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Tunisian Campaign (view source)
Revision as of 17:07, September 22, 2016
, 17:07, September 22, 2016→Kasserine Pass
On February 19th, Rommel attacked the US 2nd Army Corps in the [[Battle of Kasserine Pass]]. The plan was for the German-Italian ''Panzer Armee'' to get to Tebessa and Thala. Rommel sent the 5th Bersaglieri Regiment Battalion into the pass to fight Colonel Anderson Moore's 19th Combat Engineer Regiment defending the pass. The Germans were not able to advance through the Sbiba Pass but did manage to exploit Italian success through Kassarine Pass. German battlegroups tried to press on to Thala and Tebessa but were stopped in fierce fighting. On 22 February, Rommel was satisfied that he had managed to cause a significant amount of damage and casualties to the Allied forces, so he decided to withdraw his troops back to their startlines, covered by Bersaglieri. The damage done to the Allies was disastrous, but this was not a complete Axis victory for the Germans were unable to reach Thala and Tebessa.
On February 19th, Rommel attacked the US 2nd Army Corps in the [[Battle of Kasserine Pass]]. The plan was for the German-Italian ''Panzer Armee'' to get to Tebessa and Thala. Rommel sent the 5th Bersaglieri Regiment Battalion into the pass to fight Colonel Anderson Moore's 19th Combat Engineer Regiment defending the pass. The Germans were not able to advance through the Sbiba Pass but did manage to exploit Italian success through Kassarine Pass. German battlegroups tried to press on to Thala and Tebessa but were stopped in fierce fighting. On 22 February, Rommel was satisfied that he had managed to cause a significant amount of damage and casualties to the Allied forces, so he decided to withdraw his troops back to their startlines, covered by Bersaglieri. The damage done to the Allies was disastrous, but this was not a complete Axis victory for the Germans were unable to reach Thala and Tebessa.
Close to 30,000 American soldiers took part in the fighting for Kasserine Pass. Around 300 were killed, 3,000 wounded and close to 4,000 American soldiers were captured.<ref>«''More than 200 U.S. tanks were destroyed and nearly 4,000 American troops were captured''.» World War II in Europe: An Encyclopedia, p. 985, David T. Zabecki, Routledge, 2015</ref><ref>"American losses in round figures exceeded 3,000 killed and wounded and 200 tanks; the Germans claimed 3,721 prisoners." Patton, pg. 68, Da Capo Press, 2008</ref>
After the battle, Genral Dwight Eisenhower would send Fredendall back to the United States for a training command. His replacement, General George Patton, would confirm that there was nothing wrong with combat morale in the U.S. 2nd Army Corps that good leadership couldn't fix.
After the battle, Genral Dwight Eisenhower would send Fredendall back to the United States for a training command. His replacement, General George Patton, would confirm that there was nothing wrong with combat morale in the U.S. 2nd Army Corps that good leadership couldn't fix.