Photo: Roba

Photo: Roba

HISTORY

Heinz Bär, the Kommandeur of I./JG 77.

zed troops, vehicles and guns fell back through

Sidi Bou Zid and streamed to the west, south-west and north-west. The German Stukas

and fighter-bombers took full advantage of the

opportunity, flying multiple missions during the

late-morning and afternoon to stoke the chaos.

These were the kinds of operations the Luftwaffe was designed to perform, so it is unsurprising that it was so effective on the opening day

of the battle. Unlike the Luftwaffe, the USAAF

in North-West Africa was not focused on direct

army support, with strategic bombing a real

priority, and it would take several days before

they reorientated all their efforts to the battle

area.

By day’s end, Sidi Bou Zid had been taken by

the Germans, thanks in part to the efforts of the

Luftwaffe. XII ASC flew 228 sorties over central

Tunisia, reporting four aircraft lost and seven

damaged. From its 289 sorties, Fliegerkorps

Tunis had three aircraft lost and one damaged,

and its daily report spoke of the “most effective

air support” it provided at Sidi Bou Zid.

More Axis Success at Sidi Bou Zid, 15

February 1943

Overnight, the Allies took stock of the situation, and decided to attempt another armoured

counterattack at Sidi Bou Zid on 15 February

1943. However, the Germans knew what was

coming, and prepared accordingly.

In the air, there was a daring early morning strike by 23 Bf 109s of Jagdgeschwader 77 against the main XII ASC airfield at Thelepte, during

which Hauptmann Heinz Bär claimed two aerial

victories. A member of Bär’s unit, I./JG 77, wrote

in his diary: “We make our approach out of the

sun. As we roar over the runway, Spitfires are

sighted, but we get back safe and sound.” The

strafing raid was a complete surprise, damaging six Spitfires and two A-20s, while setting

an A-20 on fire and wounding a pilot sitting at

readiness in his Spitfire. One participant from

8./JG 77 was shot down and captured, and

a P-39 pilot who intercepted the raid later wrote: “When you look back on it that was a very

bold and daring raid by the Germans, sending

so few aircraft against an airfield complex with

six or seven enemy fighter squadrons …”

Once the German raid was over, XII ASC operations got going, and unlike the previous day,

there was a real focus on the Sidi Bou Zid area,

to support the counterattack that began soon

after midday. The Luftwaffe had held back its

Stukas until this moment, and a total of seventeen St.G. 3 aircraft were sent out at 13:00 and

15:00, playing a vital role in disrupting the U.S.

Army counterattack, which had been soundly

defeated by dusk. XII ASC did what it could to

help, but it was to no avail.

Meanwhile, in response to the worsening situation, the Americans sent medium bombers of

XII Bomber Command to raid the key German

air base at Kairouan in the afternoon. B-26s

and B-25s of the 17th and 12th BGs, escorted by

P-38s, caused considerable damage. They

badly damaged or destroyed four FW 190s, moderately damaged two, and damaged another

eight aircraft, also destroying the fighter control

installation at the airfield and gutting the Ger-

Charles F. ‘Chuck’ Hoover, leader of the 346th

FS/350th FG in February 1943.

Pilots of No. 243 Squadron at Souk el Khemis. The unit flew over the Kasserine battlefield in February 1943.

Photo: Vizcarra

Photo: IWM via Wikimedia Commons

An FW 190 of III./SKG 10 in Tunisia. The Gruppe played an important role on 14 February 1943.

12

eduard

INFO Eduard - October 2021