Long Night At Sbeitla*
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Sbeitla, Tunisia*
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Date: February 15-16, 1943*
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Battle Type: German Advance vs U.S. Delay*
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Length: 40 turns*
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Design: C. Berry*
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Following a disastrous counter-attack in the early afternoon of the 15th, Combat Command A (CCA) of the U.S 1st Armored Division spent the remainder of the day in a fighting retreat northwest into the Kasserine area, pressed hard by the 21st Panzer Division. At nightfall, the command set up a defensive perimeter about three miles outside of Sbeitla and began to resupply it's battered units.*
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At Rommel's insistence, the cautious General Zeigler of the 21st Panzer commits Kampfgruppe Pfeiffer to a night attack towards Sbeitla. During the initial bombardment, CCA HQ comes under fire and the decision is made to move the HQ into Sbeitla. Units manning the perimeter; many in their first night action and seeing CCA's HQ retiring, believe that a general retreat is underway and abandon their positions. This results in a confused snarl of men and equipment in the village.*
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Now only a handful of units; most notably the remnants of the 3rd Battalion, 13th Armored and a handful of 2/6th Armored Infantry, must face the onslaught of Kampfgruppe Pfeiffer and prevent the American retreat from becoming a calamitous rout.*
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Aftermath:*
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The units of CCA that remained in position caused enough causualties in the confused night fighting that the over-cautious General Zeigler called off the attack until daylight when his other kampfgruppe could join in. By daybreak, however, the 1st Armored's Combat Command B had arrived to stiffen the resistance. With this support, the Americans held Sbeitla until noon of the 16th allowing the battered units of CCA and CCC to withdraw towards Kasserine in relatively good order.*
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Sources:*
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Kasserine Pass 1943-Rommel's Last Victory by Steven J Zaloga; Osprey Press Paperback; May 2005; 96 pages; ISBN: 9781841769141*
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http://www.bayonetstrength.150m.com/*
  

 