Preliminary Air Actions Near the Mareth Line

The Western Desert Air Force lost no time in attempting to neutralize Rommel's air defense by sending out night bombers against his landing fields and following them with morning attacks by fighter bombers. Axis fighters put up a stiff resistance but in one day at least seven of them were shot down. In the end the RAF won air superiority but not complete control.

On the night of 23-24 February air attacks were begun on the Mareth Line itself and upon road transport. Rommel countered on 6 March with an air-covered armored thrust, but was thrown back by Montgomery's artillery and by fighter bombers which defied the weather as well as the enemy. On the 10th a light blow against Fighting French units was attempted, but it was defeated by fighter bomber attack. From 11 March USAAF and RAF aircraft subjected the Mareth Line to repeated bombing with considerable success.

General Montgomery's pause in Tripolitania to clear Tripoli harbor and to build up his supplies gave Rommel the leisure to put into practice his plan for a thrust toward Thelepte. For this movement he had at his disposal the 21st Armored Division and about half of the 10th. On 14 February he moved his armor in two columns, one out of Faid toward Sbeitla, and one out of Maknassy toward Gafsa. The first, of 80-100 tanks, reached a point within 15 miles of Sbeitla by nightfall despite the opposition of American armored units. At the same time another force of about 30 tanks cut in south of Sbeitla, and in addition small tank units were operating over the area as far south as Sened. That night the Americans withdrew toward Feriana. Next day the Americans thrust toward Sidi-bou-Zid, near Faid, but after a day of fighting were pushed back again in spite of furious strafing and bombing cooperation furnished by XII Air Support Command. The infantry had to abandon much of its transport. The 168th Infantry Regiment, completely isolated, was finally forced to surrender. The U. S. armored force had suffered heavily, losing 98 medium tanks, 57 half tracks, and 29 guns.

On the 17th Rommel's 21st Armored Division occupied Sbeitla and went on to seize Kasserine; at the same time his southern column entered Feriana and Thelepte, forcing the hasty abandonment of the airfields. Strong cooperation by AAF and RAF elements was provided, and they reported some success against enemy tanks, vehicles, and fighters. On the 18th weather prevented bombing missions, but fighters ranged along the German lines, strafing troops and encampments.

Rommel struck on 19 February at the American near Kasserine and Sbeitla. The latter point held, but the Kasserine was forced on the 20th and Rommel poised for an attack on the U. S. supply areas between Thala and Tebessa, with a possibility of pushing toward Constantine, Philippeville, and Bone, thus cutting off the Allies' main communication with Tunisia. His movements had been aided on the 19th and 20th by weather conditions which had made it all but impossible for Allied aircraft to operate, and the pilots of the few sorties flown were unable to assess the damage they caused.

On 21 February Rommel debouched from Kasserine Pass and sent a column of 20 tanks north toward Thala and another of 40 tanks toward Tebessa. The first column was met and stopped about 10 miles in front of Thala by the British 6th Armored Division; the other spearhead was halted by the American 1st Armored Division. The battle continued on the 22d; again the Germans failed to break through. That night they began the retreat to Kasserine.

The withdrawal on 14 and 15 February from the Thelepte airfields had jumbled up communications, so that for a few days some of the XII Air Support Command units in the area were almost on their own. The units moved out of Thelepte and occupied airfields at Youks-les-Bains, Tebessa, Le Kouif, and Kalaat Djerda. Although the withdrawal occurred at night, most of the organizational equipment was saved, but 50,000 gallons of gasoline and number of aircraft were burned. The 31st, 52d, and 81sst Fighter Groups and the 47th (Light) Bombardment Group operated to the limit of endurance. Weather prevented adequate coordination of results of reconnaissance, and aircraft searched for their targets through the mist. The speed of the withdrawal to interior airfields, did not stop operations, for upon returning from missions flown from old fields, our aircraft came down at the new fields for refueling, and took off from there.

Rommel's retreat was pressed closely by our armor and aircraft, and his ranks were shelled in the Kasserine Pass by Allied artillery and strafed by Allied planes. German elements left to hold the pass were dislodged and the Allies pushed on to the Kasserine plain./ Patrols also advanced south from Sbiba, which had remained continuously in our hands.

The Allied advance was slowed by German demolitions and mine fields, which also enabled Rommel to avoid contact and take up a position on the general line Hadjeb-el-Aioun, Sidi-bou-Zid, and Gafsa. If the German commander had contemplated cutting through to Bone, or even to Le Kef, he had completely failed. If he intended merely to gain elbow room and to protect his lines of communication, the result was scarcely worth the price he paid. In any event he had to turn quickly to meet the threat from the south.