Kasserine Pass Essay

1. DEFINE THE SUBJECT/EVALUATE THE SOURCES: The Battle of Kasserine Pass

a. Define the Battle to be analyzed (where, who, when).

The Battle of Kasserine Pass took place between Allied Forces and Axis Forces in February of 1943 as part of the invasion of Tunisia during the North African Campaign of WWII under Operation Torch. Kasserine Pass itself is a 2 mile wide gap in the West Dorsal chain of the Atlas Mountains in west central Tunisia.

The Allied Forces of the US II Corp were led by MG Lloyd Fredendall. Primary at the Kasserine Pass was the US 1st Armored Division supplemented by elements of French Artillery. Other Allied Forces taking part in the Major Campaign were the British 6th Armored Division lead by MG Charles Keightley and parts of the British First Army

Study the area of operations.

(1) weather.

Weather did not play a major role in the actual engagement at Kasserine Pass starting. However, weather was a major factor in the events leading up to the battle. Heavy rains and sandstorms provided cover at Faid Pass and caused massive delays in the Allied advance into Tunisia due to high amounts of mud that made vehicle and foot travel very difficult.

(2) terrain.

Kasserine pass was a rocky defile that narrowed to about 1,500 yards—some accounts even say it was narrower at 800 yards. But once past that “bottleneck,” Kasserine's western entrance broadened to a wide basin that split into two roads. One road led west to Tebessa and the vital Allied supply base, while the other trailed north to the town of Thala (Stone). It was primarily high desert with very deep sand in the passes that limited vehicle mobility. Wide open spaces created a lot of mirage effects that hampered the ability to properly identify the enemy. The primary locations of US forces were 2 large hills that were far enough apart as to disrupt communication and impede the ability to have overlapping defense.

c. Compare the principle antagonists