Battle Of Kasserine Pass

The Battle of Kasserine Pass happened near the end of the North African Campaign ? during World War II. Erwin Rommel ?, falling back from Libya into Tunisia, realized that he was caught between two Allied armies: the British in the east and the Americans and Free French in the west. Like Napoleon at Waterloo ?, he planned to combine all his forces, and strike quickly at one side before his enemies could begin to work together.

In the east, he left a minimal holding force to slow the British, who approached cautiously. In the west, he attacked inexperienced American forces in the Kasserine Pass, throwing them into confusion and destroying much equipment. Although this was a tactical victory, it did not change the strategic situation at all, and Axis forces in Tunisia surrendered soon afterwards.

As a result of the debacle, the American army took a hard look at itself, reorganized, and was a much more effective fighting force for the rest of the war.