How Rommel Nearly Snatched Victory From Defeat

Chronicle (Levin), 6 February 1948, Page 5

How Rommel Nearly Snatched Victory From Defeat

Received Friday, 9.-50 a.m. LONDON, Feb. 5. General Alexander's despatches disclose that FieldMarshal Rommel came very close to snatching victory fro.m defeat early in the Tunisian campaign. When Field-Marshal Alexander arrived in Tunisia to take ccmmand of the Eighteenth Army Group in February, 1943, he recalls how he was immediately called upoh to grapple with a serious tactical situation whieh developed as a result of Rommel's sudden armoured thrust against the American First Armoured Division. The Germans attacked suddenly with over 100 tanks, lound the Americans dispersed and, after heavy fighting, overran their positions, inflicting heavy tank losses and taking a large number of prisoners. After destroying 86 American medium tanks and 30 field guns, Rommel penetrated into 'the strategically , important Kasserine Pass. General Alexander points out that from this position Rommel could have advanced rapidly northwards, disrupting the whole of the Allied positions in Tunisia and threatening them with a forced withd rawai if not disaster. . "I found the position even more critical than I expected," General AlexandeT says. "In the inevitable confusion of reti eat the American, French and British troops became inextricably mingled. There was no co-ordinated plan of defOnce and definite uncertainty as to command. At the first pass I visited, I had io nominate on the spot the senior American officer as the responsible commander of the seetor, and order him to hold his ground to the last." General Alexander recalls that Rommel struck again and cleared Kasserine Pass, but was held by a composite British force, supported by American artillery. "The situation was stabilised after periods of extreme danger by the energy and initiative of a handful of gallant troops on the spot." Rommel ordered a general withdrawal, . whieh General Alexander admits he completed with few losses and little opposition.