attacked towards Hunt's Gap where the reinforced 128th Brigade (including the Churchill tank-equipped North Irish Horse) was concentrated. Fighting raged until 3 March, by which time the brigade had halted the German effort to capture Béja and destroyed at least 11 tanks. At the same time, on 26 February, Axis forces advanced into the Sedjenane valley, held by the 139th Brigade, initiating the Battle of Sedjenane. Notably, on 2 March, the 16th Durham Light Infantry (16DLI) launched a counterattack that failed with heavy casualties. By 4 March, the brigade had been forced to withdraw. During the following two weeks, the brigade launched local counterattacks and engaged in further back-and-forth fighting in isolated company and battalion actions. Starting on 27 March, the division launched larger counterattacks to regain the Sedjenane valley. During this, the division took temporary command of the 1st Parachute and the 38th (Irish) Brigades. They, alongside the 138th Brigade, retook all the territory that had been lost by 1 April, as well around 1,000 prisoners. On 2 April, the 128th Brigade moved south to assist in an attack towards Pichon, near Kairouan. This was part of a larger effort to intercept Axis forces retreating north, from the south of Tunisia where they were being chased by the British Eighth Army. The resulting fighting was a success for the brigade who took 150 prisoners, but the overall attack failed to trap Axis forces. They marched north to rejoin the main body of the division on 14 April. The division was next tasked with capturing hills northeast of Bou Arada to open the way for an armoured advance towards Tunis. On 21 April, Axis forces launched a minor spoiling attack that was repelled before the division attacked. Over the next two days, in heavy fighting, the division took its objectives. Further back-and-forth fighting followed as the division was called upon to clear additional Axis positions. Fighting ended on 27 April and so did the division's role in the campaign. On 20 May, elements of the 46th took part in the victory parade in Tunis. The division was not allocated to the Allied invasion of Sicily and remained in Tunisia. In June, the division took part in Exercise Conqueror, a training exercise, where it opposed an amphibious landing conducted by the United States 1st Infantry Division. This was followed by the 46th conducting amphibious landing training, as it was assigned to