El Guettar Derby DTO (id:#61058)

(Afrikakorps - AK012 El Guettar Stakes ID: AK 99)   [next]   [previous]

El Guettar, Tunisia 1943-03-23 (4 others)

Overview:

As soon as the movements of the enemy 10th Panzer Division were recognized as a major counter-attack Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell A. Tinscher’s 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion, equipped with the new M10s, was ordered to support the hard-pressed 601st. Leaving behind ‘A’ Company in reserve, the 899th moved out at 0845 hours in a full-throttle dash to meet the Germans. Captain Kirk Adam’s ‘B’ Company was in the lead and reached El Guettar just as Stukas worked over the area. Following a meeting between Colonel Tinscher, his S-3 Captain Joseph Morrison and the CO of the 601st T.D. Battalion, ‘B’ Company was ordered into the pass immediately, without waiting for ‘C’ Company. At 0955 ‘B’ Company sped into the valley floor between hills, immediately drawing fire. One destroyer was disabled on a minefield. The rest reorganized, moved off the road, and amid heavy fire from artillery, anti-tank and small arms, focused on enemy armor. Their 3-inch guns proved deadly, destroying ten Mark IVs, two anti-tank guns, and damaging two other Panzers in exchange for three M-10s burned and two disabled. For his action, Lieutenant Coady was awarded the Silver Star...

Defender: German (Kampfgruppe elements of the 10th Panzer Division)  

Errata (source)