Knowing that the Allies were preparing a major push toward Tunis, the Germans launched a spoiling attack on the night of 20/21 April 1943.
Four points were attacked simultaneously, including a pass on the north side of a hill called Djebel Djaffa.
Two Tigers and several other tanks advanced through this pass before dawn, and were gradually driven back during the day.
Tiger 131 was hit by three shots from  6-pounders from British Churchill tanks of A Squadron, 4 Troop of the 48th Royal Tank Regiment (RTR).
A solid shot hit the Tiger's gun barrel and ricocheted into its turret ring, jamming its traverse, wounding the driver and front gunner and destroying the radio.
A second shot hit the turret lifting lug, disabling the gun's elevation device.
A third shot hit the loader's hatch, deflecting fragments into the turret.
The German crew bailed out, taking their wounded with them and leaving the knocked-out but still driveable and largely intact tank behind.
The tank was secured by the British as they captured Djebel Djaffa hill.
Tiger 131 was the first intact Tiger tank captured by British forces.

A 2012 article in the Daily Mail followed by a book by Noel Botham and Bruce Montague entitled Catch that Tiger claimed that Major Douglas Lidderdale, the engineering officer who oversaw the return of Tiger 131 to England, was responsible for the capture of Tiger 131 as the leader of a secret mission appointed by Winston Churchill to obtain a Tiger for Allied intelligence.

Though the account has been considered plausible (if only in light of Churchill's reputation for being "hands on" in his dealings with military affairs during wartime) it has been rejected by The Tank Museum as inaccurate.
The story as told in the book contradicts Lidderdale's own letters and papers written in the years before his death, in which he stated that he was not personally present when the Tiger was captured.

In April 2019, Dale Oscroft visited the Tank Museum and was struck by the similarity between Tiger 131 and a story told to him by his father John Oscroft who was part of 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters who took point 174 without the promised tank support.
After its capture the Germans immediately counter attacked with tanks including Tigers.
John Oscroft was told to hit one Tiger with his PIAT.
After crawling forward to get as close as he dared he saw the bomb just bounce off the Tiger so decided to get his head down.
Fortunately their supporting Churchill tanks had finally arrived and one shot from a Churchill jammed the turret.
Based on photographic and documentary evidence, the disabled Tiger was definitely 131 at Gueriat el Atach ("Point 174") during an attack on 2nd Bn Sherwood Foresters on 24 April 1943.
The Tiger was struck by a Churchill of either 142 Regiment Royal Armoured Corps or 48 RTR, which were supporting the Foresters, and abandoned.
This confirms that the Tiger at Djebel Djaffa on 21 April was not 131.
Knowing that the Allies were preparing a major push toward Tunis, the Germans launched a spoiling attack on the night of 20/21 April 1943. Four points were attacked simultaneously, including a pass on the north side of a hill called Djebel Djaffa. Two Tigers and several other tanks advanced through this pass before dawn, and were gradually driven back during the day. Tiger 131 was hit by three shots from  6-pounders from British Churchill tanks of A Squadron, 4 Troop of the 48th Royal Tank Regiment (RTR). A solid shot hit the Tiger's gun barrel and ricocheted into its turret ring, jamming its traverse, wounding the driver and front gunner and destroying the radio. A second shot hit the turret lifting lug, disabling the gun's elevation device. A third shot hit the loader's hatch, deflecting fragments into the turret. The German crew bailed out, taking their wounded with them and leaving the knocked-out but still driveable and largely intact tank behind. The tank was secured by the British as they captured Djebel Djaffa hill. Tiger 131 was the first intact Tiger tank captured by British forces.
A 2012 article in the Daily Mail followed by a book by Noel Botham and Bruce Montague entitled Catch that Tiger claimed that Major Douglas Lidderdale, the engineering officer who oversaw the return of Tiger 131 to England, was responsible for the capture of Tiger 131 as the leader of a secret mission appointed by Winston Churchill to obtain a Tiger for Allied intelligence.
Though the account has been considered plausible (if only in light of Churchill's reputation for being "hands on" in his dealings with military affairs during wartime) it has been rejected by The Tank Museum as inaccurate. The story as told in the book contradicts Lidderdale's own letters and papers written in the years before his death, in which he stated that he was not personally present when the Tiger was captured.
In April 2019, Dale Oscroft visited the Tank Museum and was struck by the similarity between Tiger 131 and a story told to him by his father John Oscroft who was part of 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters who took point 174 without the promised tank support. After its capture the Germans immediately counter attacked with tanks including Tigers. John Oscroft was told to hit one Tiger with his PIAT. After crawling forward to get as close as he dared he saw the bomb just bounce off the Tiger so decided to get his head down. Fortunately their supporting Churchill tanks had finally arrived and one shot from a Churchill jammed the turret. Based on photographic and documentary evidence, the disabled Tiger was definitely 131 at Gueriat el Atach ("Point 174") during an attack on 2nd Bn Sherwood Foresters on 24 April 1943. The Tiger was struck by a Churchill of either 142 Regiment Royal Armoured Corps or 48 RTR, which were supporting the Foresters, and abandoned. This confirms that the Tiger at Djebel Djaffa on 21 April was not 131.
Tiger 131