Battle of the Mareth Line Battle of the Mareth Line The Battle of the Mareth Line or the Battle of Mareth was an attack in the Second World War by the British Eighth Army (General Bernard Montgomery) in Tunisia, against the Mareth Line held by the Italo-German 1st Army (General Giovanni Messe). It was the first big operation by the Eighth Army since the Second Battle of El Alamein months previously. On 19 March 1943, Operation Pugilist, the first British attack, established a bridgehead but a break-out attempt was defeated by Axis counter-attacks. Pugilist established an alternative route of attack and Operation Supercharge II, an
Army of the Rhine (1870) an estimative decomposition by grand units: The 1st Infantry Division of the Imperial Guard () was commanded by général Deligny The 2nd Infantry Division of the Imperial Guard was commanded by général Picard The Cavalry Division of the Imperial Guard was commanded by général Desvaux The 1st Army Corps () was commanded by Patrice de MacMahon, Duke of Magenta, with chef d'état-major général Colson. général Ducrot, former commander of the 1st Division, succeeded Marshal Mac Mahon who recently assumed command of the Army of Châlons. général Joly Frigola commanded the artillery. The 1st Infantry Division of the 1st Army Corps