Toaw Scenario: Kasserine 43 at 5km

North Africa,
February 14, 1943,

USA army of 44 units opposed to German army of 70 units
for a battle of complexity 0.56 at Battalion(II) level
on a 5 Km/Hex map
for 12 turns of Full Day each.

by Doug Bevard submited on 18-12-2002

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Briefing
TRIAL BY FIRE Axis thrust by the 5th Panzer Army and Panzerarmee Afrika against the US II Corps in Tunisia Date: February 1943 Location: North Africa Map scale: 5km per hex Time scale: 1 Day turns Unit Scale: Battalion Length: 12 Turns UNIT COLORS: GERMAN German - Grey on Grey Italian - Green on Grey ALLIED US Army - White on Green British - White on Brown Free French - Blue on Blue SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: German player receives 100 additional permanent victory points if Tebessa (3,5) is captured. German player receives 75 additional permanent victory points if Thala (17,3) is captured. Allied supplies are reduced if Germans capture Tebessa (3,5). Chance severe storms may sweep battle area beginning turn 10. ********** Late 1942 into early 1943 was a crucial stage in the fighting for North Africa. For the Axis, Rommel's German-Italian Panzer Army was in the process of being pushed out of Libya, leaving the port of Tripoli in the hands of the British Eighth Army. But they were not ready to give up on Africa without a fight! Beginning in November 1942, German and Italian reinforcements poured into Tunisia and seized Vichy-French military and naval installations and soon German bombers and fighters filled the airfields around the port city of Tunis. By the end of November most of General von Arnim's 5th Panzer Army had arrived with the well-equipped 10th and 21st Panzer Divisions and a number of other formations, including the Tiger-equipped 501st Panzer Battalion. This rapid build-up thwarted the Allied aim of moving east from Algeria to take Tunisia ahead of the Axis and thus cut off Rommel's retreating Panzerarmee Afrika. There was little fighting through the rest of the winter, but by February the Germans were prepared to take advantage of the poorly positioned Allied 18th Army covering the western approaches to Tunisia. Holding the southern end of the Allied line was the American II Corps covering the passes through the Western Dorsal Mountains. On 14 February elements of the 10th and 21st Panzer Divisions lunged out of Faid and attacked Combat Command A of the 1st Armored Division and 168th Infantry Regiment at Sidi Bou Zid. Aided by combined assault groups from the Afrika Korps' 164th "Afrika" and the Italian 131st Armored "Centauro" divisions, the Axis offensive appeared to be a complete success. The inexperienced, but determined Americans could not hold and were driven back over the next few days through Kasserine Pass, the gateway to the communications hub of Tebessa, losing nearly two-thirds of the men and equipment of the 1st Armored. Just when the Axis thrust promised to be a major success, it was blunted by increasing disorganization in the German high command. Generals Rommel and von Arnim could not agree on how best to exploit their initial successes nor even on their final objectives, a situation common in the Axis command structure at this time. When the Comando Supremo in Italy finally intervened with new instructions, the Allies had been given a chance to regroup. Fresh formations from the American 1st, 9th and 34th Infantry Divisions poured into the area to plug the gap and halt the advancing panzers outside of Tebessa and Thala. Faced with stiffened American resistance, aided by a counterattack from the north by the British 6th Armored Division, the Axis forces began pulling back to their starting positions on 22 February. The failure of Allied intelligence to take seriously the German radio intercepts that warned of an impending attack, and the US defeat around Kasserine, had no long lasting adverse effects on Allied strategy. By 24 February the pass had been reoccupied and the lines were once more secure. But for the Americans the "Trial By Fire" served as a wake up call. Two weeks later General George S. Patton Jr. took command of the II Corps and the American Army began to take its role in the fight against the Axis powers seriously. The attack through Kasserine Pass proved to be the last major Axis offensive in Africa and by 12 May all of North Africa was in Allied hands. The planning for the invasion of Sicily was already well underway! Scenario design by: Doug Bevard

Briefing

TRIAL BY FIRE
Axis thrust by the 5th Panzer Army and Panzerarmee Afrika against the US II Corps in Tunisia

Date: February 1943
Location: North Africa
Map scale: 5km per hex
Time scale: 1 Day turns
Unit Scale: Battalion
Length: 12 Turns

UNIT COLORS:
GERMAN
German - Grey on Grey
Italian - Green on Grey

ALLIED
US Army - White on Green
British - White on Brown
Free French - Blue on Blue

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:
German player receives 100 additional permanent victory points if Tebessa (3,5) is captured.
German player receives 75 additional permanent victory points if Thala (17,3) is captured.
Allied supplies are reduced if Germans capture Tebessa (3,5).
Chance severe storms may sweep battle area beginning turn 10.

**********

Late 1942 into early 1943 was a crucial stage in the fighting for North Africa. For the Axis, Rommel's German-Italian Panzer Army was in the process of being pushed out of Libya, leaving the port of Tripoli in the hands of the British Eighth Army. But they were not ready to give up on Africa without a fight!

Beginning in November 1942, German and Italian reinforcements poured into Tunisia and seized Vichy-French military and naval installations and soon German bombers and fighters filled the airfields around the port city of Tunis. By the end of November most of General von Arnim's 5th Panzer Army had arrived with the well-equipped 10th and 21st Panzer Divisions and a number of other formations, including the Tiger-equipped 501st Panzer Battalion. This rapid build-up thwarted the Allied aim of moving east from Algeria to take Tunisia ahead of the Axis and thus cut off Rommel's retreating Panzerarmee Afrika.

There was little fighting through the rest of the winter, but by February the Germans were prepared to take advantage of the poorly positioned Allied 18th Army covering the western approaches to Tunisia. Holding the southern end of the Allied line was the American II Corps covering the passes through the Western Dorsal Mountains.

On 14 February elements of the 10th and 21st Panzer Divisions lunged out of Faid and attacked Combat Command A of the 1st Armored Division and 168th Infantry Regiment at Sidi Bou Zid. Aided by combined assault groups from the Afrika Korps' 164th "Afrika" and the Italian 131st Armored "Centauro" divisions, the Axis offensive appeared to be a complete success. The inexperienced, but determined Americans could not hold and were driven back over the next few days through Kasserine Pass, the gateway to the communications hub of Tebessa, losing nearly two-thirds of the men and equipment of the 1st Armored.

Just when the Axis thrust promised to be a major success, it was blunted by increasing disorganization in the German high command. Generals Rommel and von Arnim could not agree on how best to exploit their initial successes nor even on their final objectives, a situation common in the Axis command structure at this time. When the Comando Supremo in Italy finally intervened with new instructions, the Allies had been given a chance to regroup. Fresh formations from the American 1st, 9th and 34th Infantry Divisions poured into the area to plug the gap and halt the advancing panzers outside of Tebessa and Thala.
Faced with stiffened American resistance, aided by a counterattack from the north by the British 6th Armored Division, the Axis forces began pulling back to their starting positions on 22 February.

The failure of Allied intelligence to take seriously the German radio intercepts that warned of an impending attack, and the US defeat around Kasserine, had no long lasting adverse effects on Allied strategy. By 24 February the pass had been reoccupied and the lines were once more secure. But for the Americans the "Trial By Fire" served as a wake up call. Two weeks later General George S. Patton Jr. took command of the II Corps and the American Army began to take its role in the fight against the Axis powers seriously.

The attack through Kasserine Pass proved to be the last major Axis offensive in Africa and by 12 May all of North Africa was in Allied hands. The planning for the invasion of Sicily was already well underway!

Scenario design by: Doug Bevard