Page Three

Battles of the North Irish Horse in the Mountains

Overlooking the Medjerda Valley looms a twin-peaked massif - in May of 1943 its capture was absolutely essential as a prelude to the liberation of Tunis.

On the night of 22/23 December 1942, the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards mounted an attack, capturing what was thought to be all of the massif, before being relieved by the 18th US Regimental Combat Team while heavy rain fell. The Germans counter-attacked driving the Americans off Djebel el Ahmera. The next night the Guards successfully recaptured the hill only to find, when daylight came, that another summit, Djebel Rhar, remained to be assaulted. During the night the Guards once again attacked but, after capturing the second hill, were driven off by a furious counter-attack by the Germans on Christmas Day. Thereafter the massif was known by the Allies as Longstop Hill and by the Germans Der Weihnachten Hügel. The name Longstop refers to the lay-back position near the boundary of the cricket field, containing as it does a hint of ne plus ultra, thus far and no further.

Battle in the Mountains of Tunisia

Prior to any successful attempt to capture Longstop Hill it was essential the sprawling Oued Zarga range first be cleared of the Germans before similarly doing so to their compatriots sitting atop the twin peaks of Djebels Ang and Tanngougcha which towered over Longstop. Under command of 78th (Battleaxe) Infantry Division it was the task of Churchills of the North Irish Horse to assist the infantry accomplish these goals.

The attack commenced on 7th April. Despite the fact that the enemy had little A/T weaponry available - due to the mistaken belief that no tank could possibly climb the mountains - coming under sustained attack by planes of the Luftwaffe clearing the many peaks was not completed until six days later. During the operation, there being no need for A/P shells, a considerable amount of 6-pdr HE ammo was expended.

Of particular interest, on 10th April fire from Churchills BESAs successfully downed a Messerschmitt 110 - the first (and possibly the only) occasion that fire from turret mounted guns had accomplished this feat. The pilot baled out landing almost on top of one of 'B' Squadron's tanks.

Two of B Squadron's personnel had been hurt while under attack from the Luftwaffe. Both incidents were the result of a once-in-a-million happenstance. Driver "Paddy" Hember had his right arm broken when a shell had hit exactly on the tip of one of the conical bolts, affixing the appliqué armour, propelling it into the driver's compartment As usual, when fighting in the mountains, the 6-pdrs were loaded with HE. By chance, a shell from an attacking Messerschmitt went right up the gun's barrel, causing it to fire - the operator (his name eludes me) suffered a broken left shoulder when he was in the way of its recoil.

By clearing the enmy from the Oued Zarga massif, the way was now open to attempt a climb which, other than the Churchill crews, deemed to be impossible.

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