The Battle of the Peaks and Long Stop Hill: Tunisia, April-May 1943

Ian Mitchell’s recently published book “The Battle of the Peaks and Longstop Hill” is a riveting account of Allied First Army’s fighting advances during April 1943. In particular it focuses on the 78th “Battleaxe” Infantry Division’s role in unhinging the German defensive lines across the mountains north and west of Medjez-el-Bab, 50 miles to the west of Tunis – for several weeks these Djebels had maintained a commanding presence over all road communications to the south and the wider Medjerda Valley to the east so needed to be cleared. The successful conclusion to these operations would establish a platform for the joint infantry and armoured advance towards Tunis that led to full and final victory for Allied forces in North Africa during May 1943.The Battleaxe Division had been involved in extremely hard fighting since the start of November 1942 and this latest campaign period brought them very close to breaking point during a succession of battles near Djebel Mahdi and then onto the Kefs, Ang and Tanngoucha, along with a parallel assault on Longstop Hill. It remains a relatively unheralded period within the annals of narratives that cover the North African campaign so Ian Mitchell’s book is a most important addition to the telling of the story of the 1st Army“The Battle of the Peaks” is a sumptuously mounted book with vividly illuminating maps and photographs and, for someone like myself with interest in the specific period in question, it is an absolute page turner. There are some remarkably detailed accounts of all three infantry brigade’s attempts to break through the mountain defences in order to lay the foundation for the imminent joint infantry and armoured thrust towards Tunis. With hindsight, we know that it all ended successfully but the descriptions of the planning of operations and associated actions that led to ultimate success provides for thrilling reading.Of course, these are necessarily detailed accounts of complex military operations - along with the complicated inter-relationships right across various command areas – but maintains a clarity of descriptive purpose throughout the narrative. The vital role played by all the other supporting arms and services, including the Royal Engineers, the RASC and RAOC is also not forgotten - and nor is the remarkable role of the North Irish Horse and the ongoing dependency on the supply trains of a four legged variety.It cannot be overstated how difficult it is to visualise the local terrain, a succession of rocky ridge lines dominating the landscape, and Ian Mitchell’s account and excellent mapping plates provide excellent insight for both the informed reader and military historian. As always, the key to “understand” a battlefield or campaign period fully is to read, visit, read, and visit again (ad infinitum). Standing on the top of Djebel Tanngoucha and looking south towards Longstop Hill, as I did recently, was an exhilarating moment but also an extremely moving occasion as I tried to visualise the deeds and sacrifices of the men who made final victory possible. “The Battle of the Peaks” will now be a valuable travel companion for any future visit to the battlefields of Tunisia.At this point, I have to declare my own personal interest in the events of April 1943 as my father, Edmund, served with the 1st Army throughout the Tunisian campaign and experienced some desperately difficult months in the front line where he had witnessed the deaths of scores of his friends who had been training with him since they had been conscripted together in 1939. It is perhaps a cliché to invoke the phrase “A Forgotten Army” but the 1st Army probably merits that descriptive.My father and his comrades would be happy to know that their contribution to the defeat of tyranny is not totally whitewashed from history as the events of 1942/43 in Tunisia evoked searing visceral memories for my father that stayed with him for the rest of his life. It is pleasing, therefore, that the background and personal accounts of some of the men involved in the campaign are included in Ian Mitchell’s excellent book - Swifty Howlett, Jack Anderson, Eddie Mayo, Percy Hamilton, Beauchamp Butler et al.Of course, those men of the Battleaxe Division who survived Tunisia had another two years of bitter fighting ahead of them – from Centuripe to Randazzo, from Termoli to the Sangro river, from Monte Cassino to Lake Trasimene, from Monte Spaduro to Argenta and finally to rest on the banks of the Po River in late April 1945. So many of these men would not make it through.We will remember them all.Faugh a Ballagh !

The good is this. Lots of character detail. General, Brigadiers and other officers are allowed a small bio, but also there are details of the ORs. I am interested in the 8th Argylls and their action in the subject of the painting which is the book cover. An excellent description of not only the British but also their German opponents. The down side is the index. Which is a pathetic reason to lose it a star.... e.g. JG McKellar is actually JG MacKellar, and the page numbers refer in the main to another officer. All that said it's excellent and a library buy. You will read it and refer to it again and again.

A great deal of time and effort was put into this book. The result is an extremely detailed book full of facts and very good colourful up to date photos of the area. Personally I find the type a trifle small and difficult to concentrate on. The book is a bit heavy but no doubt the modern WW2 buffs will appreciate it. The story is limited purely as per the title to the Peaks and Long Stop Hill. If you are wanting to read of 1 Division fighting up the valley from Medjez el Bab their endeavors are still forgotten.

Of the numerous campaigns of the Second World War, the Allied campaign in Tunisia between November 1942 and May 1943 is perhaps one of the most neglected. New scholarship in the area is rare, and often limited in its understanding of a complex and hard-fought conflict that represented the culmination of the battle between the Axis and Allies for control of the North African littoral. Ian Mitchell's book however, The Battle of the Peaks, is not one such tome, and brings to the field an engaging account of one of the most intense engagements of the entire campaign, in the form of the battles fought by First Army, and particularly 78th 'Battleaxe' Division, around 'Longstop Hill', a crucial feature commanding the heights of the Medjerda Valley, the gateway through which the Allies had to pass to seize Tunis.Ian's account gives a good overview of the campaign from the beginning in Operation Torch, in which he lays out the strategic motivations behind the Allied invasion of North Africa, and the commanders and forces which came to engage each other there, before moving on to engage with the real essence of the book; First Army's attempts to dislodge the 5th Panzerarmee from its commanding positions in the Medjerda valley. Each element of these operations is covered in great detail, and engages with formations at various levels, from high command down to small unit scale, appropriately leavening the minutiae of planning with more personal accounts and quotations. The narrative is well-paced, and thoroughly readable, while demonstrating a solid depth of research into a topic for which the archives are rarely disturbed.This book is a go-to for any seeking to understand one of the major actions of the closing weeks of the war in North Africa - my only quibble is I wish there were more footnotes for my own research!Definitely recommended.

This is a superbly written account of the battles in and around Longstop hill between Dec 42 and May 43. It covers in great detail the battles fought in the main by the outstanding British 78th Division. The author has carried out a tremendous feat of detail gathering and he presents it all in a clear and logical way. Quite one of the most detailed accounts of fighting I have ever read.This is a highly recommended book for those who have an interest in the little known campaign in Tunisia.

Got this for my brother so we could read the detail of where our dad fought during the war. So easy to find lots of info on the Normandy landings but info on North Africa and Italian Campaign much harder to find. Great book.