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

21 February 1943
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The weather became worse during the night ;
the rain softened roads
and terrain. -'--Enemy harassing fire lay on the division positions during the
night.
At'0310 AOK issues the following order:
"Pass position south of Sbiba resting on the enemy mine field to
be defended . Reconn .Bn .5E30 to march immediately by the shortest road as arimj
reserve to the area around Kasserine" .
Toward 0500 strong artillery fire begins again. Probably the enemy
expects us to be moving into position of readiness . During the night we succeeded
in disengaging from the enemy and to organize the defense .
During the night a nuisance force under the command of Lt .Col .von
Katzler was ordered to block with mines the road net 5 Ion east of 5616 . The
force is equipped with radio and has the mission to reconnoiter to the west .
According,to Arabs' statements from 1t0 to 50 enemy tanks are moving there .
south of 5376 .
At 1200,h . enemy artillery fire lays on the divisional C .P . and
the division commander decides for an immediate transger of the C .P . 4 km
At ±4 :141, .0 h . it was possible to report to Pz .AOK that the divi-
sion after ka regrouping on the line 534£3, 5353, 5373, had passed to
active defense . Toward 1600 h.Cpt . IIissmann reports that about 500: men coming
from the north . are moving in the mountain in front of the position of Flak Bn .
609, and that according to a reconnaissance th-r-m already about 300 men are
there . Thereupon an armored company is set to march and occupy the position
behind Flak Bn . 609 .
Toyrard 1610 h. it looks as if the enei%r,400-500 men strong, has trio
of st:,~cLir the position of the bE:ttii~)on. At lr,: ,30 h . «n order ~,.ocs
to Major Pfeiffer :"The enemy will be observed and kept off by a recornais-ance" .