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The Battle of Sidi Bou Zid ドイツ語:(''Unternehmen Frühlingswind''/Operation Spring Breeze) was a battle that took place during the Tunisia Campaign of World War II. The battle was fought between forces of Nazi Germany and forces of the United States. The German forces included the 10th Panzer Division and the 21st Panzer Division of the 5th Panzer Army (''Generaloberst'' Hans-Jürgen von Arnim). The US forces included elements of the II Corps (Major General Lloyd Fredendall). The battle was fought around Sidi Bou Zid in central Tunisia. ==Background== (詳細はOperation Torch had failed and since the year end a lull had settled on the theatre, as both sides paused to re-build their strength. Hans-Jürgen von Arnim commanded the Axis forces defending Tunisia. By this time, his command was strengthened to become the 5th Panzer Army ドイツ語:(''5.Panzer-Armee''). Arnim chose to maintain the initiative gained when the Allies had been driven back the previous year by making spoiling attacks to keep his intentions hidden. In January 1943, the German-Italian Panzer Army ドイツ語:(''Deutsch-Italienische Panzerarmee'') under command of Erwin Rommel, had retreated to the Mareth Line, originally a French line of defensive fortifications near the coastal town of Medenine in southern Tunisia. They thus linked up with Arnim and in the Sidi Bou Zid area there were elements from both armies, notably 21st Panzer Division transferred from German-Italian Panzer Army ''Afrika Korps'' and the 10th Panzer Division from the 5th Panzer Army. Most of Tunisia was in German hands but since November 1942, the Eastern Dorsale of the Atlas Mountains had been under the control of the Allies. The Eastern Dorsale was held by elements of the inexperienced II US Corps (Lieutenant-General Lloyd Fredendall) and the poorly equipped French XIX Corps (Alphonse Juin). Fredendall made Tebessa over back his headquarters and rarely visited the front. In the absence of clear intelligence as to Axis intentions, Fredendall dispersed his forces to cover all eventualities, which left his units too far apart for mutual support. At Sidi Bou Zid he had bypassed his divisional commanders and ordered the defensive dispositions, without studying the ground. Sidi Bou Zid was defended by the U.S. 34th Infantry Division 168th Regimental Combat Team (RCT) (Colonel Thomas Drake) and the tanks of the 1st US Armored Division Combat Command A (CC A). Fredendall had caused most of this force to be placed in defensive "islands" on high ground, which risked them being defeated in detail. Rommel was very conscious of the threat posed by Allied forces on the Eastern Dorsale if they were to make an eastward thrust towards the coast some to the east and isolate the two Axis armies and cut German-Italian Panzer Army's line of supply from Tunis. On 30 January Arnim had sent the 21st Panzer Division to attack the Faid Pass, held by French XIX Corps. Fredendall had reacted slowly and Arnim's troops had overcome fierce French resistance and achieved their objectives while inflicting heavy casualties. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Battle of Sidi Bou Zid」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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