Kasserine Pass: Allied Defeat?
Did Rommel Really Win at Kasserine?
The 1970 FOX film Patton opens with a panorama of the North African desert, and after presenting the viewer with some beautiful, if bleak, scenery during the opening credits, the movie switches to a scene where Arabic nomads and their children are rummaging through the aftermath of a battle. Dead GIs, burnt-out American tanks, and abandoned equipment of every kind litter the rocky landscape. The nomads are in the process of stripping the dead bodies of boots, socks, jackets, and other articles of clothing when two Willys jeeps arrive on the scene, their passengers firing their guns into the air to ward off the pesky Africans. General Omar Bradley alights from the lead jeep, takes a look around, and then listens to his aide read the casualty report for the engagement. Stunned and a little bewildered by what he has seen, Bradley climbs back into the jeep, and the two vehicles drive off, weaving their way through the carnage. The setting? Kasserine Pass, Tunisia, February 1943.
{default}The road to the Battle of Kasserine Pass began on November 8, 1942, when an Anglo-American force of gigantic proportions landed on the beaches of French North Africa. A total of 107,000 Allied troops – three-fourths of them American and the remaining quarter British – were landed to secure a foothold at nine key locations along the coast (1). After skirmishing with Vichy French troops and securing their initial objectives, the Allies moved inland and began to consider how to best defeat the German forces waiting for them in Tunisia. After failing to capture Tunis before the end of the year, the British and Americans spent the winter trading insults with each other and attempting to come up with a new plan for the campaign. Meanwhile, Hitler moved General Jurgin von Arnim into Tunisia to take command of the army charged with its defense. By January of 1943, von Arnim had at least 100,000 troops under his command and has also seized control of the strategically vital mountain passes through the heights near Tunis (2).
Meanwhile, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, who had pulled his bruised and weary Afrika Korps back into Tunisia after his defeat at El Alamein, was envisioning a daring strike against the Allies. When Montgomery and his Eighth Army halted at Tripoli in January 1943 to rest before tackling the Desert Fox once again, it gave Rommel enough time to retreat to the Mareth Line, an old French string of fortifications (3). Rommel hoped that he could hold Monty at the Mareth Line with part of his troops while the rest of his veteran Afrika Korps sliced into the green and cocksure American II Corps, stationed at that time in the area around Sidi Bou Zid (4). This attack would allow him, after crushing the Americans and damaging their morale, to drive deep into the Allied forces still bogged down and seize vital supply and transport centers. In order for this offensive to be successful, though, Rommel would need to temporarily borrow some troops from von Arnim, but von Arnim, who disliked Rommel and his unorthodox methods, would not lend him enough forces to pull off an offensive which he considered too risky (5). On the other hand, von Arnim would gladly support a limited offensive against the 2nd U.S. Armored Division, part of the U.S. II Corps holding Sidi Bou Zid. Rommel agreed, and this attack, which occurred on the 14th of February, was spearheaded by the 10th and 21st Panzer Division, and supported by Stuka dive bombers. It proved to be an overwhelming victory, and the American sustained over 2,000 casualties, most of whom were taken prisoner (6).
An American M5 Light Tank, arguably the best light tank of the war,
although undergunned when facing the German at Kasserine Pass
Realizing now that he had sent the entire American II Corps reeling back towards the Western Dorsal mountain range, Rommel harassed the retreating Americans and pressured von Arnim for a continuation of the offensive, hoping to drive for the important Allied base at Tebesa, located approximately 40 to 50 miles northwest of Kasserine Pass. Von Armin would have none of it, though, and the debate grew so tense that Field Marshal Kesselring had to settle it in person, flying across the Mediterranean from his headquarters in Rome. In the end, Rommel won the argument, although von Arnim still withheld certain units for an offensive of his own – units which Kesselring had ordered him to loan to Rommel (7). While this clash of opinions in the Axis camp may seem to have been a minor incident, in the end it proved decisive, allowing the American under General Fredendall to prepare for the coming attack, granting them precious time to bring up reinforcements and supplies, and ultimately turning the tide of the battle in favor of the Allies (8).
Fredendall, though he knew that the Germans were preparing another offensive, was completely in the dark as to which of the five passes through the Western Dorsal mountains the Germans would use for their upcoming attack. On February 18th, 1943, however, Axis reconnaissance planes operating near Kasserine suggested an attack in that area, so Fredendall ordered Colonel Alexander Stark’s 26th Infantry Regiment to the pass posthaste. Fredendall’s orders to Stark: “I want you to go to Kasserine and pull a Stonewall Jackson.†(9)
Supporting Stark and the 26th Infantry Regiment was a conglomeration of anti-tank, artillery, and infantry battalions, which Stark added to his own force to create Task Force Stark. Meanwhile, the 10th Panzer Division, led by Brigadier General Karl Buelowius, barreled towards Kasserine, reaching it on the 19th of February (10). The Germans found Stark and his troops ready and waiting for them, and tried immediately to break through the American defenses, but in doing so underestimated Stark’s force and subsequently had to withdraw in the face of tenacious resistance. That night, realizing that the nature of both the pass and the Allied defenses dictated a strategy other than that of direst assault, Buelowius sent infiltration patrols into and behind the green American troops, disrupting their defenses and capturing some of them (11). Later that same night, however, a small contingent of British tanks arrived to bolster the sagging American lines, meaning that although temporarily victorious, Buelowius and his troops would have to try again in the morning (12). Rommel, meanwhile, was in a pensive mood, and was growing increasingly dissatisfied with his soldiers’ progress. Realizing that time was of the essence, as it would only be so long before Monty attacked again, Rommel pressured Buelowius to achieve an immediate breakthrough. He recorded in his diary for the 20th of February that “. . . what I most feared had now happened. The enemy had the opportunity to deploy his reserve troops in the unassailable hill positions.†(13)
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Great article.Well, I believe that the germans have been considered to have won the battle, but the U.S. forces could more afford the losses than Rommel could. Rommel needed any and all tanks he could get a hold of, so even though the Americans didn’t inflict heavy casualties on the Germans, it still greatly affected the capabilities of the africa corps by destroying even only a few tanks, so I would go for allied victory, but thats just me.Please correct me if that appears incorrect.
I agree, if you win a battle, for ex. you take a huge defensive line. Well if you beat your enemy but you only have 20 guys left, well then its a bigger loss for you than the other guy, cause he’ll retaliate with 1000 men. So allied victory for me. Though I never lose respect for Rommel, bad guy or not he was a brilliant mind.
This article is what true historical analysis is all about; find out what really happen and not what is politically correct or pleasing. While the battle at Sidi Bou Zid was a German victory, Kasserine was another matter. Initially the Americans were heavly punished for their sloppy deployments and slow responses. However, they managed to deny Rommel his goal of reaching Tebessa. In his final effort to break through, his forces were severly punished by American artillery. In fact, Rommel expressed his admiration for the way the Americans handled their artillery. In the end, it was Rommel who was forced to retreat. It was not a ‘great’ victory, but it was a victory none the less. In his book, “There’s a War to Be Won”, Geoffrey Perret gives an excellent analysis of this battle and why it has been misconstrued as an abject defeat for the Americans.
The author is in error in one major point. The British were not destroyed in front of Thala and the remaining forces were not just Stark’s survivors. The tanks and infantry still in front Thala the morning of the 21st were from the British 26th Armoured Brigade supported by the divisional artillery of the US 9th Infantry DIvision. These are the forces that stopped the 10th Pz at Thala, while more British and US forces stope the 21st Pz at Sbiba and, finally, the US 16th regiment orf 1st division and CCB of of US 1st Armoured stopped the Africa Corps Assault Group at Haidra in the Hatab River valley.
ALl that aside, it was a definite Allied win.
I’m laughing reading this. There are actually people in this world who think Kasserine pass was anything other than a crushing German victory….
My dad was capture at Kasserine and spent the next 2 years, 2 months, and 2 weeks in LuftStalag III.
Kasserine was a victory for Americans because the Germans ran out of energy beating our tank corps to a pulp? Was the author perhaps related to the general in charge? This was an american victory like stalingrad was a German victory.
Germans inflicted more damage, but failed in their strategic objective. Americans held the field.
American victory, but costly one.
a very warped history. almost pure fiction.
Germans won. Americans got pummeled. In fact, the person who hurt Rommel the most was that idiot Von Armin. Classifying this battle as an American Victory is like classifying Pearl Harbor as an American victory. Americans learned a lot from their defeat, but it was still a defeat. Rommel, perhaps the greatest WWII general of all time. If he had more resources, he easily would have crushed all of his opposition
Kelly is right.
If Rommel had the same assets as Montgomery at El Alamein the Desert Fox would have smashed through the British lines and secured the Suez Canal.
Montgomery had twice the tanks with 200 more in reserve. He had more artillery, more anti-tank guns, and above all more troops, fuel, and ammunition.
All this song and dance about America winning at Kasserine reminds me of the idiots running our country in the ground in DC.
Italians did not exist ?
Gen. Messe either?
Obsessed by ”Germanity” ?
Thanks
First of all there is an unhealty obsession about German Army and especially about Rommel among Anglo Saxons almost at fanboyism levels because he was the only commander they faced. Rommel was not a genius in war folks. His excellent skill in tactics was more than balanced by his strategical incompatance in strategy and more importantly his inability to balance his operations according to logistical resources and reinforcements he had. Several times he overextended himself , disobeyed orders or recommendation he received from his peers (Kesselring , Von Arnim ) and punished on battlefield. In fact after July 1942 there is no strategic success he won on battlefield. Kasserine Pass and Sidi Bou Zid are only temporary tactical victories which did not affect strategic disposition of Allies at all. At the end Field Marshall Harold Alexander got command of all Allied armies at the helm of 18th Army Group and drove German counter attacks in February-March 1943 , 2nd US Corps was recovered , US Army learned some valuable lessons and gained battlefield experience in exchange of some strategically worthless ground 6500 casaulties and 200 tanks…All of them were recoverable…A fair exchange I would say…By the way after fall of Kasserine Pass it was British units which held Thala northern gap of Eastern Dorsal along with 9th US Infantry Division artillery , 1st US Division with help of 1st US Armored Div. defended Tebessa..and Von Arnim’s last assault on north towards Beja was defeated by 46th British Infantry Division and 1st British Airborne Brigade. This article leaves contribution of British units.
Can, you make some good points. We published an article on the ACG website about Rommel and how the very things that made him successful also led to his defeats. You can read it at http://armchairgeneral.com/erwin-rommel-roots-of-victory-seeds-of-defeat.htm