https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Battle_of_Hill_609Battle of Hill 609 - Revision history2026-09-07T17:22:00ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Hill_609&diff=364744&oldid=prevBot at 16:35, 1 November 20212021-11-01T16:35:37Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Infobox military conflict<br />
|conflict=Battle of Hill 609<br />
|partof=the [[Tunisian campaign]] of [[World War II]]<br />
| image= Tunisia20Aprto13May1943.jpg<br />
| image_size = 300<br />
|caption=Tunisian campaign operations 20 April to 13 May 1943.<br />
|date=27 April – 1 May 1943<ref name="Howe33">{{cite book |chapter-url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-MTO-NWA/USA-MTO-NWA-33.html |chapter=Chapter XXXIII: The Advance to Mateur |title=United States Army in World War II: Mediterranean Theater of Operations: Northwest Africa: Seizing the Initiative In the West |first=George F. |last=Howe |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Office Of The Chief Of Military History, Department Of The Army |year=1957 |access-date=August 24, 2022}}</ref><br />
|place={{coord|36|54|8|N|9|29|40|E|type:event|display=inline,title}}<br />[[Djebel Tahent]], [[Tunisia]]<br />
|result=American victory<br />
|combatant1={{flag|United States|1912}}<br />
|combatant2={{flagcountry|Nazi Germany}}<br />
|commander1={{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Omar Bradley]]<br />{{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Charles W. Ryder]]<br />{{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Terry de la Mesa Allen, Sr.|Terry Allen]]<br />
|commander2={{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Hans-Jürgen von Arnim]]<br />
|strength1=[[II Corps (United States)|II Corps]]<br />
|strength2=[[Afrika Korps]]<br />
|casualties1=2,453<ref name="Howe33"/><br />
|casualties2=Unknown<br />
|campaignbox={{Campaignbox Tunisia Campaign}}<br />
}}<br />
The '''Battle of Hill 609''' took place at [[Djebel Tahent]] in northwestern [[Tunisia]] during the [[Tunisian campaign]] of [[World War II]]. The battle was for control over the key strategic height Hill 609 and its surrounding area between the American forces of the [[II Corps (United States)|U.S. II Corps]] and German units of the [[Afrika Korps]].<ref name="Howe33"/> The battle proved a formative experience for the American forces - in their first clear-cut victory of the campaign, and has been called "the American Army's coming-of-age."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/01/books/the-wars-in-north-africa.html |title=The Wars in North Africa |first=Russell F. |last=Weigley |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 1, 2002 |access-date=August 24, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Nathan S|first1=Lowrey|title=The Chairmanship of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 1949-2016|date=2016|publisher=Government Printing Office|isbn=9780160933219|page=[https://archive.org/details/chairmanshipofjo00wash/page/147 147]|url=https://archive.org/details/chairmanshipofjo00wash/page/147}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Battle==<br />
In late April 1943, Hill 609 was the key to the German defensive line facing the [[II Corps (United States)|U.S. II Corps]], commanded by [[Major general (United States)|Major General]] [[Omar Bradley]]. The German general, [[Hans-Jürgen von Arnim]], used the hill for artillery fire and observation. From the hill, the Germans could also prevent movement by both the [[1st Infantry Division (United States)|1st Infantry Division]], commanded by Major General [[Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr.|Terry Allen]], to the south and the [[9th Infantry Division (United States)|9th Infantry Division]], commanded by Major General [[Manton S. Eddy]], to the north. Hill 609 was deemed one of the most difficult objectives in Tunisia, not only protected by steep slopes and artillery but also by fire from nearby high grounds, which gave the Germans a cross fire on the slopes leading up to it.<ref>{{cite book |title=Supreme Commander: The War Years of Dwight D. Eisenhower |last=Ambrose |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Ambrose |publisher=Roundhouse Publishing Ltd |year=2001 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/supremecommander00ambr_0/page/186 186–187] |isbn=978-1-57806-206-5 |location=Oxford, United States |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/supremecommander00ambr_0/page/186 }}</ref> After rejecting the proposition of bypassing the mountain, Bradley ordered the [[34th Infantry Division (United States)|34th Infantry Division]], commanded by Major General [[Charles W. Ryder]], to take the hill.<ref name="Howe33"/> After heavy fighting and high casualties, the 34th Division managed to take the hill by April 30 and the following day repelled several German [[counterattack]]s.<ref name="Howe33"/><br />
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==See also==<br />
*[[List of equipment of the United States Army during World War II]]<br />
*[[List of German military equipment of World War II]]<br />
*[[North African campaign]]<br />
*[[Tunisian campaign]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist|30em}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hill 609, Battle of}}<br />
[[Category:Conflicts in 1943]]<br />
[[Category:1943 in Tunisia]]<br />
[[Category:Tunisian campaign]]<br />
[[Category:Battles of World War II involving the United States]]<br />
[[Category:Battles of World War II involving Germany]]<br />
[[Category:April 1943 events]]<br />
[[Category:May 1943 events]]</div>Bot