Kasserine Pass

David Bolton

Kasserine Pass is a simulation of the Tunisian desert battle which
occurred in February of 1943, where for the first time, American troops
carne into battle with the much more experienced German troops.

The battle started on the morning of February the 14th, with the 21st,
and 10th, Panzer divisions and a few brigades of Rommel's Afrika Korps
with some Italians, collectively under 5th Arrny Comrnand. The Italians
were to attack in the North, but the Americans would quickly realise
that this was a diversionary attack and assume that the 10th Panzer
division's attack was the real one. While this was happening 21st Panzer
division and the Afrika Korps would attack the American's rear towards
Tebessa, turn and destroy them frorn behind.

Move 1 opened with the 168th US Infantry Regiment quickly overrun by
21st Panzer who captured Sidi Bouzid. In the North 10th Panzer division
and the Italians moved into contact with 1st US Armoured division,
pushing them back. The DAK moved into a position to attack Gafsa. The
Arnerican player decided to try and stop the Germans as far forward as
possible, unsound tactics, for it would mean he had further to move his
reinforcelnents and the terrain wasn't the best, still a bad plan is
better than no plan, or so he thought.

Gafsa although strongly reinforced, fell, and the Allies, for now some
British had come up, were pushed back to the hills overlook ing
Ferriana. In the centre the 21st Panzer division instead of moving south
to join DAK went west and captured Sebelita. The 10th Panzer division up
North was slowed down by the newly arrived reinforcements, and the
Italians were even pushed back near Maktar.

By now the Allied player was realising the error he had made, and pulled
back his forces on to the hills, from Kasserine to Sbiba. The DAK with a
good bit of dlce throwing pushed forward, at a rate not seen since
France in 1940, or Russia in 1941. The Allied player threw his
reinforcements at the German attacks, forgetting his earlier mistakes
and again learnt the hard way, event ually pulling back what he had left
into a line, West and East of Tebessa, and was confident that with the
Artillery he was soon to get, he could deny Tebessa to the Germans.

The Germans hadn't been slacking and had captured the town of Kasserine,
but were given a sharp rebuff when they tried to attack the hills
nearby. The German player left enough men to hold the Allies, and moved
the rest South to join DAK thinking that with these rnen from 21st
Panzer division he might storm Tebessa, it was now or never, the Allied
reinforcements were building up. 21st Panzer division took a short cut
through Kasserine Pass, fighting off an Allied counterattack, thanks to
some low dice shaking by the Allied player. In the North the 10th Panzer
division had struggled through to Sbiba, which forced the Allied troops,
on the hills, near Maktar to pull back, allowing the Italians to advance
and join up with 10th Panzer division.

The 21st Panzer division and DAK made a last attack on Tebessa, akin to
El Alamri but with different results thanks to a verv high dice-throw on
the part of the German player, this was just not the Allied player's day.

Even with the Artillery he received, he was unable to throw the Germans
out, at one time having Tebessa completely surrounded. In the North he
pushed the Gerrnans back to Sbiba, and on the last move almost got him
out. At the end of the game, the Germans had captured four out of six
towns/cities (Ferriana, Kasserine, Sbiba and Tebessa, not getting La Kef
or Thala) needed to win, and he achieved a decisive victory.

In looking back the main fault would appear to be his initial tactics
trying to stop the Germans so early, but this defence has worked quite
welI before, so perhaps the fortunes of war were just against him.

Historically the Allies retreated before the Germans, moved on to the
main belt of hills, from North of Sbiba to South of Ferriana, were
pushed back to a line extending from Tebessa to Sbiba, but
counter-attacked and sent the Germans back, hotly pursuing them, until
they were further back than they oriqinally started.