History Of El DJEM CONTD

The Plan

The raid on the bridge was planned for the 26th December 1942 and the concept was relatively simple.  Three C-47s carrying thirty two paratroopers and equipment, escorted by P-40 fighter planes, would make the journey from Thelepte airfield to El Djem, where they would be drop, at night, on a wide-open space north of the railway bridge. After assembling, the troopers would then head south following along the railway lines until they reached the bridge.  The demolition squad would then lay their charges, blow the bridge and the whole group would travel, the ninety miles overland, back to the Allied lines. To facilitate this, two French paratroopers were attached to the group, who both new the area well and spoke perfect Arabic. If the group met any German opposition, they would have to split into small groups and infiltrate their own way back to safety.

HISTORY EL DJEM BRIDGE RAID​

As the battle in North Africa intensified, the German and Italian forces were is a very precarious position. With all of their equipment, vehicles, ammunition and fuel being brought from Italy by air and see, the Allied domination of the Mediterranean Sea and their superiority in the air, meant that the Axis force’s supply lines were, at best, stretched. The fact that the allies also were able to decode German messages meant that they knew when shipments were being planned and could respond accordingly and half of Rommel’s supplies were destined for the bottom of the sea. In an effort to reinforce Rommel’s beleaguered troops, the German High Command attempted the re-supply through their all weather airfields located at Bizerte and Tunis from Sicily and by November 1942, Luftwaffe transports and gliders were bringing in more than 1,000 troops per day. These troops together, with tanks and artillery, were then loaded onto train transports and moved to the Mareth defensive line. The Allies realized that their speedy success would be aided if this flow could be stopped and saw an opportunity to block the rail transports by knocking out a vital railroad bridge near the village of El Djem. This bridge had obviously been the target for several bombing raids and although much effort was expended, very little damage was done by these attacks. The Allied British 1st Army commander, General Anderson, decided that the bridge had to go.

 Some three weeks after their jump at Youks-les-Bains, all the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalions troops had returned to Boufarik, Algiers, except for a detachment of eight-five troopers under the command of Captain Archie Birkner. These troops were being used to guard the Thelepte Airfield and patrol the local area. Once again, it was the 509th PIB that would make the jump, their 3rd in the region in less than one month. By then, Colonel Raff had been promoted and Major Yardley was commanding the 509th PIB, but even so, on learning about the raid, Colonel Raff attempted to have it delayed and changed so that the troopers making the raid could be picked up by C-47 the following day.  However, the commanders in Malta would not allow any delays to this mission.

1942 AIRBORNE HISTORY