>> Problem at Kasserine pass was that the American Commanders were foolish...
>
>Hmmm I wonder why an American army in the field was relying on British
>intelligence, if they were. Actually there were many problems there and
>elsewhere, problems of equipment, training, and experience, to say nothing
>of the fact that Patton was elsewhere; many books have been written on the
>subject. I doubt that any simple reply here would shed much greater
>insight... "Would that war were but a simple undertaking of the few..."
Lou is correct. The commander of US II Corps, at the time of Kasserine,
was an incompetent lackey by the name of Fredendall. He had his HQ far
to the rear and, IIRC, never once visited the critical front line
positions. He neglected to set up defensive positions in depth and
apparently did little else positive before or during the action. He was
sacked right after the attack because his shortcomings as a field
commander were all too apparent. Also, American Intelligence was
horrible. Ike sacked the head of his Intelligence (name escapes me)
because he has routinely ignored reports from the front as being
"unreliable" and "exaggerated".
Nope, the US forces got their asses handed to them on a platter before
they were poorly trained, equipped, and led. Morale was low before the
German attack and was even lower after. All fault for Kasserine lies
firmly with the American officers in charge of the forces at the time,
including Ike. This was the BIG wake up call that the Germans were NOT a
foe to be underestimated. Thanks in part to this rude shock, and
decisive leadership intervention, these same forces in Africa were
whipped into shape and performed well so soon after getting trounced.
This is not just my opinion but the opinion of every single historical
account I have ever read on the subject. The US forces were not ready
for combat, and the Germans proved it. But they learned VERY quickly
from their mistakes, something which Rommel himself commented on (with
what I take to be a feeling of admiration and respect).
Steve
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