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

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join the Ronzuel group andplaced under the joint command of F.M.Rommal who,
at the same time, will retain the direot command o£ attack group north.
(Annex 1123)
a. First Ital . Ar yx
At 0600 Gen.Lbsse has taken over the high command of the Mareth
front. All the German and ital . troops heretofore under the high command of
the D.I .Panzerarmee will at that time come under the awnkxxI high command of
the First Ital .Army inasmuch as they are in line at the Mareth front. Gen.
Messe will be given a German liaison staff for the command of the German
units. (Annex ll )
To watch over German interests F.M.Rommel orders that Gen.Ziegler
be entrusted with the command of D.A.K. until the arrival of the commanding
general. ---All=the
'German-troops - employed -at -the l%areth- front are -placed' under -
the control of D.A .K. Only the 90.le.Afr.Div . wil l receive operational
orders from the XX.A.K. (Annex 1125
Under the cover o£ strong dust clouds loosened in the forenoon by a
sand storm strong enemy armored units have advanced with their point of main
effort north of the left flank of the rearguard position of the 15.Pz.Div .
and in the early forenoon stand in the deep northern flank of the divi-sion.
The division had to fight stubbornly and call out all its forces to resist
the crushing superiority of the enenW panzers)C, and despite the enemy attempt
to encircle the southern flank also, it kept open the withdrawal road bfedenine -
Toujane . The one armored battalion at the disposal of the division (with
about 20 tanks) repeatedly brings to a standstill through counterattacks
an enemy almost five times as strong . Severe fighting continues until dusk .
The division has mastered the situation so far that it can disengage itself
from the enemy systematically and withdraw along the Laedenine - Toujane
behind the advanced position . (Annex 1126 )
Herewith the last German units have been withdrawn behind the advanced