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

(Par 3, 22 FEB 43 contd)
riven as an East - West line through DJ EL SIP to cross-roads li4fM
mid-afternoon, the 1st 3n ., of the 16th CT without our knowledge moved into
at S--6"884 and S-7088 with orders from CG, 1st Inf. Div. to defend them . Accordingly
3rd Bn ., 39th Inf . was ordered to move to defend the passes at S-7393 and S-?695 .
Occupation of the pauses was completed by . both Bns by 2400 hrs . Co "D" 16th Engrs,
completed mining of pass at S-7393 at 1800 hrs . Dispositions of troops are as
shown on overlay #3 . -
4 . 23 February 1943 . 2nd hn, 13th kR moved at daybreak to occupy positions
in wadi at S-7582 . At 1100 hrs one Co of tanks bade a reconnaissance in force
t.o the vicinity of S-7880 . No enemy encountered. At 1700 hrs the Bn completed
an ordered move to a position in the vicinity of S-8378 . The 27th and 68th Armd
FA bns moved up behind it . i"o ene -ty -:et encountered . Rcn Co reconnoitered as
far earl. as v-rtical 85 - no ener .y contact . ,,
At 0935 the 2nd Bn, 6th lnf, assembled in the vicinity of S-7180 . The~ 16th
CT was advised to fill the cap thus cfeated on its front . At this point no satisfactory
communication had as yet been established with the 2nd Bn, 16th CT, which
was under our co-rurand in the sector of the 1st Inf Div . just after d rk, the 2nd
En of the 13th AR dropped back Qhout 1 mile to bivouac for the night .
During this night the RAF bombed FASSERIYE intermittentl1r .
1'115 16th CT came under our command at 2200 hrs .
At about 1100 the 894th TD Bn was ordered to assemble in rear of the -ra ss
at S-7088 and to send light patrols to the north to the area south and west
of TIALA . The balance of the Bn when assembled was to move to the right flank .
of the 2nd En, 13th AR and push rcn toward th- KASSERI?iE Pass along the northern
slopes of Dj CFX.MI . .
R9ports had been received statting before dawn that the enemy occupied"
T1;AU or that t': - -e 6 A .D . vm._° defending along a nc.rbhsast - southwest line
about four miles south of TFALA, thereby encountering our left flank .
ror dispositions of the cora :and as of 2900 hrs, see overlay #4 .
the results of oi;r operations this date= .Tone .
.
- 5 . At about 0300 hrs, CG, 1st AD, arrived at our CP and informdd the CG
that the command had the -, ission of driving the enemy from the valley, destroying
as much of h-_-n as possible -and re-capturing the KASSEPd E Pass . The attack
was tc be coorinated with the 26th Armd Drib;, moving south from ThAiA by i+"~j
Gin harmon, Deputy Commander of the II Corps . The encury :gad apparantly withdrawn
from before ThAiA, anti olar left seemed secure . -
The CG, C/C B, submitted a plan for the dapture of the Pass which- was later
adopted by the Deputy Cori;ander . The plan provided for infantry to work onto both
shoulders of the Pas . ; from the north and west, the infantry to be closely followed
by a tank - artillery team -- C/C B moving from the west, 6 AD from the north .
The 2nd Bn, 13th hR, with dne"C6mpanp of Infantry attached, closely supported
by the 27th and 68th FA Bns moved forward towards the XX;MSSE=:I1;B Pens at daylight .
`-he 601st TD Bn (less Co "C") with C 1-the 13th AR attached, moved to the
north S-1de of OUED EL iATAB Just
ht and frum the vicinity of S-
8078 :,loved forward at dawn, prot
ank of the 2nd Bn, 13th Ar
and sendi-g reconnaissance t
The 894th TD Bn was on the
right flank of the 2nd Bn, 13t
,t 1000 hrs, the Rcn Co of
the 894th TD Br_ iiid of the 13t
contact at a point one
1~
p!