Why German Officers Underestimated the American Army at Kasserine Pass

Kasserine Pass, February 1943: German officers watched the U.S. Army's first major tank battle against the Wehrmacht end in retreat, and concluded the Americans could not fight. They were never certain of that again. This documentary reconstructs the Battle of Kasserine Pass day by day, from the German seizure of Faid Pass on January 30, 1943, through the disaster at Sidi Bou Zid on February 14 and 15, to Rommel's breakthrough at Kasserine on February 19 and his forced withdrawal by February 25. It covers the U.S. II Corps under Major General Lloyd Fredendall, the German 10th and 21st Panzer Divisions of Rommel's Afrika Korps, the American stand at Thala and Djebel el Hamra under Brigadier General Paul Robinett, and the sweeping reorganization that followed: Fredendall's relief, Omar Bradley's role as Eisenhower's forward observer, and George S. Patton's arrival to rebuild II Corps in time for victory at El Guettar. Drawn from U.S. Army after-action reports, unit histories, and the published papers and memoirs of the officers who fought on both sides, this account separates the popular image of Kasserine as a simple rout from the documented record of delay, loss, and rapid reform that actually decided the battle. Subscribe for the definitive history of the United States in the Second World War — new documentaries every few days. #WW2 #WorldWarII #WWIIHistory #KasserinePass #Rommel #USArmy #AfrikaKorps #NorthAfricaCampaign #MilitaryHistory #Patton #Eisenhower #USAInWW2