Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-26
hazis' Withdrawal
Al Kasserine Part
OF Pulling Game
9th Army Advance May
Be Forcing Reeroupine
For Decisive Bottle
BY ROSS MUNRO,
Canadian Press War Correspondent.


ALLIED FIELD HEADOUAR
TIERS IN NORTH AFRICA, Feb. &c
CPl.-The Allies are breathing easier
in North Africa now with the Axis
withdrawing from the Kasserine
Pass, but it is puzzling game the
enemy Is playing.
This narrow gap with steep
granite hills rising 1000 to 5000
feet on either side is the KEY to the
Southern Tunisian front and the
German withdrawal from this
ground comes almost as much a
surprise as was the sudden loss of
the pass last Saturday.
The Germans have left Italian
troops to fight the rearguard action
for them as they move back.
The enemy seems to have gambled
on pushing his initial tank attack
far enough west from KaSserine Gap
TO enable him to consolidate infantry
and artillery positions in the line of
hills stretching from the Lepte
plains north to the OuSseltia Valley.
BY holding these hill positions the
enemy might then have Withdrawn
his armored strength to meet the eX-
pected attack oy the British 9Th
Army from the Mareth Line area.
Enemy Yields Hill Positions,
Now it looks as if the enemv's
gamble to gain the hills and protect
his western flank for the inevitable
battle with the 9th Army has failed
He is giving up the hill positions.
Possibly the 9th Army advance is
more imminent than was realized at
first and the Germans are being
forced to regroup in battle formation
on the great plains east of Kasserine
to the sea. 1t is there that the de-
cislve engagements probably will
take place.
Nobody here is forgetting the
heroic defense British troops have
put up before Thala-a defense
that prevented a German break
through that might have rolled up
the southern front and given the
Germans everything they were after.
l was in T'hala during some of
the most critical hours and it was
nip and tuck as to whether the
British line would hold, but under
strong leadership the British tanks,
infantry and artillery showed again
their stern qualities of endurance
and stuck it out. Several times the
sweating, tired Tommies in the line
thought themselves they might have
to withdraw. But they gave way a
bit, only to attack time and again
against crack German panzer di-
visions like the 10th and 21st.
After their defeat on the Kas-
serine Pass last Saturday, when the
Germans bounded them with artil-
lery, the Americans have shown
amazing recuperative power. They
drew back on the plain west of the
gap, snapped back into battle forma-
tons and struck eastward again to
take back lost ground.
laundering Fight on Plain.
There was a laundering fight on
the plain, with the Germans throw
ing in 40 TO so of the tanks they
had available in this sector.
But the Germans could not crack
this American line any more than
they could the British line at Thala
on the northern flank. Out on the
plain the enemy also left himself
wide open for air attack, and,
although the weather was bad, Allied
air forces kept hammering at him.
One thing the enemy has gained
In this drive is American transport
equipment. The Americans were
forced to leave a considerable num-
Der of vehicles in the KaSserine Pass
area when they withdrew and they
fell into German hands. American
tank losses in nearly two weeks of
fighting were fairly high.
The Germans must have taken
some hard knocks, however, and
their tank losses must have been
considerable, although they have
been able to recover q number of
knocked-out vehicles. The Allied
armored strength is still potent and
will certainly be factor on the
German flank when the panzers are
forced to fight the 9th Army.
There has been some activity on
the Sbiba front north of the Kas-
serine Pass, where Allied patrols are
pushing forward and are being
shelled. 1t was in the Sbiba area
where British troops first were rushed
more than week ago to prevent the
German break-through which would
have split the British and Ameri-
can armies in Tunisia.
Disaster Prevented.
This speedy and effective defense
of the Sbiba Plain and the pass at
Rohia to the northwest prevented
g disaster.
Now the Allied force is strong on
the Sbiba front and is a direct
threat to the German armor and
other formations crowded around
the KaSserine Pass. Sbeitla and
back east toward Faid. The Ger
mans have been more unpredictable
in Tunisia than on nearly any other
front, and the people here and at
the front are asking. Wonder what
their game is noW?"
There likely will be attacks some
where else within the next few days
If the enemy keeps following the
general policy the Allies see him as
employing. The Germans principal
aims have been to destroy as much
Allied armOr equipment as possible
draw the Allies out of line and keep
punching here. then there, without
following through,
They always run into stiff resist
snCe Just when they seem to have
won the day.
The Allied North African force
has had its toughest two weeks Of
fighting and the biggest battles Of
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