunis! Instead - the opposition was in the SOUTH, when the DAK crossed into Tunisia from Libya

Gen.Georges Barre, the commander of Vichy forces in Tunisia, didn't like the Germans very much...but loathed the Italians! On 9th November an Italian fighter squadron landed on a strip near Tunis - and Barre immediately moved his forces into the hills, established roadblocks and formed a loose defensive line running from Teboursouk to Medjez el Bab...and sat down to wait and watch

On the 15th, after the American 509th had landed near Tebessa and operated in Central Tunisia, a British liaison officer reached Barre...and on the 16th British Airborne landed at Souk el Arba; with all this going on, Barre decided to opt for the Allies...

Unfortunately, on the 19th Walter Nehring arrived from the south and demanded access for his troops through Medjez el Bab! Barre refused....and the DAK attacked French positions twice, being driven back each time, though the French were left in bad shape, being basically without armour or artillery. Barre at that point was forced to retire and leave the way clear for the DAK to enter Tunisia from Libya.

(The above from Exit Rommel)

Bonsoir
AFAIK , Allied plans for Torch , after successful landings in Morocco and Algeria , on 8th november 42 , ONLY envisaged a land and airborne action to secure Tunis and Bizerte , from East Algeria harbours ....but did not foresee the sudden and strong action of Axis ]which , as soon as 9th november , landed paratroops in Tunis airports ( 100 planes the first day ,) reinforced the following days by air and sea ( at Bizerte ) ...........Thus , Gen Clark was forced to remake his plan and opted for a land action , which started from algerian border a week later ! But it was too late , enemy was already in place , and Alliés were forced to a hard , uncertain and hard campaign of 6 months to reconquer Tunisia !
Furthermore , Alliés did not manage intelligences with Tunis french military or civil heads , nor contacted or prompted any resistance movements for preventing Axis action or easing allied intervention like they did successfully in Algeria and Morocco
with Robert Murphy ( special representative of FD Roosevelt , he was sent in Algiers in 1941 to prepare a french resistance and secure Vichy military and civilian officials for a further operation in North Africa
Thanks to his contacts with a group of local resistants in Algiers ( groupe Aboulker ) , all the HQ of Vichy french forces were neutralized and forced to order cease fire for Morocco and Oran ( where Allied encountered fierce opposition from Vichyst troops

I am intersted with declassified plans of Torch operation regarding Tunisia ( from NARA or others )
Thank You , awaiting for your comments or questions
Léon
I was only 7 years old , when british and american forces landed and entered in Blida ( 40 miles south of Algiers ) welcomed by my
community as liberators . ........Thus my interst for Torch

[lebel]

Was there any French resistance?

Actually - there was, but not anywhere near Tunis! Instead - the opposition was in the SOUTH, when the DAK crossed into Tunisia from Libya

Gen.Georges Barre, the commander of Vichy forces in Tunisia, didn't like the Germans very much...but loathed the Italians! On 9th November an Italian fighter squadron landed on a strip near Tunis - and Barre immediately moved his forces into the hills, established roadblocks and formed a loose defensive line running from Teboursouk to Medjez el Bab...and sat down to wait and watch

On the 15th, after the American 509th had landed near Tebessa and operated in Central Tunisia, a British liaison officer reached Barre...and on the 16th British Airborne landed at Souk el Arba; with all this going on, Barre decided to opt for the Allies...

Unfortunately, on the 19th Walter Nehring arrived from the south and demanded access for his troops through Medjez el Bab! Barre refused....and the DAK attacked French positions twice, being driven back each time, though the French were left in bad shape, being basically without armour or artillery. Barre at that point was forced to retire and leave the way clear for the DAK to enter Tunisia from Libya.

(The above from Exit Rommel)

Bonsoir
AFAIK , Allied plans for Torch , after successful landings in Morocco and Algeria , on 8th november 42 , ONLY envisaged a land and airborne action to secure Tunis and Bizerte , from East Algeria harbours ....but did not foresee the sudden and strong action of Axis ]which , as soon as 9th november , landed paratroops in Tunis airports ( 100 planes the first day ,) reinforced the following days by air and sea ( at Bizerte ) ...........Thus , Gen Clark was forced to remake his plan and opted for a land action , which started from algerian border a week later ! But it was too late , enemy was already in place , and Alliés were forced to a hard , uncertain and hard campaign of 6 months to reconquer Tunisia !
Furthermore , Alliés did not manage intelligences with Tunis french military or civil heads , nor contacted or prompted any resistance movements for preventing Axis action or easing allied intervention like they did successfully in Algeria and Morocco
with Robert Murphy ( special representative of FD Roosevelt , he was sent in Algiers in 1941 to prepare a french resistance and secure Vichy military and civilian officials for a further operation in North Africa
Thanks to his contacts with a group of local resistants in Algiers ( groupe Aboulker ) , all the HQ of Vichy french forces were neutralized and forced to order cease fire for Morocco and Oran ( where Allied encountered fierce opposition from Vichyst troops

I am intersted with declassified plans of Torch operation regarding Tunisia ( from NARA or others )
Thank You , awaiting for your comments or questions
Léon
I was only 7 years old , when british and american forces landed and entered in Blida ( 40 miles south of Algiers ) welcomed by my
community as liberators . ........Thus my interst for Torch