The Battle of St. Joseph’s Farm

Fighting First The Battle of St. Joseph’s Farm

On to Tunisia...

Once US forces landing in North Africa had secured Algeria the next move was to join the British in stopping the Axis build up in Tunisia. Battalions from both the 13th and 1st Armored Regiments of Old Ironsides were transported to the Tunisian frontier from Algeria by sea, road and rail. They were to take part in supporting the British 1st Army’s drive on Tunis.

The Axis had been shipping increasing numbers of German and Italian troops into Tunisia through the ports of Tunis and Bizerte and by air and paradrop. The Allied plan was to attack towards Tunis before sufficient numbers of Axis troops had landed and could attack themselves.
The Allied Plans and Forces

The Allied plan called for a three-pronged advance down the main routes towards Tunis and Bizerte. First to cut off Bizerte from Tunis, then to take Tunis and finally to squeeze Bizerte and restrict the flow of Axis reinforcements.

The forces were made up of the British 78th Division, parts of the British 6th Armoured Division and Combat Command B of the 1st Armored Division “Old Ironsides”.
Northern Tunisia
The first prong consisted of the British 36 Brigade Group supported by Company E, 13th Armored Regiment (M3 Lees under Captain James P. Mayshanks). Their axis of advance was along the Abiod-Sedjenanc-Mateur road.

The second prong consisted of Blade Force, with the 1st Battalion, 1st Armored Regiment attached, and 1 Platoon, Company C, 701st Tank Destroyer Battalion. They were to advance via Beja and Sidi Nsir towards Mateur from the south. They were to seize Chouigui Pass and then reconnoitre the bridges across the Medjerda River at El Bathan.

The final prong consisting of the British 11 Brigade Group was to capture Medjez-el-Bab advancing along the northern bank of the Medjerda River. Their objectives included Tebourba and Djedeida. Attached to them for this task were Old Ironsides Recon Company, 2nd Battalion 13th Armored Regiment and the remainder of Company C, 701st Tank Destroyer Battalion.
1st Battalion, 1st Armored Regiment Advances

On November 25 Colonel John K. Waters’s 1st Battalion, 1st Armored Regiment was on the move and was quickly through Sidi Nsir as Axis security forces withdrew before Blade force. By late afternoon the force had cleared the upper Tine River valley and were southeast of Mateur.

Waters’s Battalion was now part of a force heading for the Chouigui Pass. Under his command were:

HQ, and Companies A, B & C (M3 Stuarts)
Recon Platoon
Mortar Platoon (M4 81mm MMCs)
Assault Gun Platoon (T30 75mm HMCs)


All of the 1st Battalion, 1st Armored Regiment.
M3 Stuart
Semovente 47/32 Waters’s force headed for the pass, where he sent Company C through. Company B advanced into the pass to hold it, while the remainder of the force waited at it’s entrance.

While waiting for word from Company C at the entrance to the pass two Italian Semovente 47/32s were spotted advancing towards the pass from the direction of Mateur. Unfortunately for the unsuspecting Italians they were easily targeted and destroyed by Lt. Wayne B. Yale’s tank from the Battalion HQ section.
The Battalion’s Recon platoon was dispatched to check for further enemy probes and quickly discovered an Italian strong point two miles along the road to Mateur.

The Italians were well holed up in an old colonial fortified farm typical of the area, a rectangular compound surrounded by sturdy stone and concrete walls with firing loopholes added.
Colonel Waters sent in Major Carl F. Siglin’s Company A, but the M3 Stuarts 37mm guns could do little against the tough masonry walls, even the mortars and 75mm Howitzers of the Battalion support platoons had little effect on the farm’s defences.

During the attack enemy aircraft arrived on the scene and Waters called the attack off.

Meanwhile Company C had been advancing beyond the Pass towards Tebourba and had encountered enemy of its own. On exiting the pass they surprised a recon unit, which they destroyed. On reaching the village of Chouigui they surprised another recon unit of German motorcyclists and were able to take them prisoner. Finally they came across an Airfield at Djedeida. They were completely undetected and were able to launch an attack on the grounded aircraft, destroying all but two, for the loss of one M3 Stuart. After their success they withdrew to Chouigui Village where the rest of the battalion had advanced to.

Stuka
Stuka St. Joseph’s Farm

Waters’s force was ordered to withdraw back through the pass next day (26 November) while other elements of Blade force continued the advance. During the night they were refuelled and resupplied in their bivouac around Chouigui Village. In the morning the Battalion travelled back through the pass where they took up new defensive positions on the western side of the Chouigui pass.

The Americans positioned themselves along the road north to Mateur; they had established concealed positions for themselves and made good use of camouflage materials.

By about noon, approaching from the north, came a company of the 190th Panzer Abteilung, heavy with new long barrelled Panzer IVs.

The Game


Waters must hold the line, the advancing German column threatens the pass and supply line for the rest of Blade force.

The Germans, on the other hand, want to regain control of the pass and cut off those allied troops already beyond it.

Deployment

US force defends. C Company is kept in reserve. A Company and the Assault Guns are deployed on table, and B Company is held in ambush. All other No Retreat mission rules apply.

Germans deploy as attackers as per No Retreat Mission rules.
Objectives placed as per map.

Forces

I’ve supplied two forces for both sides, one is based on the actual forces involved for those of you who would prefer to play a big game and a smaller, scaled down, force for a standard sized game.

St. Joseph Battlemap
Waters’s Force at St. Joseph’s Farm
(See page 25 of Fighting First)
1st Battalion, 1st Armored Regiment ~ (M3 Stuart)  
Waters’s Battalion HQ Platoon ~ 4x M3 Stuart (37mm) (MU101)
Courageous and Faithful command card
8pts
2pts
Company A, HQ (Siglin)  
M3 Stuart Tank Company HQ (MU101)
2x M3 Stuart (37mm)
Courageous and Faithful command card

4pts
2pts
1st Platoon
M3 Stuart Tank Platoon (MU102)
3x M3 Stuart (37mm)
Courageous and Faithful command card


6pts
2pts
2nd Platoon
M3 Stuart Tank Platoon (MU102)
3x M3 Stuart (37mm)
Courageous and Faithful command card


6pts
2pts
3rd Platoon
M3 Stuart Tank Platoon (MU102)
4x M3 Stuart (37mm)
Courageous and Faithful command card


8pts
2pts
Company B, HQ (Tuck)  
M3 Stuart Tank Company HQ (MU101)
2x M3 Stuart (37mm)
Courageous and Faithful command card

4pts
2pts
1st Platoon
M3 Stuart Tank Platoon (MU102)
3x M3 Stuart (37mm)
Courageous and Faithful command card


6pts
2pts
2nd Platoon
M3 Stuart Tank Platoon (MU102)
3x M3 Stuart (37mm)
Courageous and Faithful command card


6pts
2pts
3rd Platoon
M3 Stuart Tank Platoon (MU102)
4x M3 Stuart (37mm)
Courageous and Faithful command card


8pts
2pts
Company C, HQ (Barlow)  
M3 Stuart Tank Company HQ (MU101)
2x M3 Stuart (37mm)
Courageous and Faithful command card


4pts
2pts
1st Platoon
M3 Stuart Tank Platoon (MU102)
3x M3 Stuart (37mm)
Courageous and Faithful command card


6pts
2pts
2nd Platoon
M3 Stuart Tank Platoon (MU102)
3x M3 Stuart (37mm)
Courageous and Faithful command card


6pts
2pts
3rd Platoon
M3 Stuart Tank Platoon (MU102)
4x M3 Stuart (37mm)
Courageous and Faithful command card


8pts
2pts
Support Platoons  
T30 75mm Assault Gun Platoon (MU110)
3x T30 (75mm)

3pts
Total 109pts
German Forces
190th Panzer Abteilung ~ Panzer Kompanie  
Panzer II (Uparmoured) Tank Company HQ (MG102)
2x Panzer III (Uparmoured)

16pts
Panzer II (Uparmoured) Tank Platoon (MG105)
4x Panzer III (Uparmoured)

32pts
Panzer II (Uparmoured) Tank Platoon (MG105)
4x Panzer III (Uparmoured)

32pts
Panzer IV Tank Platoon (MG109)
3x Panzer IV (long 7.5cm)

30pts
Support Platoons  
Africa Rifle Platoon (MG113)
4x MG34 team
1x 2.8cm anti-tank rifle
1x sMG34 HMG



8pts
Total 118pts
Scaled Forces
Waters’s Force at St. Joseph’s Farm  
1st Battalion, 1st Armored Regiment  
M3 Stuart Tank Company HQ (MU101)
2x M3 Stuart (37mm)
Courageous and Faithful command card

4pts
2pts
A Company
M3 Stuart Tank Platoon (MU102)
5x M3 Stuart (37mm)
Courageous and Faithful command card


10pts
2pts
B Company
M3 Stuart Tank Platoon (MU102)
5x M3 Stuart (37mm)
Courageous and Faithful command card


10pts
2pts
C Company
M3 Stuart Tank Platoon (MU102)
5x M3 Stuart (37mm)
Courageous and Faithful command card


10pts
2pts
Support Platoons  
T30 75mm Assault Gun Platoon (MU110)
3x T30 (75mm)

3pts
Total 45pts
German Forces  
190th Panzer Abteilung ~ Panzer Kompanie  
Panzer II (Uparmoured) Tank Company HQ (MG102)
2x Panzer III (Uparmoured)

16pts
Panzer II (Uparmoured) Tank Platoon (MG105)
3x Panzer III (Uparmoured)

24pts
Panzer IV Tank Platoon (MG109)
2x Panzer IV (long 7.5cm)
12pts
Total 52pts
Historical Outcome
The US positions were well prepared; B Company was concealed on the reverse slope of a ridge parallel to the road to the north, only a 100 yards or so from it. A Company and the Battalion HQ Platoon was positioned along the road to the west, with A Company’s positions running up a ridge and the HQ positioned around St Joseph’s farm. It was Thanks Giving Day and the Crews had settled down for a quite day.

A lookout spotted a cloud of dust to the north just before noon. Colonel Waters scrambled up the hill to see for himself. The binoculars revealed a column of German tanks heading from the direction of Mateur towards the pass.


The men of Old Ironsides quickly went into action, the relaxed atmosphere had quickly dissipated. Crews clambered aboard tanks and set themselves ready for combat.
M3 Stuart
Waters dispatched the Assault Gun Platoon under the able command of Lt. Ray Wacker to delay the approaching column. Wacker positioned his platoon in an olive grove about 1000 yards from the approaching Panzer column. The T30s of Wacker’s platoon opened up with everything they had, dropping an intense hail of fire on the Germans. Though the fire did little real damage to the Panzers it forced them to stop their advance and retreat momentarily.

The Panzers regained their composure and started firing high velocity armour-piercing rounds from their long guns at Wacker’s halftracks. Waters ordered Wacker to withdraw and under the cover of smoke rounds the T30s slipped out of the grove unharmed.

From the ridge to the southeast of St Joseph’s farm A Company launched an attack on the Panzers, the little M3 Stuarts racing down the slope towards the Germans, their 37mm cracking off shots. Under the command of Major Siglin A Company attracted the attention of the Panzers. Soon the 75mm AP rounds from the Panzer IVs’ were whistling around the Stuarts.
M3 vs. Panzer IV An M3 erupted in flames; the crew had little chance to escape as the 75mm round tore through it. Soon more M3’s were exploding, and even those lucky enough not to be penetrated still felt the effects of the Panzers’ new guns, as glancing hits caused popped rivets and spalling on the inside of the tanks.

With 6 of his 12 tanks left in the field before the Panzers  Siglin withdrew his company through the smoke and fire back the way they had come. The Panzers had been left unharmed by the 37mm guns of the Americans.

Siglin’s brave attack had not been in vain. As the Panzers raced into combat with A Company they had failed to notice the concealed positions of Major Tuck’s B Company. Though Tuck’s tanks also only had the 37mm gun, the Panzers had negated their armour advantage by by-passing B Company’s position and exposing their vulnerable rear.
Tuck’s men opened fire and in a few short moments were able to destroy 6 Panzer IVs and a Panzer III, sending the rest of the Panzers into retreat. The Germans survivors retreated back to the farm Water’s men had attacked the day before. This time the thick masonry did not stop them, they forced the gates and were able to shoot up inside the compound with their tanks. 

Unfortunately during this encounter Major Siglin was killed when a shell penetrated his turret.

More enemy infantry was seen dismounting further north of the stronghold farm and the remainder of Companies A and B set about clearing up this problem as well.

It was America’s first clash with German armour in WWII, and they’d done well, the loss of 7 M3 Stuarts to 6 Panzer IV (F2 or G) and a Panzer III L, plus numerous Axis infantry captured, killed or scattered.

The first US encounter with Germans Panzers and a Thanks Giving Day victory!

Burning Panzers


Last Updated On Monday, January 10, 2022 by Wayne at Battlefront