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mePs rear. A part of the British IX Corps, supported by the Amerï؟¾ican 34th Infantry Division, would launch an attack eastward
through Fondouk with the mission of capturing Kairouan and
threatening the enemy's line of retreat. Farther north the British
V Corps was to secure positions from which a future drive could be
made-on Tunis.
By 6 April General Montgomery had regrouped his army and was
ready to attack the enemy at Wadi Akarit. The main assault, deï؟¾livered by the XXX Corps and directed at the center of the enemy
line, opened with a 500-gun artillery bombardment. It began at
0415 hours—in total darkness. The Axis troops, in spite of their
desperate counterattacks, could not prevent the collapse of their
line on the following day, and another withdrawal commenced. The
2d New Zealand Division and the British 1st Armored Division
passed through the gap created by the XXX Corps and closely purï؟¾sued the retreating Axis troops. Sfax was occupied on 10 April
and Sousse two days later. Rommel had clearly been surprised by
the speed with which the Eighth Army had concentrated for this
attack, for a considerable portion of his armor had been dis*****ed
to contain the American forces farther north. Prisoners taken since
21 March numbered 20,000.
Meanwhile Axis troops had held off all attempts by the II Corps
to break through their defenses in the Maknassy-Sened-El Guettar
area. However, after the collapse of the Wadi Akarit position on
7 April they were forced to withdraw, and American patrols made
contact with Eighth Army patrols on the Gafsa-Gabes road, forty
miles east of El Guettar. .
While the enemy was retreating from the Wadi Akarit, the 6th
Armored Division (plus an infantry brigade group) of the British
IX Corps moved to the Fondouk area and with the American 34th
Division attacked Fondouk Pass, as planned. This pass, about 1000
yards wide, is dominated by the hills to the north and south. Infanï؟¾try attacks were launched during the night of the 7th against the
controlling positions of the enemy in an effort to clear a route for
the 6th Armored Division. Very little progress was made, but in
view of the enemy retreat up the coast the 6th Armored was ordered,
on the 9th, to force its way through the gap. The leading regiment
encountered an extensive mine field protected by antitank guns
posted on the flanking hill. A narrow passage was secured by
nightfall at a cost of seventy-six Sherman tanks (sixty of which
were later recovered), and on the next day armored elements
reached Kairouan. On the 11th contact was made with the Eighth
Army, which meanwhile had made rapid progress after occupying
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