KASSERINE PASS BATTLES Readings - US Army Center Of Military ...

Report- of Operations, Iiq II Corps, 2 May 19113 (Continued ) .
4 . In compliance with letter, :.FIIQ Advanced Cor.-iand Post, dated 211 January
1f1t3, the II Corps (S:,TIll FOrCL) was attached to the Dritish First ArvW
and the Coi ,~zanding General, British First Array, conoral Anderson, made responsible
for L:u oriploynont of American troops in accordance with "cneral policies
:.:ado known by the C-in-C . In accordance with lst GrnV Instruction No . 11, Comrmndi:zg
Ganural, II Corps, assumed coruiand of ,;round troops of all_ throw nationalities
operating south of t: : : --,n ,:ral line all exclusive MORSOTT - TKNLP. -
S3=1 all inclusive DJ TROZZi. - F011DOUK - SIDI 2'M iL 1u~L:ItI thence exclusive
)of SOCTSS,~ and north of the -oneral line exclusive the line of the CHOTTS to
The nissicn of II Corps . as d --fined by :.fIIQ was the protection of the
right flank of the Allied Forces in Tunisia .
In addition to the 1n,.:ric n Infantry and Armored Forc :;s in the OUSSi:L-
TLN V,- :LL=, there were a-dproxinately two 13ns . of French Infantry in position
on DJM%L B.IRCOU . These troops vr;sre also placed under the coin :and of Colonel
Fce:ict . - Gcnc;ral Robinett was in conmand of the armored units .
6 . on 26 January, the 26th CT attacked K.IIROULN PASS in the OUSSELTIA
~:;hLI;y and took 400 Italian Prisoners . 16th RCT less lst and 2nd Bns . and 7th
F;, D-t. bivouaced east of 1L-',KT;.R . CC"B" was in contact with the enemy and hold
ing along the 1UdROU:uj-OUSSj;LTL-, road . Patrols to IL.USOLLLh and IL,Re:CIi;:U1j - contacted
the British at 1-,USOLLr~r. .
7 . During those operations in the OUSSELTIA VULEY, the enemy clearly controllc:d
t::e skies . tic: usually made raids over our positions at 0800 hrs . , 1200
as ., and 1500 :nrs . In one raid alone, six of our trucks ti-rcre lost .
8 . On the 28th of January, 26th CT vicinity of OUSS3LTI:. engaged oncrly
forces cast of the pass through the :;.STEM? DORS:,LE 4:nd took 70 Italian prisoners .
9 . On 30 January by 10000 hours, the OUSSELTI . :. V_'.LLEY lead been cleared of
cneriy troops to the OUSS:.LTI.. - 1WROU..:: road and the castorn slope of BEK
Z-':IOUS . .ncW positions acre r-ported on the north slope of DJEBEL TOUIL.', .
The cnerL" left man- scatt~red and unmarked .-.line: fi,:lds behind hi : .i indic^ting
that :lc :iad no intention of rcsuminf; iris push throuEh the PONT-D(J-F~'.HS, ROD',;.
end OUSS ;LTI :. V:.LLL1' . The .;ne.~.tv, fearing .:n allied counterthrust up the OUS-
S-L'fl:, V. .LLF;Y dug dcf.:nsiva positions cow;ring tl: .; northern ::xit from -the valley
.
10 . :.mile tile: forces under Colonel Fechct and Gcn~ral Robinett ::ere
assembling in the ROB.'.:. - OUSS : LTI- . area, patrols fror, the Italian garrison at
: .,,:::L:.SSY became : active in the SF.N3D ST:_TIO:I area .
11 . On 24 January, the lst ..mored Division less detaclunants made a recoiL-.aissaace
in force fro., G.:FS:. toward This fore ; : advanced halfway
b,vucon S`::ZD and 1 : .1C_i:.SSY, mad,- contact with th . : :ncmy and captured 'three trucks,
20 Cerrk.n Ph's -rid 130 Italian P'vil s . Tae 1st :,r-iored Division lost two medix:.
tanks, two wcrc l:il?_,.;d and trroe -:owided . By the 28th of January, th .:rc; was
increased cn-r .rl activity in the EL M,'ETT. .f, area . Th, : French outpost them ;:ad
b:.;--n attacked b,",- c sa2ll G.2rman notorcyclc patrol .
12 . ;,s t :-.e Ct":.S~LTI :. I'-LIZ- had 5- .: .^. cle red of t::c cncrrj, CC"B" bras withcra.Irn
:nd rlovcd to f07: C: .1:31:: . during th- night 23-29 January and the Stack