KASSERINE PASS

In the early weeks of 1943, the Germans had beat the Allies at the battles near Sidi Bou Zid in Tunisia. German reconnaissance revealed that Allied forces were regrouping around Tebessa. The Allies were preparing for a thrust eastward to the Gulf of Gabes in order to divide the German forces and eliminate them in turn. Rommel was ordered tospoil this plan by himself making a deep thrust north into the rear of British 5 Corps. With his own German-ItalianArmy, as well as the 10th Panzer and 21 Panzer Divisions, he was directed to attack toward Le Kef. In order to get tothis objective, Rommel first had to get through the Western Dorsal, at either Sbiba Gap or Kasserine Pass. The 21st Panzer Division was to try to breakthrough at Sbiba, while Kampfgruppe DAK was to strike into Kasserine. The 10th Panzer Division was held in reserve to assist either of the other forces where needed. Elements of the US 1st Armored Division were stretched out in small pockets all along the sector of the attack. Stark Force, under the command of Colonel Stark, commanding officer of the 26th Infantry Regiment, was ordered to defend at Kasserine Pass. Stark's 1st Battalion took up position across the roads leading through the pass, while 2nd Battalion set up on the ridge on the west side of the pass and 3rd battalion on the ridge to the east. Elements of the 19th Combat Engineers Regiment placed mines along the roads south of the American positions and then helped strengthened the line of defense. The 33rd Field Artillery Battalion would provide support and the 805th Tank Destroyer Battalion was held in reserve to protect the rear and throw back any of the enemy who had slipped past the line. Rommel began the attack on Kasserine Pass with Kampfgruppe DAK on 19 February. The 33rd Recon Battalion began with a probing push straight through the pass. When they failed to achieve an easy breakthrough, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Panzergrenadier Regiment Afrika were committed to attack along the west side of the pass and on the western ridge respectively while the 1st Battalion of the 8th Panzer Regiment attacked the east side of the pass and the eastern ridge. These attacks were supported by the Gruppe field artillery.
As German units began to weaken the line and breakthrough, Allied reinforcements were rushed forward to assist. These consisted of I, K and L Companies, 39th Infantry Regiment, I Company, 13th Armored Regiment, and the 894th Tank Destroyer Battalion. As these units began to arrive, the Germans also began to throw in reinforcements. The Motorcycle Battalion of the 10th Panzer Division arrived first and was rushed to the pass to assist in the attack. They were followed by the 1st and 2nd Armored Battalions attacking on the eastern side and the 1st Infantry Battalion, 131 Armored Regiment and 5th Bersaglieri Battalion, both from the Italian Centauro Division.
By the afternoon of the 20th, the German forces had broken through; however, the attacks through the Western Dorsal and the increasing resistance along the roads to the objectives had required too much time and the commitment of too many units to make the attack towards Le Kef possible without the risks of counterattack on the flanks. Rommel ordered a withdrawal from the passes before the Allies could cut him off from his supplies. Though the battle of Kasserine Pass was a clear German victory, the American forces achieved a small victory themselves by slowing down the German advance while reinforcements could be gathered and defenses set up along the roads to Le Kef.