HISTORY

Allied Air Power Dominates,

22-24 February 1943

The Axis offensive had run its course by the

22nd, and it was called off that evening. The

Germans cited the reasons as bad weather,

rugged terrain, and a constantly reinforcing

enemy army. The Allied air force had not been a

major factor in previous days, but it really came

to the fore during the course of 22 February

1943.

While there was still a possibility of Axis victory

during the day, Fliegerkorps Tunis committed

the ground-attack FW 190s of III./SKG 10 to the

fighting, plus Bf 109s of I./Sch.G. 2, Stukas and

fighters, and they enjoyed very good results

against ground targets around Thala and Le

Kef. Meanwhile, Allied air power was growing

increasingly strong and influential. It was not

just XII ASC, which flew dozens of missions on

a maximum effort day, but also northern Tu-

nisia-based RAF Spitfires and Hurribombers,

P-38s employed on strafing duties, B-25s

attacking a bridge near Kasserine, and B-17s on

a raid against Axis forces in the Kasserine Pass.

Although some B-17, B-25 and B-26 missions

to the battlefront had to be called off due to bad

weather, it had been a most impressive display

of Allied air power, which increased in ferocity

as the afternoon went on. The 47th BG and 31st

FG undertook thirteen missions each, and the

P-39s were also kept very busy. A participating P-39 pilot of the 154th OS/58th OG noted:

“Pilots and planes take off to participate in an

all-out effort to drive Rommel from the Kasserine Pass.” The Luftwaffe efforts were effective,

but paled in comparison to what the Allied air

force achieved on the defining day of the battle.

With withdrawal orders passed by the German

commander on the evening of 22 February

1943, for all intents and purposes the Battle of

Kasserine Pass was over. The next two days, 23

and 24 February, would see the Allied air force

strongly harass the retreating German and Italian troops, including more sorties by the RAF,

XII Bomber Command, and the usual XII ASC

units. The Allies undertook almost 500 sorties

on the 23rd, and 270 on the 24th, most of which

were to the Kasserine Pass area. Fliegerkorps

Tunis did what it could with its fighters, fighter-bombers and Stukas, but the Germans simply

did not have the forces to match the Allies. The

situation had changed completely since the

opening days of the battle near Sidi Bou Zid,

when the Stukas had ruled the battlefield.

Conclusion

So ended a short but ferocious land and air

battle in Tunisia and eastern Algeria, fought by

thousands of men and hundreds of aircraft. The

Allies were the clear winners on land and in the

air, but it had been a real shock to the British

and Americans, and for a few days, it seemed

that the tide might turn in the North African

war. The Battle of Kasserine Pass was vital

in educating the American army and air force

on how to fight the Axis forces, but it had been

a costly lesson. Units like the 31st FG were

very green when they entered the battle, but

emerged with considerable combat experience

under their belts. For the Luftwaffe, there had

been moments that revived memories of past

glories, but as would be the case for the rest of

the war, they were overwhelmed by a well-led,

numerically superior enemy air force, which

was constantly improving its tactics and equipment. When the Allies concentrated their air

power, as they did in the final days of the Battle

of Kasserine Pass, the Axis air force could not

match them, and it was a harsh warning to the

Luftwaffe of what they could expect in the months and years to come.

Acknowledgements Gerhard Ausborn,

Andreas Brekken, J.D. Collinsworth

family, Bill Dickerson, Hugh D. Dow &

family, Russell Fahey, Russell Guest,

Drew Harrison, Hugo Hauck, James A.

Isbell, Jr. family, Morten Jessen, Charles C. Kenworthy family, Ken B. King,

George J. LaBreche family, Rolland G.

Lamensdorf, Jean-Yves Lorant, Ronald

MacDonald, Eric Mombeek, Nigel Moore, Doug Norrie, Frank Olynyk, Walter J.

Overend family, Michele Palermo, Mark

Reardon, Sebastian Remus, Russell Richardson & family, Jean-Louis Roba,

Bernard J. Roche family, Derwood K.

Smith family, Andre Stewart, Thomas

Stieglitz family, Ida Thibodeau-Pennella, Adam Thompson, Rémi Tracanelli,

Joe Vincent, Keith Vizcarra, Merritt C.

Wolfe & family, Andreas Zapf

Photo: NARA

no air operations by either side on the morning of the twentieth. A few missions were sent

out in the afternoon, including P-39s, Spitfires,

a handful of A-20s, and reconnaissance Bf 109s

and Ju 88s.

On 21 February, Rommel seized his opportunity

and pushed his forces forward from the Kasserine Pass. The Allied defenders fought hard,

but received minimal air support, as three XII

ASC missions had to be cancelled due to the

weather. The 31st FG reported that its airfields

were soggy after receiving a drenching on the

preceding night, and XII ASC undertook just 26

sorties for the day. However, assistance was

provided from further afield, as B-25s of XII

Bomber Command flew to Gafsa to interdict

the Axis supply lines. From the German side,

III./St.G. 3 sent out eight of its Stukas in the afternoon under the watchful eyes of JG 77, and

the Ju 87s successfully bombed American

tanks at Djebel Hamra.

French LeO 451 bombers flew operations to central Tunisia in February 1943.

INFO Eduard - October 2021

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