Fallschirmjager at Medjez el Bab

Fallschirmjager at Medjez el Bab

5th Fallschirmjager Regiment at
Medjez el Bab

By Mike Turner

Background
0430 hrs, 25 November 1942, Medjez, Tunisia

Pressure was on the British General Anderson and 1st Army to begin the attack toward Tunis. He had three elements prepared to advance, 36th Brigade and 11th Brigade of the 78th Division and a composite US group named Blade Force.

Along the coast 11th Brigade of the 78th Division approached the Medjerda River, and the village of Medjez el Bab. The 11th Brigade plan of attack required one battalion to approach the town from each side of the river, while a third element came from the west to seize commanding ground. 

2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel L. A. Manly, attacked the town of Medjez on or about 0430 hours in an effort to seize the town and the bridge across the river. The Lancashires were supported by the 175th Field Artillery Battalion, a US 105mm towed Battalion.

Several days earlier, Hauptmann Wilhelm Knoche commanding the 3rd Battalion, 5th Fallschirmjager Regiment, arrived to defend the town.

His Fallschimjagers were reinforced by an Italian anti-tank Company, two dual purpose 88mm guns from the 10th Panzer Division and a Kampfgruppe from the 190th Panzer Battalion. 

Fallschirmjager
Fallschirmjager with FG-42

Unfortunately, the Allied attack was a disaster. The full moon did little to hide the approaching infantry from the veterans of Crete and the Low Countries, and long range machine-gun fire killed Lieutenant Colonel Manly soon after the start of the attack

Two companies pressed on and valiantly fought their way across the river, seizing building on the far side. Soon after sunrise the Fallschimjager mortars isolated the British Infantry and a combined Fallschirmjager and Panzer counterattack sent them back across the river, where the Fallschirmjager HMG’s raked the companies. 

Scenario
This is a No Retreat Mission. German forces are defending and British forces are attacking. The terrain was designed for a 6’x4’ table, the objective area and middle of the table are marked in red.

Download the PDF for this mission here (Right Click, Save As)...
Download the PDF for this mission here (Right Click, Save As)...

5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers,
11th Brigade, 78th Infantry Division

9. Kompanie, III Battalion,
5. Fallschirmjager Regiment 
1st Rifle Company HQ
2x SMLE Rifle Team
"White Knees" Armoured Fist Command Card

2 points

-5 Points

1st Platoon
7x Bren Gun & SMLE Rifle Team
1x PIAT Anti-Tank (PIAT Command Card)
1x 2-inch Mortar

13 points
2nd Platoon
7x Bren Gun & SMLE Rifle Team
1x Boys Anti-tank Rifle
1x 2-inch Mortar
11 points
3rd Platoon  
7x Bren Gun & SMLE Rifle Team
1x Boys Anti-tank Rifle
1x 2-inch Mortar


11 points
Vickers MMG Platoon
2x Vickers MMG
2 Points
2nd Rifle Company HQ
2x SMLE Rifle Team
"White Knees" Armoured Fist Command Card

2 points

-5 Points

1st Platoon
7x Bren Gun & SMLE Rifle Team
1x PIAT Anti-Tank (PIAT Command Card)
1x 2-inch Mortar


13 points
2nd Platoon
7x Bren Gun & SMLE Rifle Team
1x Boys Anti-tank Rifle
1x 2-inch Mortar


11 points
3rd Platoon
7x Bren Gun & SMLE Rifle Team
1x Boys Anti-tank Rifle
1x 2-inch Mortar 


11 points
3 inche Mortar Platoon    
6x 3-inch Mortar
9 points
Vickers MMG Platoon
4x Vickers MMG 
4 Points
Support
175 Field Artillery Battalion (Page 46 Fighting First)
 
105mm Field Artillery Battery
4x 105mm Howitzer
10 points
105mm Field Artillery Battery
4x 105mm Howitzer 
10 points
Total
100 points

 

9th Fallschirmjager Company HQ
2x MP40 SMG Team

3 points
1st Fallschirmjäger Platoon
7x MG42 & K98 rifle team
1x 2.8cm anti-tank rifle


11 points
2nd Fallschirmjäger Platoon
7x MG42 & K98 rifle team 

9 points
3rd Fallschirmjäger Platoon
7x MG42 & K98 rifle team
 
9 points
Fallschirmjäger  sMG42 Machine-gun Platoon
4x sMG42 HMG teams    

6 points
Fallschirmjäger  Mortar Platoon
4x 8c Stummel Mortar

8 points
Support Platoons  
8.8cm Heavy AA Platoon (see Afrika Korps page 32)
4x 8.8cm AA guns

 

24 points

Panzer III (Uparmoured ) Tank Platoon (see Afrika Korps page 19)
3x Panzer III (uparmoured

24 points
Total 94 points

RESOURCES:

Northwest Africa: Seizing the Initiative in the West, Mediterranean Theater of Operations, The United States Army in World War II, by George F. Howe.

An Army at Dawn, The War in North Africa, 1942-1943, Volume 1 of the Liberation Trilogy, by Rick Atkinson. 


Last Updated On Wednesday, November 3, 2021