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
eduard
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