Mareth Line

The Mareth Line ( Gabe line) was a line of fortifications in southern Tunisia between cities Medenine and Gabès. She had been built in the years from 1936 to 1939 by the French colonial power and originally served to protect the colony of Tunisia against an attack from the Italian-occupied Libya. The line of about 35 kilometers in length was ajar in the southwest on the 800 meter high Matmata Heights, which were impassable for wheeled vehicles, and pushed in the north- east by the Mediterranean Sea. Prior to the position presented the Wadi Zigzaou a natural barrier for tank vehicles constitutes the position itself consisted of a series of concrete bunkers, gun emplacements, minefields and wire obstacles.

In the first years of the African campaign during the Second World War (1939-1945) the Mareth line did not matter. After the defeat of France, it was not expanded since 1940 and began to decay. After the defeat of the German - Italian Panzer Army Africa at the Battle of El Alamein (October 3, 1942 to November 10, 1942 ), the Axis forces began to withdraw after Tripolitania. There they were able to hold only until mid-December and then gave way before the British 8th Army in the direction of Tunisia. Until 15 February 1943, the Panzer Army Africa had brought all their remaining forces in the Mareth Line. As their commander Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (1891-1944) visited the position, he showed little optimistic. In his view, she was too weak and could be circumvented in the West ( according to the historian Basil Liddell Hart was she behind the Wadi only of bunkers that had been connected with trenches; Winston Churchill described it later, however, as " perfectly developed "). He encouraged the development of a position at Wadi Akarit to 60 km further north. But the Italian Commando Supremo said further withdrawals and handed over the command of the army (now Italian 1st Army ) to the Italian General Giovanni Messe ( 1883-1968 ) who set himself up in the Mareth line for defense.

The operations of the British 8th Army to overcome the Mareth Line began on 19 March 1943. Apart from frontal attacks British troops bypassed the Matmata Heights in the southwest and threatened a breakthrough line of retreat of the Axis forces. The latter granted the Mareth Line on March 27, and retreated to the Wadi Akarit.

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