| With Hill 609 in American hands, tanks from the 1st Armored Division could advance rapidly on Bizerte, which the Americans took on May 7, 1943, right around the time that British forces seized the port of Tunis. This brought about the final collapse of Axis forces in North Africa, with more than 275,000 Axis soldiers surrendering to US forces. Despite many setbacks along the way, members of the 1st Armored Division and their American and British comrades gained valuable combat experience in the North Africa campaign. They learned lessons they would put into practice in subsequent campaigns over the coming years. |
