Churchill Mk III Tank - British Army, 145 (Duke of Wellington's) Regiment RAC, Tunisia 1943

On May 1, the 120-mile Allied front stretched from Enfidaville northwest to Pont-du-Fahs, then north to the coast near Bizerte. The British Eighth Army was on the right, French units in the center, the British First Army and U.S. 2nd Corps on the left. The main assault started on May 4, with British forces targeting Tunis and American forces aiming for Bizerte. Air support and heavy artillery preceded the attack. Despite fierce resistance, the Axis defense crumbled by May 6, and American and British troops entered Bizerte and Tunis the next day. Fighting continued until May 12, but the British eventually cleared the Cape Bon Peninsula. On May 13, all Axis forces surrendered, with around 240,000 prisoners taken, including 125,000 Germans. Col. Gen. Dietloff Jurgen von Arnim was captured, but Field Marshal Rommel escaped. This final offensive began in April 1943 when the North Irish Horse and 142 Regiment RAC, along with other tank brigades, supported infantry divisions pushing through the Medjerda Valley. The 'Duke's' used a tigerstripe pattern for camouflage, and the junior regiment of the 21 Tank Brigade had minimal insignia, with only a blue 'C' on the turret bin.