St. Joseph's Farm

The 1942 tank battle at Chouigui Pass (also called St. Joseph’s Farm) in North Africa occurred during the early stages of the Tunisia Campaign in World War II. On November 25, 1942, American forces from the 1st Battalion of the 1st Armored Regiment, part of Combat Command B of the U.S. 1st Armored Division, engaged German forces near the town of Chouigui, northwest of Tebourba in Tunisia.

In this battle, U.S. troops, supported by M3 Stuart and M4 Sherman tanks, conducted one of their first armored clashes against German Panzer units in North Africa. The Americans ambushed a German convoy and later clashed with elements of the 10th Panzer Division, destroying several German vehicles and inflicting significant damage.

The skirmish at Chouigui Pass marked one of the first successful U.S. tank actions in the North African theater. It demonstrated American mobility and firepower, though larger and more challenging battles lay ahead in the Tunisia Campaign.

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5 + 2 Combat Cards

Axis – 5 + 2 Combat Cards

Complexity:

Conditions:

Desert

Context:

Historical

Location:

Tunisia

Year:

1942

Theater:

Mediterranean

Campaign:

Tunisia Campaign

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

5 VP’s, including St. Joseph’s Farm as a Temporary Objective for the Axis.

Battlefield:

Desert terrain with a branching road running through it, and ridges on each flank, which provide the defensive surprise that historically occurred.

Troops:

Allies – 3 Infantry, 8 Armor, 1 Artillery

Axis – 5 Infantry, 5 Armor

Allied Strategy:

1. Historically, the Allies surprised the Germans by hiding their Armor reserves behind the ridges. In this scenario, the enemy obviously knows you are there, but you can still use the ridges as defensive protection until the Axis Armor gets close enough for you to launch your Armor assault, and maybe recreate history with an Allied victory.

Axis Strategy

1. Historically, the Axis were surprised by the Allied forces hiding behind the ridges. You know they are there, and they outnumber your forces, so you will need to score some quick hits against the forces in the center, to take them out of the action before their support shows up on the flanks.

Battle Reports