LAST STAND AT SIDI NISR February 26th 1943 - A reflection

Tomorrow will be the 80th anniversary of the Battle of SIDI NISR one of those magnificent defeats that supposedly exemplifies all our Army's most treasured virtues - gallantry, determination and self sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds. The flip side of such a coin is that we tend to ignore the less desirable traits of our Army at least as it was in Tunisia in 1943 - complacency, intellectual laziness and unwillingness to question idiotic decisions.

The action of 155 Battery and the 5th Battalion the Hampshire Regiment at SIDI NISR certainly has elements of both our army's greatest virtues and its flaws. Isolated some 10 miles north east of its Brigade and the main line near Hunts Gap (Ksar Mezaour) and attacked by the equivalent of a reinforced German Armoured brigade which had Tiger tanks, the Hampshires and the Gunners of 155 Battery fought for nearly 10 hours to stop the German attack. Some of the 8 X 25 pounder guns were under direct fire from less than 100 yards away while the officers and men of the rifle companies of the 5th Hampshires fought off numerous infantry attacks. Eventually steel overcame blood and 155 battery lost its colours as for the Royal Artillery their guns are their colours and the Hampshires were overrun.

Perhaps the best single easily available account of the Sidi Nisr action I have read is in Bryan Perrett's book Last Stand Famous Battles Against the Odds. (Chapter 9) though it should be said that other personal accounts conflict with his version. I am therefore not going to provide a blow by blow account. I have attached 172nd Regiment's War diary for the relevant days I don't have the war diary for the 5th Hampshires or I would have posted that.

Finally I would reflect that reading about the Sidi Nisr action in detail highlighted for me some of the flaws of the 1st Army in Tunisia in those winter battles. Nor can I be accused of hindsight for Colonel Newnham the CO of the 5th Hampshires on being ordered to take over the position questioned why higher command thought it was a wizard idea to put a battalion and one battery in such an exposed position completely out of range of the rest of the Brigade and 46 Division artillery. Moreover Newnham battalion did not have an anti tank battery assigned or any tanks. The position was also surrounded by high hills which provided good observation although it appears the German commander Fritz Lang was not allowed any time for recce-- so stupidity did exist on both sides of the front. The supposed argument that Sidi Nisr acted as a trip wire to alert the brigade that a German attack was coming does not stand water for this is the task for a Recce regiment the whole reason the Reconnaissance Corps was established.

I thus would like to commemorate the action which is a brilliant feat of arms and in the finest traditions of the army though one that has been almost forgotten by the general public. It is also a celebration of the virtues of the Territorial Army for both units were TA units and were not part of the regular army. I would also however like to point out that the battle itself was the result of poor planning, lazy thinking and tactical ineptitude at brigade, division and probably Corps level.

 

Gunners came remarkably close to a repeat performance in April at Banana Ridge near Medjez el Bab.
When the guns of two of the three Regiments from 1st Infantry Division (sent to reinforce 1st Army).
Were placed in front of the Forward Lines of Defence in no mans land, with a Company of infantry to screen them.
While they secretly dumped Ammunition and dug in guns over three nights.
On the second night Von Arnim unleashed Operation Fliederblüte (Lilac) 20/21st April 1943.
Half the guns of 67th Field Regt were in position but were not ready to fire, the second half were waiting in the lea of Djebel Djaffa.
19th Field Regt withdrew.

I won't go into the story in detail on this thread as I think that I have covered it before but merely add the following paragraph.

Lt Beadle GPO C Troop 266 Bty notes:
Before the shooting started, we were told the in plan of the action, that we were to be thrust out in a salient to attract the enemies armour.
We joked rather uneasily and tried to believe that this was just a bit of self-importance by the Brigade Commander.
It was only afterwards when we had time to think again and piece together our stories that we realised how true the “warning” had been.

There was no mention of Sidi Nizr by men from the 67th Field Regt RA TA or 1st Division.
No doubt news was censored at the time.
However their action does not detract from the brave sacrifice of the men who fought and died there.
Or in fact the bravery of those that survived to remember it.

CWGC record 13 burials in Tunisia for the 67th Field Regt. Most of which were lost at Banana Ridge or Gueriat el Atach.

 

A related contempory-ish observation from Lord Milne is broadly noted at:
The Glorious 155th Battery Fought to the End - The War Illustrated - TracesOfWar.com

An admirable, phlegmatic personal recollection from one of the participants is at:
BBC - WW2 People's War - Sidi Nsir, Tunisia to The Great March
with a picture of him revisiting the location at:
BBC - WW2 People's War - RETURN TO SIDI NSIR BATTLEFIELD
and beside the memorial at:
BBC - WW2 People's War - SIDI NSIR WAR MONUMENT

Perhaps a Forum reader has a Beja badge ..........?
172nd Field Regiment Royal Artillery
and can add to the thread accordingly.
I can imagine these meaning more to recipients than some other items of recognition.

 

I am sure that there was a thread over the past few years, where someone posted a Beja Badge asking for more information about it.
I've been searching for it on line but cant find it. It must be a slightly obscure titled thread.
I had never heard of one at the time but it wasn't way back in 2009.
I didn't join until circa 2018.
Slogging my way through the tags but it might take some tie looking at the number of threads.

Think it might have been this one.
154 Battery/172 Field Regiment RA

 

Uncle Target,

The only thread I can find which refers - in 2020 - to the badge is: 155 Battery, 172nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery

In Post 30 I posted a link to: The Beja Battle Badge Part 1 - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum where the badge is referred to in posts on pg.2

 

Thanks David, There have been a few. Once the story "Broke" so to speak.
The forum still manages to help those seeking answers with such a diverse membership.
Perhaps we should use the Royal Artillery and the Royal Engineers motto.
Ubique

 

Some photos of the battlefield in 2022. I've often wondered if the tree at the road T-junction was deliberately planted there as a Memorial of sorts. It's great that the locals remain respectful of the stone Memorial. If you visit, do pop-in to the old railway station (now an agricultural office/store), they are very friendly and willing to show you around.

 

Here are the German documents. Based on those I would suppose the German attack strength not to be that of a reinforced armoured brigade, but rather about half that.

Pt. 1

All the best

Andreas

 

Pt.2

All the best

Andreas

 

Pt. 3 - final for Ochsenkopf Plans

 

Pt. 4 - Planned but abandoned second stage

 

Did the Germans do an 'After Action Report'?

 

Yes, but sometimes months later, when they had breathing time, sometimes more quickly.

I haven't trawled the documents for that yet, but let me do that.

All the best

Andreas

 

Alright, here we go.

AAR Division von Manteuffel, including reinforcement and estimated losses, POWs and equipment captured/destroyed.

All the best

Andreas

 

CATCH THAT TIGER!

AAR Panzerabteilung 501, subordinated to Gruppe Lang.

This fundamentally revises the idea in Wikipedia that Lang had access to 77 tanks - in reality it was just under half that, 38 tanks, of which 15 Tiger I.

All the best

Andreas