First Sedjenane, 2-4 March 1943
The action at Sedjenane in Tunisia, on 2-4 March 1943, was the battalion's single most costly battle of the war in terms of total losses. Holding weak positions occupied only the night before, the Foresters were attacked by veteran German units who infiltrated their lines and took many men captive. Nevertheless, the battalion's resistance delayed the enemy advance long enough to enable reinforcements to arrive and stabilise the Allied line around Tamera Station
Forces engaged at Sedjenane, March 1943
Allied Forces
​139th Brigade Group (Brigadier J.R. Chichester Constable to 3 March;
Brigadier B. Howlett from 3 March)
5th Sherwood Foresters
16th Durham Light Infantry
6th Lincolns (Attached from 138th Brigade)
No. 1 Commando (attached)
1 Demi-Brigade CFA (3 Bns) (attached)
One Company Arba Rifles
(attached to Lincolns to 28 February, to 5th Foresters on 1 March)
​
C Sqdn, North Irish Horse (3 troops) (attached from 06.00 pm , 3 March)
​
70th Field Regiment Group RA
279 Field Battery
449 Field Battery
15/17 Medium Battery (attached)
456 Light Battery (attached)
229 Anti-Tank Battery (One troop)
G and H troops 231 Anti-Tank Battery
377 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (2 troops)
379 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery
C Squadron 46 Recce Regiment
Detachment 270 Field Coy Royal Engineers
139th Bde Coy RASC
139th Bde Workshop REME
185 Field Ambulance
B Company, 183 Field Ambulance
​​
Axis Forces
Division von Manteuffel (Colonel Hasso von Manteuffel)
Divisional Troops (allocation to Battle Groups uncertain)
2nd Artillery Regiment
4th Battery
12th Battery
Panzerjäger (Antitank) Battalion 605
Panzer Communications Platoon 190
Maintenance Platoon 215
​
Battle Group Latini
10th Bersaglieri Regiment
16th Battalion
34th Battalion
Tunis Field Battalion T.4 (II/160 PG Regt)
52nd Flak Regiment (one troop)
Troop light howitzers (unnamed unit)
​
Battle Group Witzig
Marsch-bataillone A.30 (III/160 PG Regt)
11th Parachute Engineer Battalion (two companies)
​
Battle Group Jefna
Tunis Field Battalion T.3 (I/160 PG Regt)
Anti-tank company (unnamed unit)
Light Flak company (unnamed unit)
Troop miscellaneous field guns (unnamed unit)
​
Barenthin Regiment
I and II Barenthin Battalions
Reconnaissance Company (c.15 AFVs)
11th Parachute Engineer Battalion (two companies – attached)
​​​
The Sedjenane battlefield, 2 March 1943
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5th Sherwood Foresters organisation, 1 March1943