"How Artillery Beat Rommel After Kasserine" Topic

Another informative article about US artillery use during the war.

How Artillery Beat Rommel After Kasserine

"Two great feats of the US Army Artillery in World War II were the February 1943 emergency forced march of the 9th Infantry Division Artillery (Div Arty) into Tunisia, North Africa, and the division's resulting victory in the battle against a German panzer division of Field Marshall Irwin Rommel at Thala Pass. Furthermore, the 9th Div Arty fought without the division's three infantry regiments present. The 9th Artillery had been too far away to help stop the crushing German breakthrough of the Allied lines near the village of Kasserine and the mountain pass there. But it arrived in time to beat Rommel's forces near Thala Pass. "
link

Another good read. Keep'em coming

As I recall, the panzer force that the 9th division artillery turned back had a choice of two routes of advance. If they had chosen the other route they would have run smack into a battalion of US 90mm AA guns that had been dug-in for anti-tank action. Now that would have been an interesting fight!

You can't blame the Germans for thinking that with that much artillery there had to be several infantry divisions to back them. Sounds like an accidental gamble that paid off big.

Hmmm, a couple separate postings linking to authoritative works depicting how U.S. Army artillery basically won WW2. And what is the site? Why the U.S. Army Artillery School! A fine unbiased opinion. As a former artillery officer, I can't think of a better source.

"I don't have to tell you who won the war – you know it was our artillery."

George S. Patton

Although as a former US Army Infantry Officer, I will freely admit, calling-in FA and/or CAS was always a priority …

It was interesting that,
"General Irwin found new orders awaiting him. He was to turn north immediately into Tunisia and head for the mountain pass behind Thala.9 There, he was to take command of a mixed group of American and British Artillerymen who
were desperately trying to stop, or at least slow, the fast-approaching panzers and infantry of the 10th Panzer Division.Elements of Brigadier Charles Dunphie's greatly outnumbered 26th British Brigade were doing what they
could to slow the Germans. Some even were running along ridgelines firing their rifles to make the enemy think the
Thala defenses were stronger than they actually were.10"

A good sign of the ability to cooperate together after Kasserine.

And,
"Allied Cooperation. The Allies cooperated at Thala Pass, consolidating their efforts to stop the German panzers.
Today, our armed forces operate similarly under many types of command arrangements all around the world.24 Much has been written about the North African campaigns of the US Army,
from the November 1942 Operation Torch landings in French Morocco and Algeria on through to the May 1943 conclusion in Tunisia where the Germans were thrust out of North Africa by
the Allied forces of America, Great Britain and the Free French. The Thala Battle, immediately after our disaster at
Kasserine, was neither a long nor large one, but it was the turning point in North Africa, avenging Kasserine. At Thala, without the 9th Div Arty, the outnumbered and outgunned defenders certainly would have been overrun. The Germans retreated from Thala Pass and, just under three months later, from North Africa."
Robert

The column consisted of 12 155-mm, 24 105-mm and 12 75-mm howitzers mounted on half tracks and two platoons of anti-tank 37-mm guns from the two regimental cannon companies plus 36 various caliber weapons manned by British stragglers picked up along the way.

Ouch. I'm not sure that running into a battalion of 90mm AA guns would have been any less devastating, given their rate of fire and proximity fuzes.

Tunisia is an excellent small (time-scale) camapign. You can have battles with various French colonial units, British and Americans all mixed together fighting Germans and/or Italians.

I`ve found it very absorbing, wev`e run three games so far with another four planned. Have a look over on my blog for the games – baberonwargames.blogspot.co.uk

Yeah, that is a pretty nice mix of firepower ! And I think the WWII NA Campaign is one of the most interesting to study and game. Nice mix of unit nationalities, special units, locations etc. …

"During the afternoon, the U.S. 9th Infantry Division's artillery was approaching from Tébessa, and, in preparation for an arrival during the night, positions for the guns had been selected and surveyed under the direction of Brig. H. J. Parham, British First Army artillery officer. A tidal flow of supply vehicles away from Thala during the critical battle at the end of the day came under control as the American column approached. The arrival of Brig. Gen. S. LeRoy Irwin's command could not have been more opportune. Summoned when Sbeïtla was being evacuated, it had come from the vicinity of Tlemcen in western Algeria in four days, an uninterrupted march of over 800 miles. The twelve 155-mm. howitzers of the 34th Field Artillery Battalion were emplaced during the early hours of 22 February along the road running west from Thala, with the six 75-mm. howitzers of the 47th's Cannon Company protecting their westernmost flank. The twenty-four 105-mm. howitzers of the 60th and 84th Field Artillery Battalions went into position about 3,000 yards farther south, with six 75-mm. howitzers of the 60th's Cannon Company on their right. About 2,000 yards still farther south was the new main line of defense, and 1,200 yards south of it, on the dominating ridge, formerly the main defense line, were the Germans.12

General Irwin's arrival with the American artillery at Thala was highly encouraging, but the defending force was very low on infantry, especially after losing so many from 2/5 Leicesters at the ridge line, and it was deficient in armored fighting vehicles. Those tanks which the 17/21 Lancers and 2d Lothians had been using arrived, after almost twenty-four hours of continuous operation, in an undependable mechanical condition, thus adding to other vulnerable characteristics. British forces at Sbiba sent one battalion of infantry (2d Hampshires), the 16/5 Lancers, partly equipped with new Shermans, and an artillery regiment, the 152d, Royal Artillery (-), but these did not reach Thala until well along in the afternoon. Help from Combat Command B, U.S. 1st Armored Division, was sought. Brigadier Nicholson reported to II Corps that he had about seventy enemy tanks waiting on his front to attack, and First Army supported his request to II Corps for help from Robinett by stating rather incorrectly that Nicholson was bearing the whole weight of enemy armor.13 "

During the afternoon, the U.S. 9th Infantry Division's artillery was approaching from Tébessa, and, in preparation for an arrival during the night, positions for the guns had been selected and surveyed under the direction of Brig. H. J. Parham, British First Army artillery officer. A tidal flow of supply vehicles away from Thala during the critical battle at the end of the day came under control as the American column approached. The arrival of Brig. Gen. S. LeRoy Irwin's command could not have been more opportune. Summoned when Sbeïtla was being evacuated, it had come from the vicinity of Tlemcen in western Algeria in four days, an uninterrupted march of over 800 miles. The twelve 155-mm. howitzers of the 34th Field Artillery Battalion were emplaced during the early hours of 22 February along the road running west from Thala, with the six 75-mm. howitzers of the 47th's Cannon Company protecting their westernmost flank. The twenty-four 105-mm. howitzers of the 60th and 84th Field Artillery Battalions went into position about 3,000 yards farther south, with six 75-mm. howitzers of the 60th's Cannon Company on their right. About 2,000 yards still farther south was the new main line of defense, and 1,200 yards south of it, on the dominating ridge, formerly the main defense line, were the Germans.12

General Irwin's arrival with the American artillery at Thala was highly encouraging, but the defending force was very low on infantry, especially after losing so many from 2/5 Leicesters at the ridge line, and it was deficient in armored fighting vehicles. Those tanks which the 17/21 Lancers and 2d Lothians had been using arrived, after almost twenty-four hours of continuous operation, in an undependable mechanical condition, thus adding to other vulnerable characteristics. British forces at Sbiba sent one battalion of infantry (2d Hampshires), the 16/5 Lancers, partly equipped with new Shermans, and an artillery regiment, the 152d, Royal Artillery (-), but these did not reach Thala until well along in the afternoon. Help from Combat Command B, U.S. 1st Armored Division, was sought. Brigadier Nicholson reported to II Corps that he had about seventy enemy tanks waiting on his front to attack, and First Army supported his request to II Corps for help from Robinett by stating rather incorrectly that Nicholson was bearing the whole weight of enemy armor.13

Pg.466

"The column consisted of 12 155-mm, 24 105-mm and 12 75-mm howitzers mounted on half tracks"

Sounds a little short for an American Division. Normal complement was 12 155's and 54 105's.

Are you including the regimental cannon platoon 105s in that number?

Should be one artillery battalion per regiment (36 tubes), plus another 6 tubes per regiment in the cannon platoons (18 tubes). The writeup has two cannon platoons armed with 75mm guns, a battalion of 155s, and two battalions of 105s, which would be one arty battalion short.

I think you're a bit confused. Heavy arty (155+) was organized as three batteries of four guns each ie 12 tubes. Medium arty (105) was organized as three batteries of six guns each ie 18 tubes. So 12 x 155 and 54 x 105. Regimental Cannon companies were organized with a six gun battery. So 18 tubes total.

cheers

Towed 105's were organized in 4 gun batteries like the 155's; SP 105's (M7 Priest) and Regimental cannon co's were six gun units

As Lion in the Stars and number4 said:

Infantry Division:
Division Artillery, T/O 6-10
1.4.1942: 36 x 105mm, 12 x 155mm
Division Artillery, T/O&E 6-10
15.7.1943: 36 x 105mm, 12 x 155mm
26.2.1944: 36 x 105mm, 12 x 155mm
27.9.1944: 36 x 105mm, 12 x 155mm

Infantry Regiment:
Cannon Company, T/O 7-14
1.4.1942: 6 x 75mm SP, 2 x 105mm SP
Cannon Company, T/O&E 7-14
15.7.1943: 6 x 105mm
26.2.1944: 6 x 105mm
Cannon Company, T/O&E 7-14-S
26.2.1944: 6 x 105mm SP

Hmmm..odd. I don't know why the quote I posted got posted twice. Robert

"At the same time, the 10th Panzer Division continued up Highway 17 to Thala. But new lines of resistance were beginning to take shape on the Allied side. British units, including the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Leicesters, 6th Armoured Division, deployed in front of Thala to meet the 10th Panzer's attack. Converging on Thala was a substantial British force that included more 6th Armoured units and was backed up by a massive presence of US guns, including the artillery of the 9th Infantry Division—three full battalions and a company of cannon."

link

Any time the artillery is setting up to fire DIRECT at tanks, you can be sure of two things:

1) The artillery is having a bad day.
2) The tankers are about to have a REALLY bad day.

Thats for sure Lion. That and no infantry to back them up. Robert

"The column consisted of 12 155-mm, 24 105-mm and 12 75-mm howitzers mounted on half tracks" …

"Are you including the regimental cannon platoon 105s in that number?"

Yes I was counting Regimental Arty (6 tracked 105's each) in the count, though I doubt the Regiment was going to send its organic artillery on a independent operation.

The AAA,

link

Actualy if those numbers are correct, it is amazing they managed to get all the guns there with nothing going deadlined, either the guns themselves or the prime movers. Towed guns, particularly 155mm are a stone bitch to move just about anywhwere. And the 105s have a nasty tendency to flip in uneven ground. And I dont seem to remember very many bits of flat gound in Tunisia.

Tuscalusa what units have you been in? Wpnder if we ever overlaped?

owen