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

to 5367 to-a-Qize the ene4 in Bbiba from the northwest . The let Bu,104th
continue to
will mnxmzxxz attack along the wadi in a western direction . The 3d Bn .,104
closes, to the right and follows . flak Bn,609 exptends its position a- f(-,-,v
observation
100 meters to the east . The artillery increases its of the area
west of the road .
At 1400 h. a liaison officer arrives from 3d Bn .104th and reports
that the attack is at a stand still as a result of the strongest onomy artillery
and , mortar fire . Up ,to now 3 . nen killed and 10 wounded . The enemy artillery
fires more and more acurately on our batteries and especially on the divisional
C .P . There is strong evidence that ehemy observers are
west of the road and .kxxmx that our entire installations a-e exposed to their
view .
- 1 5 -
At , 1415 h. , there is a call from Ia Pz . AOK Afrika with the report
that FM Kesselring .has promised the strongest air commitment for the attack
on Sbiba . The, weather becoming worse and worse the project is not carried out.
At 1700 h . the division commander decides to stop the attack and
orders the various Kampfgruppen Jckm: to disengage from the enemy at night fall .
At 2200 h . a commanders conference takes place . Its basis is the
division order for the defense of the terrain south of Sbiba. :or~ the -order
see the annex. In the course of the day the reconnaissance Bn .
rr,G_] La,
mission,to reconnoiter over
w&..
was giueo. the
. 3%-
53 47,46, 55, 56 . Result : no enemy observation .
The battalion receives the order to block the defile at 534, 7 toward the north
with ikzxmxsaxn9xitxxJmm s its main body . The reconnais aace Will ho carried
r"( m3 . Sr K ~
out . as far as 5 45, 55 . 56, 70 and 67` [^'''sd-41
Upon order o£ Pz .AOK Afrika, Recon .Bn.560 comes under the control
of Pz .AOK Afrika, effective at once .
The march takes place over 5353 to 7716 .
cated on the hills