Editing Claus von Stauffenberg (section)

=== Tunisia, 1943 ===
In November 1942, the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] [[Operation Torch|landed in French North Africa]] whilst the [[10th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)|10th Panzer Division]] occupied [[Vichy France]] ([[Case Anton]]), consequently being transferred to fight in the [[Tunisian campaign]], as part of the {{lang|de|[[Afrika Korps]]}}. In 1943, Stauffenberg was promoted to {{lang|de|[[Oberstleutnant]] i.G.}}<ref>im Generalstab</ref> (lieutenant-colonel of the general staff), and was sent to Africa to join the 10th Panzer Division as its Operations Officer in the General Staff (Ia). On 19 February, [[Erwin Rommel|Rommel]] launched his counter-offensive against British, American and French forces in Tunisia. The Axis commanders hoped to rapidly break through either the Sbiba or Kasserine Pass into the rear of the British [[First Army (United Kingdom)|First Army]]. The assault at Sbiba was halted, so Rommel [[Battle of Kasserine Pass|concentrated on the Kasserine Pass]] where primarily the Italian [[7th Bersaglieri Regiment]] and [[131st Armoured Division Centauro]] had defeated the American defenders.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.americainwwii.com/stories/facingthefox.htm|title = Murphy in America in WWII Magazine|publisher = Americainwwii.com|access-date = 13 March 2009|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090131023222/http://www.americainwwii.com/stories/facingthefox.htm|archive-date = 31 January 2009}}</ref> During the fighting, Stauffenberg drove up to be with the leading tanks and troops of the 10th Panzer Division.<ref>{{cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ry0J9XqD7I8C&q=bersaglieri+kasserine+pass&pg=PA171|title = Hoffmann (2003), p. 171|date = 3 October 2003|access-date = 13 March 2009|isbn = 978-0-7735-2595-5|author1 = Hoffmann, Peter| publisher=McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP }}</ref> The division, together with the 21st Panzer Division, took up defensive positions near [[Mezzouna]] on 8 April.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/operation_wop.html|title = Operation Wop, 16–23 March 1943|publisher = History of War|access-date = 23 June 2018}}</ref>

On 7 April 1943, Stauffenberg was involved in driving from one unit to another, directing their movement.<ref>Stauffenberg: A Family History, 1905–1944: Third Edition by Peter Hoffmann (2009)</ref> Near Mezzouna, his vehicle was part of a column [[strafe]]d by [[Curtiss P-40 Warhawk|P-40 Kittyhawk]] fighter bombers of the [[Desert Air Force]] – most likely from [[No. 3 Squadron RAAF]]<ref>3 Sqn veteran Tom Russell states that: "operational records and pilot diaries" for the other Desert Air Force Kittyhawk squadrons "shows them operating away from Mezzouna..." at the time. [http://www.3squadron.org.au/subpages/Stauffenberg.htm Tom Russell, 2011, "3 Squadron and the 'Plot to Kill Hitler'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324221401/http://3squadron.org.au/subpages/Stauffenberg.htm |date=24 March 2012 }} (Access: 23 April 2012.) Russell</ref> – and he received multiple severe wounds. Stauffenberg spent three months in a hospital in [[Munich]], where he was treated by [[Ferdinand Sauerbruch]]. Stauffenberg lost his left eye, his right hand, and two fingers on his left hand.<ref name=Commire1994>{{Citation|title = Historic World Leaders: Europe (L–Z)|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-joOAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Claus+Schenk+Graf+von+Stauffenberg%22+%22left+eye%22|year = 1994|author = Commire, Anne|author-link = Anne Commire|journal = Gale Research Inc.|page = 769|isbn = 978-0-8103-8411-8|access-date = 18 September 2011}}</ref> He jokingly remarked to friends never to have really known what to do with so many fingers when he still had all of them. For his injuries, Stauffenberg was awarded the [[Wound Badge]] in Gold on 14 April and for his courage the [[German Cross]] in Gold on 8 May.<ref>{{cite book|first = Gerd R.|last = Ueberschär|title = Für ein anderes Deutschland. Der deutsche Widerstand gegen den NS-Staat 1933–1945|publisher = Wiss. Buchges.|year = 2005|isbn = 3-534-18497-1|page = 294}}</ref>