| April 1943 | CO: Lt Col D Dawnay | ||||||
| Apr 43 | North Irish Horse | ||||||
| 1 - 5 | BEJA Positions remained unchanged. | ||||||
| 6/4/43 | Regt (less Sqn HQ and 4 troops of C Sqn) moved from BEJA to OUED ZARGA heights and came under command 36th Inf Bde. | ||||||
| 7/4/43 | 0330 – Regt moved forward through OUED ZARGA to get in position South of Pt.226 near SIDI AMEUR BEN RHIBI. Three troop B Sqn and one troop B Sqn with one troop C Sqn came under Major Russell and Capt Finch Noyes respectively, succeeded in putting 5 Buffs on to objective on final assault and capture of DJEBEL EN NAHEL, Pt.259 and the OUED BOUNEB. This operation was completed during the morning. 1730 – Assault on MERGUEB CHAOUCH commenced and with support from A & B Sqns 8th A&SH and 6th RWK gained objectives by 1900hrs during the day tanks were subjected to air attacks. Tanks returned to harbour for the night. | ||||||
| 8/4/43 | A Sqn supported 5 Buffs in capture of Pt.667. mines removed by Capt Mackean to let two troops of A Sqn through wadi. A Sqn was then heavily shelled by own arty. 1030 – Enemy tanks reported in valley. Did not come out to fight, believed to be in a delaying role. 1200 – B Sqn ordered forward and occupied hull down positions on South side of OUED EL DJEB. Forward troops subjected to three dive-bombing and machine gun attacks. Before last light two troops of A Sqn withdrawn. A Sqn harboured on Western slopes of MERGUEB CHAOUACH and remainder of Regt went back to original assembly area. Two ORs wounded during the day. | ||||||
| 9/4/43 | 0730 – enemy counter attacked against infantry on Pt.667. Two troops A Sqn under Lt Hern sent forward to support. Enemy tanks again seen and fired on. CO and Major Strickland made recce on foot and in consequence B Sqn brought forward through defile and took up hull down positions on far side of Pt.667.1500 – B Sqn towed in an 88mm gun. 1530 – Enemy again counter attacked but were beaten off by the Buffs. Major Strickland returned and reported 8 enemy Tigers in hull down position in valley with other Mark IVs and Mark IIIs. Arty fire directed on to them and the two troops on high ground did two quick shoots. One hit on a Tiger was claimed. Throughout the day tanks were subjected to dive-bombing and machine gun attacks from the air. Two ORs wounded during the day. | ||||||
| 10/4/43 | All available tanks sent for from BEJA. By first light A & B Sqns in position East of White House on Pt.667. Plan – 38th Irish Bde, supported by one troop of C Sqn, to seize DJEBEL OUM GUERINAT; NIH less C Sqn, to engage tanks in the valley. Small force including tanks, A/Tk 17pdrs and REs left under command Major the Lord O'Neill to form a base on Northern side of defile crossing OUED EL DJEB. 0700 – CO and Major Strickland made recce on foot; enemy tpt seen moving NE in DOCTOR BED valley. A Sqn ordered to advance to Pt.361 – feature reported clear. B Sqn moved NW to occupy Pt.391. then decided to try and reach DJEBEL RMEL and thus help 38 Bde. A Sqn held up by mines but B Sqn made quick progress to high ground West of DJEBEL RMEL. RHQ followed B Sqn centre line and B Sqn occupied RMEL after engaging retreating enemy infantry with Besa fire. Meantime A Sqn had negotiated minefield and moved to position SE of farm DER RMEL. Enemy were seen to leave EL GUERINAT and nearby features when tanks occupied RMEL, the task of 38th Irish Bde thereby being much simplified. Unable to get 17pdrs up to engage two enemy tanks in farm East of RMEL. Persistent air attacks by enemy; one Me 110 shot down by Besa fire from tanks. 1700 – Enemy brought forward 50mm A/Tk gun when enemy position attacked; knocked out one B Sqn tank. This gun was then knocked out and several POW taken. A Sqn worked forward to try and engage the two enemy tanks but could not do so. Tanks ordered to hold positions until relieved by infantry. Were eventually relieved by Black Watch at approx midnight. | ||||||
| 11/4/43 | A & B Sqns remained in area DJEBEL RMEL until mid-day. All tanks, except one troop each of A & B Sqns, withdrawn; these two troops subsequently returned to harbour at last light. Enemy air attacks throughout the day. Lt Gardiner wounded, one OR killed and two wounded. | ||||||
| 12/4/43 | Quiet day for tanks. Black Watch, when changing Coys on forward position, were heavily shelled and failed to re-occupy position. Two troops of tanks called forward in the afternoon and counter attack put in by infantry after dark without success. Tanks not used. Remainder of C Sqn except No. 5 troop under Lt Whelan returned to BEJA and came under command 4 Div. | ||||||
| 13/4/43 | Balance of C Sqn ordered to occupy KSAR MEZOUAR. This was done without opposition and Sqn then returned to BEJA area.Composite Sqn of A & B Sqns under Major Russell supported Black Watch on to forward objective, this being achieved soon after first light. Plan for tanks to put Black Watch on to Pt.350 during the afternoon was abandoned, it being considered wiser to leave this bare feature unoccupied. Three ORs wounded in action. LAD workshops bombed:
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| 14/4/43 | 5 Troop C Sqn joined Regt at OUED ZARGA after a short attachment to 2nd US Corps. | ||||||
| 15 – 21 | Regt remained static with NTR. | ||||||
| 18/4/43 | Capt RH Bowring rejoined Regt. | ||||||
| 22/4/43 | Regt moved during the night to CHASSART TEFFAHA area in preparation for battle for LONGSTOP in support of 36 Bde. | ||||||
| 23/4/43 | 1330 – assault with 8th A&SH followed by East Surreys began, supported by B & C Sqns from right, on CHAIBINE and with A Sqn less one troop from area 587425. #1530 – AHMERA occupied and C Sqn moved forward to lower slopes of this feature. A Sqn worked round towards Pt.196 destroying an MG post en route. One tank knocked out by mines but Major Strickland pushed on and got on tank of 5Tp across wadi at 587436 and contacted 5th Buffs. This tank eventually reached a position dominating the valley and Pt.196, from where certain positions were shot up despite heavy shell fire. Capt Mackean, A Sqn recce officer, discovered MG post which prevented him getting out of tank to repair damage done by mines. After engaging this MG a German hoisted a white flag and gave himself up. This man, speaking English, requested and was given permission to return and bring back four of his comrades. This he did. 1800 – All tanks withdrew, except Capt Mackean's, which had been blown upon mines. The tank was repaired and driven out after dark but it broke down again 200 yards further back. During this time one troop of A Sqn under Capt Bowering working with 38th Irish Bde succeeded in putting infantry on TANGOUCHA. Lt RE Perioli and 3 ORs wounded during the day. | ||||||
| 24/4/43 | 0500 – Capt Griffith took composite force of three troops to southern slopes of LONGSTOP. 1200 – Major Welch took two further troops and assumed command of composite Sqn. Task to advance along southern slopes towards Mosque to relieve sniper situation. RHQ troop supported from a position halfway up southern slopes. Infantry were unable to get to Mosque for some time owing to intense mortar fire. On reaching the mosque, Capt Griffith moved onto foremost ridge before the plain begins. Good observation was obtained and the FOO had some useful shooting. Minefield located by Capt Griffith but his own tank blown up by a lone mine outside the main belt. Tank successfully evacuated with all personal weapons. Tanks withdrawn just before last light and infantry patrols moved forward to cover the mined tank. Two troops of A Sqn sent to southern slopes of AHMERA to support infantry during the night. During the afternoon two troops of A Sqn sent to support Buffs round Pt.303; these returned at last light. Capt Morton C Sqn wounded by mine. | ||||||
| 25/4/43 | No action to report. The two troops A Sqn which remained on AHMERA all night were relieved at last light by two troops of C Sqn which remained out for night 25/26th. | ||||||
| 26/4/43 | 5th Buffs, supported by NIH, attacked DJEBEL RHAR, diversionary attack put in on right by C Sqn supported by two platoons of 8th A&SH. 0830 – Attack went in from Mosque ridge and leading troop worked forward to further ridge from which FOO had very good shoot throughout the day. Infantry at Mosque held down by fire but 8th A&SH moved on to top of ridge, cleared out snipers with the help of another troop who moved forward on to Mosque ridge. As the advance progressed two troops B Sqn worked forward to front end of forward Coys. 4Tp on right met opposition and silenced an MG post in re-entrant 604437. At this moment Lt Pope's tank broke a track and he transferred to another under MG fire. He then engaged two more MG posts with his troop on western slopes of Pt.289 and both surrendered. Infantry held up by MG at 612443; this MG was taken on by 4Tp and silenced. Major Russell, OC B Sqn, ordered 4Tp to wait on spur 612443 for infantry and then to proceed round West of RHAR and find a way up. At head of re-entrant 612444 an 88mm sited to fire down re-entrant was encountered by 4Tp and after one round of 6pdr and a burst of Besa the crew surrendered. 4Tp then tackled the ascent with one tank on SE slope and Troop Leader on western slope. En route another MG post and mortar post were engaged and captured. Troop then proceeded down northern slope, shepherding prisoners, and captured two more MG posts on the way. One of these latter had been holding up the infantry for some time. On the left, 1Tp was ordered to outflank on the northern side of RHAR. This troop was reduced to one tank and Major Russell moved forward in his own tank on lower and easier ground and got onto spur 607446 from which he covered the northern side of the RHAR plain. 2Tp was then ordered to support Sqn Ldr on the right and cover re-entrant 610446. 2Tp Ldrs tank was knocked out on mine; he transferred to a second tank which received a direct hit on engine covers, but he moved forward in a third tank to position as ordered. 2Tp was then ordered to move up on Sqn Ldr's left. Immediately afterwards 2Tp Ldr took 29 POW at head of re-entrant. Whilst re-organising, tanks were subjected to accurate shell-fire from heavy gun. Flashes were spotted by 2Tp Ldr and got arty on to it. FOO's tank received direct hit and he was killed. During these operations the left flank of 5th Buffs and B Sqn was protected by two troops of A Sqn under Major Strickland, these two troops working forward by bounds along northern slopes of DJEBEL AHMERA. In the course of the action one 88mm and seven MG posts were dealt with by B Sqn and C Sqn helped to eliminate four MG posts. C Sqn also took 56 POW in their attack. In addition to the FOO, one OR was killed and two ORs wounded in the day's operations. | ||||||
| 27/4/43 | No action to report. | ||||||
| 28/4/43 | One OR killed and another wounded by anti-personnel mine outside A Ech area. | ||||||
| 29/4/43 | Lt MP Williams rejoined Regt. | ||||||
| 30/4/43 | 1000 – C Sqn led 8th A&SH onto Pts. 160, 177 & 202.1115 – Tanks were on Pts. 160 & 177 and infantry advanced on receipt of signal, Pt.202 was soon occupied. 1145 – Three Mark IVs appeared from direction of SIDI ZEKRI (6347); these were engaged and hits were observed on two of them. All three then withdrew. 1215 – a Mark IV with a 75mm gun appeared round the right hand side of Pt.177 and knocked out tank comd by Sgt Elliott, also holed Lt Mann's tank. Crew of former evacuated and went to ground, but the crew of the latter stayed put and the co-driver drove it back out of action but unfortunately it overturned at the bottom of the hill. Another Mark IV then appeared over the rise and was engaged and hit on the cupola, it went backwards down the hill and at least one of the crew was seen to bale out. Fire from a big gun blew the track off a further tank, but the crew was picked up when tanks were withdrawing to cover on SIDI AHMED at 1900hrs. Infantry had withdrawn about an hour earlier. Sgt Elliott got through to our lines about 2400hrs and in the early hours, Tprs Rooke , May and Chapman, the latter wounded, also returned. During the action enemy killed estimated as 10, 50 POW taken and several hits on 3 enemy tanks. Own casualties:
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