The FReeper Foxhole Revisits The Battle at Sidi Bou Zid - Kasserine Pass (WWII) - Feb. 11th, 2005

see educational sources

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


...................................................................................... ...........................................

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The FReeper Foxhole Revisits

Ambushed by the Afrika Korps:
Battle at Sidi Bou Zid

The tanks of the 1st Armored Division learned a costly lesson at a desert crossroads in Tunisia.

Angry winds from the Sahara lashed the mountains and plains of central Tunisia just before dawn on Sunday, February 14, 1943-St. Valentine's Day. The howling currents and swirling dust cloaked the maneuvers of advancing German armored battle groups. At 0400 hours, with resolute purpose, elements of the crack 10th and 21st Panzer divisions had launched an attack through Faid and Maizila passes. The German tanks were bound for the village of Sidi Bou Zid, where General Dwight D. Eisenhower himself had inspected forward American troop dispositions just three hours earlier.

The panzer groups were implementing a plan personally approved by Adolf Hitler and calculated to relieve the pressure on Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps. To the east, British General Bernard L. Montgomery's Eighth Army, which had chased Rommel from Egypt, was gathering strength for a final assault. Rommel's western flank was likewise threatened by imminent Allied incursions through the passes of the Eastern Dorsal, a mountain chain running from the Miliane River to Maknassy. The "Desert Fox" viewed the interminable retreat from Egypt with disdain and longed for an opportunity to resume the offensive. To avoid being trapped in a tightening vise, he turned and struck first. The Kasserine campaign, the first major clash between the American and German armies in World War II, had begun.

The essence of Rommel's plan was to counterthrust through those mountain passes, penetrate deeply to the northwest and completely disrupt the Allied rear. He meant to deal the Americans a resounding defeat that would instill a feeling of inferiority in the green troops and give his hard-pressed army some breathing room. Facing the Germans were fragmented units of the 1st Armored Division, stretched thin to cover a 60-mile front. It was the first American division to engage the Germans in combat, the first to fight in the desert and, ironically, the only one of the 16 U.S. armored divisions in World War II not to receive any desert warfare training.

On that fateful morning, German Panzerkampfwagen Mk.IVs, backed by new, 60-ton Pzkw. MK.VI Tigers, churned over, through and around the American lines. Lieutenant General Heinz Ziegler, the deputy to Col. Gen. Hans von Arnim, led the attacking force.

Spearheading Operation "Spring Wind" was the 591st Tiger Detachment. The 7th Panzer and 86th Panzergrenadier regiments supported that shock force. Spring Wind had four thrust points: Kampfgruppe (KGr.) Gerhardt rolled around the northern edge of Djebel Lessouda, while KGr. Reimann advanced directly along the road from Faid. To the south, units of the 21st Panzer Division poured through Maizila Pass and divided into two groups to encircle Sidi Bou Zid. KGr. Schuette advanced to the north and KGr. Stenkhoff to the west.

Forward elements of the Americans' 168th Regimental Combat Team, divided among the Lessouda, Garet Hadid and Ksaira djebels (hills), were bypassed and quickly marooned. At least 2,000 men were trapped. They had been imprudently placed there by the II Corps commander, Maj. Gen. Lloyd R. Fredendall, who had never even visited the front lines.



Strenuous efforts to hold the line continued through the morning. At midday, 51 M-4 Sherman tanks of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Armored Regiment, rolled out to engage the enemy. A fierce fight ensued, resulting in the loss of 44 of the battalion's tanks. The noble sacrifice, brilliantly led by Lt. Col. Louis I. Hightower, temporarily delayed the panzers' progress. But by dusk, the Germans had captured Sidi Bou Zid. Having achieved their objective, they halted, satisfied to consolidate their gains.

At 2320 hours that Sunday, after driving through the night, Lt. Col. James D. Alger arrived at the Tunisian farmhouse that would become the headquarters for Combat Command (CC) C of the U.S. II Corps. "Gentleman Jim" Alger's 2nd Battalion, 1st Armored Regiment, had raced from its concealed bivouac near Maktar to an assembly area at an outpost south of Hadjeb el Aioun. As his tankers refueled, Alger awaited the arrival of Colonel Robert I. Stack and his party from division headquarters. They were carrying his counterattack orders.

The easygoing Alger had walked into a desperate and fluid situation that evening. The Germans knew that the American infantry forces were trapped on the Lessouda and Ksaira hills, and planned to obliterate them. The American commanders in the rear prepared to counterattack the next morning in order to rescue the isolated infantry, retake Sidi Bou Zid and drive the Germans back.



In the vanguard of the counterattacking force would be Alger's 2nd Battalion. It had never been in combat before. The unit had been conducting reconnaissance forays into Ousseltia Valley to the north when the attack through Faid Pass began. At 1500, the 2nd Battalion was ordered to move immediately to Hadjeb el Aioun, and Alger was directed to report to Stack, who had just been placed in command of the hastily assembled CC C. All Alger knew when he reached the command post was that units on CC A's front had been battered and that an unknown number of Germans had moved through Faid Pass.

Advance towards Sidi Bou Zid

Stack and his entourage arrived at the command post at 0230, Monday, February 15. Alger was only given preliminary information during the initial briefing. An hour later, two lieutenants from the regiment's reconnaissance company gave him a firsthand account of the battle around Lessouda. Despite what they had seen, the two had little knowledge of the German strength and disposition. There were no terrain maps of the area for Alger to review.

The march and counterattack orders for CC C were issued at 0400, from a plan personally drafted by Maj. Gen. Orlando Ward, the 1st Armored Division commander. Ward's plan was based upon an intelligence estimate of 40 German tanks near Sidi Bou Zid. In fact, as he would later learn to his chagrin, there were more than 100 in the village, as well as emplaced 47mm and 88mm anti-tank guns.

Ward's order to Stack read as follows: "Mission to CC C....This force will move south, and by fire and maneuver, destroy the enemy armored forces which have threatened our hold on the Sbeitla area. It will so conduct its maneuver to aid in the withdrawal of our forces in the vicinity of Djebel Ksaira, eventually withdrawing to the area north of Djebel Hamra for further action."



Two German armored divisions and part of a third, plus supporting units, waited near Sidi Bou Zid to obstruct Alger's thrust and foil his mission. Against this formidable force, the Americans were sending an uninitiated tank battalion, reinforced by a tank destroyer company consisting of halftracks mounting 75mm cannons. The frontal movement would be supported by the 68th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, less Battery A, and the 6th Armored Infantry Battalion, riding behind in halftracks.

As the briefing continued, Alger learned that his tank battalion had been ordered to attack in a formation consisting of a column of companies, with the center wing back. Two platoons would be on line in a narrow front to provide depth, with the third platoon of each company toward the center rear in reserve. Each flank was to be covered by a heavy tank destroyer platoon.

The commander of the 1st Armored Regiment, Colonel Peter C. Hains, explained the known geographical contours and features of the area to Alger. He advised him of the deep, irregular wadis in his path and indicated that they were passable at certain points. Only three maps were available, and those were all of a scale that provided little in the way of detail. There were still no terrain maps to work from. Worst of all, there had been no reconnaissance forward from the jump-off point to Sidi Bou Zid itself.

At 0500, Alger returned to the battalion assembly area and issued the march and attack orders to his men. At 0620, his battalion moved out and headed from the jump-off position, three miles south of the road junction later to be known as Kern's Crossroads.

Between 0700 and 1100 hours, the battalion's movement along the road to the jump-off point was repeatedly interrupted by reconnaissance operations. As the battalion closed on the crossroads, Alger ordered his reconnaissance platoon to the right flank. He had selected Captain Province M. Winkler's Company D to lead the attack. Captain John L. Peyton's Company F came next, followed by the battalion assault guns, self-propelled artillery commanded by Lieutenant Leo J. Farber. In reserve, was Company E, under Captain Harris O. Machus and Major William W. Emory. The 3rd Battalion, 6th Armored Infantry, and Companies B and C of the 68th Armored Artillery Battalion backed these forward elements. Tank destroyer platoons were located on each flank.



Two forward artillery observers reported to the battalion at the staging area. Alger sent his own radio operator, Warrant Officer Frank D. Leger, Jr., to attempt to adjust their radios to the battalion net. Due to the rush, however, the radios had not been synchronized by the time the attack began.

Alger met with his officers to verify the direction of the assault and confirm the attack orders. In the absence of terrain maps, he used the north nose of Djebel Ksaira as a reference point for his attack.

Company D moved far to the front and east of the jump-off position. Its two leading platoons, on line, preceded the main group by 500 yards, to act as a covering force. Around noon, Alger climbed to a hilltop with Hains and Hightower, and they scanned the attack route east toward Sidi Bou Zid, 13 miles away.

The village lay across a sun-drenched plain cut by steep ravines and washes. They discussed the terrain, the likely crossing points and the day's objectives. Next, they pointed out the probable locations of anti-tank guns. However, they had only a vague idea of what awaited them near Sidi Bou Zid.

In fact, the Germans had emplaced anti-tank guns and artillery on high ground positions around the village. Others were established in or near it, covered by buildings, walls, wadis and groves. Furthermore, the full extent of the opposing force was disguised by the geographic features.

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[GailA]

Good morning...frost on the windows, bone chilling cold weather....and I'm off to the fabric store..as if I need another piece of fabric. I'm just sick of being home with just Rocket for company.

[The Mayor]

February 11, 2005

Love's Check List

Read:
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love suffers long and is kind. -1 Corinthians 13:4

Bible In One Year: Leviticus 8-10

A woman named Nancy uses verses from 1 Corinthians 13 to help her cope with the frustrations of a busy family life. She calls verses 4 to 7 "Love's Check List" and refers to it when anger wells up within her.

Nancy gave an example of how she uses her check list. She was running errands one morning before she and her family were to leave on vacation. Her husband Bill was at home caring for the children and getting things ready for an early afternoon departure. When she arrived home after stopping at the grocery store, her mother's house, the post office, the bank, and the hospital to visit a friend, she found that all he had accomplished the entire morning was to wash and polish his car-which they weren't even taking on the trip!

Nancy was angry and said some harsh things to Bill. Within a few minutes the words of Love's Check List came to mind: "Love suffers long and is kind." She prayed, then she apologized to her husband for her angry outburst. He said he was sorry too, and they left that afternoon for their vacation-just a little late.

Next time you say angry, bitter things, remember Love's Check List in 1 Corinthians 13. Better yet, consider it before you say them. -Dave Egner

Lord, fill our hearts with Christlike love,
With goodness, kindness, care,
Lest bitter thoughts and hurtful words
Will find a welcome there. -D. De Haan

Bitter feelings can be sweetened when we take them to the Lord in prayer.

FOR FURTHER STUDY
What Is Real Love?
When Forgiveness Seems Impossible

[alfa6]

An Army at Dawn Bump for the Freeper Foxhole. I am anxiously awaiting the next book of the triology.

After reading Atkinson's book it is a wonder that we wedrne't run out of North Africa on rubber rafts

Regards

alfa6 ;>]

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, snippy and everyone at the Foxhole.

It's been a little busy here at the house. We're putting in new doors as well as a washer and dryer.

Also we had to take my Dad to the hospital on Wednesday. I talked to him a few minutes ago and he's up and at 'em. Hehad been having stomach problems. They found an ulcer in the upp part of his stomach and are giving him some medicine to take care of it. With any luck he should be out soon.

[Professional Engineer]

Good morning ladies. It's Friday!

Super massive black hole size

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on February 11:
1465 Elizabeth of York London, Consort of King Henry VII
1535 Gregory XIV [Niccolò Sfondrati], Roman Catholic pope (1590-91)
1800 William Henry Fox Talbot Wiltshire England, photographic pioneer
1812 Alexander Hamilton Stephens Vice President (Confederacy), died in 1883
1812 Benjamin Franklin Sands Commander (Union Navy), died in 1883
1821 Auguste Édouard Mariette French Egyptologist, (dug out Sphinx 12/16/42)
1829 William Anderson Pile Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1889
1833 Melville Weston Fuller 8th chief justice
1839 Josiah Willard Gibbs theoretical physicist/chemist
1840 Sanuel Dana Greene Lieutenant Commander (Union Navy), died in 1884
1847 Thomas Alva Edison Milan OH. (held 1200 patents)
1898 Leo Szilard Hungary, physicist/A-bomb worker/peace activist
1908 Vivian [Ernest] Fuchs geologist/explorer (British Antarctic Survey)
1909 Max Baer [The Livermore Larruper] Omaha NB, heavyweight boxing champion (1934-35)
1909 Joseph L Mankiewicz Wilkes-Barre PA, film writer/director (Sleuth)
1917 Sidney Sheldon novelist (1947 Academy Award, 1959 Tony, Bloodline)
1920 Farouk I Cairo, last King of Egypt (1936-52)
1921 Eva Gabor Budapest Hungary, actress (Lisa-Green Acres, Gigi)
1921 Lloyd Bentsen (Senator-D-TX) (1988 Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee)
1922 Leslie Nielsen Regina Sask, actor (Forbidden Planet, Naked Gun)
1925 Dr Virginia E Johnson sexologist (Masters & Johnson)
1928 Conrad Janis New York NY, actor (Mork & Mindy, Quark, Bonino)
1934 Mary Quant Kent England, fashion designer (Chelsea Look, Mod Look)
1934 Tina Louise New York NY, actress (Ginger-Gilligan's Island, Julie-Dallas)
1935 Gene Vincent Norfolk VA, rock guitarist/vocalist (Be-Bop-A-Lula)
1936 Burt Reynolds Waycross GA, actor (Gunsmoke, Evening Shade, Striptease, Cannonball Run, Smokey and the Bandit, Dan August, Deliverance)
1938 General Manuel Antonio Noriega Panamanian General/dictator (1983-1990)
1940 Bobby "Boris" Pickett rocker (Monster Mash)
1941 Sergio Mendes jazz/pop musician (Brazil '66/'77/'88)
1942 Otis Clay US gospel/R&B-singer (That's how it is)
1953 Stephen D Thorne Frankfurt-on-Main, German, Lieutenant Commander USN/astronaut
1969 Jennifer Aniston Sherman Oaks CA, actress (Rachel-Friends)
1979 Brandy [Norwood] singer (Les Miserables, Moesha)

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Deaths which occurred on February 11:
0641 Heraclius emperor of Byzantium (610-641), dies at about 65
0731 Gregory II Greek-Syrian Pope, dies
0821 Benedict of Aniane saint, dies
0824 Paschal I Italian Pope (817-24), dies
0867 Theodora the Saint, empress of Byzantine, dies
1503 Elizabeth of York Consort of King Henry VII, dies on 38th birthday
1650 René Descartes philosopher "I think therefore I am", stops thinking
1868 Léon Foucault discovers 1st physical proof of Earth's rotation, dies
1899 George Morgan 1st English motorist to die in an motor accident, dies
1911 Albert von Rothschild baron/Austrian banker, dies at 66
1941 Rudolf Hilferding German economist/Minister of Finance (SPD), suicide at 63
1945 Al Dubin Swiss songwriter (Tiptoe Thru The Tulips), dies at 53
1961 Patrice Lumumba 1st premier Congo, murdered at 34
1963 Sylvia Plath poet/novelist (Ariel), kills herself in London at 30
1971 Whitney Young Jr National Urban League director, drowns in Nigeria
1976 Lee J Cobb actor (12 Angry Men, On the Waterfront), dies at 64
1982 Takashi Shimura Japan, actor (Rashomon, 7 Samurais), dies at 76
1986 Frank [Patrick] Herbert sci-fi author (Dune), dies at 65
1993 George A Stephen, inventor (Weber Kettle Grill), dies at 71
1994 Antonio Martin Spanish cyclist, dies in cycling accident at 23
1994 Sorrell Brooke actor (Mayor Hogg-Dukes of Hazzard), dies at 64
1994 William Conrad actor (Cannon), dies of a heart attack at 73

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1965 SHUMAKER ROBERT H.---LA JOLLA CA.
[02/12/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1968 VAN PUTTEN THOMAS---GRAND RAPIDS MI.
[04/17/69 ESCAPED, ALIVE IN 98-LEG AMPUTATIONS]
1969 KROSKE HAROLD W. JR.---TRENTON NJ.
1969 ZUKOWSKI ROBERT J.---CHICAGO IL.
[REMAINS RETURNED 93 ID. 10/30/96]
1970 KIEFFER WILLIAM LEWIS JR.---GREENBELT MD.

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
0660 BC Traditional founding of Japan by Emperor Jimmu Tenno
0385 Oldest Pope elected; Siricius-bishop of Tarragona
0731 St Gregory II ends his reign as Catholic Pope
0824 St Paschal I ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1531 Henry VIII recognized as supreme head of the Church in England
1543 Battle at Wayna Daga Ethiopian/Portugese troops beat Moslem army
1573 1st European, Francis Drake sees the Pacific (from Panamá)
1575 King Frederick of Denmark offers island of Hveen to Tycho Brahe
1766 Stamp Act declared unconstitutional in Virginia
1768 Samuel Adams letter, circulates around American colonies, opposing Townshend Act taxes
1790 Society of Friends petitions Congress for abolition of slavery
1794 1st session of US Senate open to the public
1808 Anthracite coal 1st burned as fuel, experimentally, Wilkes-Barre PA
1809 Robert Fulton patents the steamboat
1810 Napoleon marries Marie-Louise of Austria
1811 President Madison prohibits trade with Britain for 3rd time in 4 years
1812 Massachusetts Governor Gerry signs a redistricting bill-the 1st "gerrymander
1852 1st British public female toilet opens (Bedford Street London)
1854 Major streets lit by coal gas for 1st time
1858 1st apparition of Mary to 14-year-old Bernadette of Lourdes France
1861 US House unanimously passes resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in any state
1861 President-elect Lincoln takes train from Spingfield IL to Washington DC
1878 1st US bicycle club, Boston Bicycle Club, forms
1878 1st weekly Weather report published in UK
1889 Meiji constitution of Japan adopted; 1st Diet convenes in 1890
1895 Georgetown became part of Washington DC
1897 White Rose Mission opens on East 97th Street, NYC
1899 -15ºF Washington DC (district record)
1899 -61ºF Montana (record low temperature)
1905 Pope Pius X publishes encyclical Vehementer nos
1907 De Master's Dutch government resigns
1907 Passenger ship Larchmont sinks by Block Island, 322 die
1922 "April Showers" by Al Jolson hits #1
1929 Vatican City (world's smallest country) made an enclave of Rome
1932 73ºF highest temperature ever recorded in Cleveland in February
1935 -11ºF Ifrane, Morocco (African record low)
1935 1st US airplane flight with auto slung beneath the fuselage, New York
1937 44-day sit-down strike at General Motors in Flint MI ends
1941 1st Gold record presented (Glenn Miller-Chattanooga Choo Choo)
1941 Lieutenant-General Erwin Rommel arrives in Tripoli
1942 "Archie" comic book debuts
1943 General Eisenhower selected to command the allied armies in Europe
1945 1st gas turbine propeller-driven airplane flight tested, Downey CA
1945 Yalta agreement signed by FDR, Churchill & Stalin
1950 "Rag Mop" by The Ames Brothers hit #1
1951 Kwame Nkrumah wins 1st parliamentary election on Gold coast (Ghana)
1953 President Eisenhower refuses clemency appeal for Rosenberg couple
1953 Russia breaks diplomatic relations with Israel
1954 6th Emmy Awards I Love Lucy, Donald O'Connor & Eve Arden win
1960 Jack Paar walks off his TV show
1961 Trial of Adolf Eichmann begins in Jerusalem
1963 Beatles tape 10 tracks for their 1st album, including "Please, Please Me"
1963 CIA Domestic Operations Division created
1964 Beatles 1st live appearance in US; Washington DC Coliseum
1964 Greek & Turks begin fighting in Limassol, Cyprus
1966 San Francisco Giant Willie Mays signs highest contract, $130,000 per year
1968 Jeffrey Kramer survives 76 meter jump, Washington Bridge, Hudson River NY
1969 Diana Crump becomes 1st US woman jockey to ride against men, Hialelah
1969 "dirty"Dorey Funk Jr beats Gene Kiniski in Tampa, to become NWA champion
1970 26.37 cm (10.38") of rainfall, Mt Washington NH (state 24-hour record)
1970 Japan becomes 4th nation to put a satellite (Osumi) in orbit
1975 Margaret Thatcher defeats Edward Heath for Conservative leadership
1976 Clifford Alexander Jr confirmed as 1st black Secretary of Army
1977 20.2-kg lobster caught off Nova Scotia (heaviest known crustacean)
1979 43 million watch "Elvis!" on ABC
1981 Polish premier Jozef Pinkowski replaced by Wojciech Jaruzelski
1983 "Weird Al" Yankovic records "Ricky" & "Buckingham Blues" debut LP
1984 10th space shuttle mission (41-B)-Challenger 4-returns to Earth
1984 Wayne Gretzky sets NHL short handed season scoring record at 11
1985 Jordan king Hussein & PLO leader Arafat sign accord
1985 Kent Hrbek signs 5-year, $6 million contract with Minnesota Twins
1986 Iran begins Fajr-8 offensive against Iraq
1988 Anthony M Kennedy appointed to the Supreme Court
1989 Barbara Clementine Harris consecrated 1st female bishop (Episcopalian)
1990 James "Buster" Douglas KOs Mike Tyson to win heavyweight boxing crown
1990 Nelson Mandela (political prisoner-27 years) freed in South Africa
1993 Janet Reno selected by Clinton as US Attorney General
1998 Lyrics to "Candle in the Wind 1997" auctioned for $442,500 (someone has waaay too much money)
1998 A federal judge ruled that pro golfer Casey Martin, who suffered from a circulatory disorder that made it hard for him to walk, was covered by the American with Disabilities Act and should be allowed to use a golf cart to complete in PGA tournaments.
1999 Pluto is once again the farthest planet from the sun in our solar system

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Bangladesh : Shaheed Day
Cameroon : Youth Day
Flint MI : White Shirt Day-end of blue collar sit down strike (1907)
Florida : Gasparilla Carnival-remembrance of pirates
Ft Myers FL : Pageant of Light (1884)
Italy : Giorno della Conciliazione Day (1929)
Japan : Empire Day
Japan : Foundation Day (660 BC)-accession of Emperor Jimmu
Liberia : Armed Forces Day
Mauritius : Chinese Spring Festival
US : National Inventors Day
Florida : Gasparilla Carnival-rememberance of pirates
International Twit Award Month

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Religious Observances
Christian : Feast of St Adolph
Methodist : Race Relations Sunday (2nd Sunday in February)
Phil : Our Lady's Miraculous Apparitions of St Bernadette Soubirous
Unification Church : True parents' birthday
Roman Catholic : Feast of St Gregory II, 89th Roman Catholic pope (715-31)
Christian : Commemoration of St Theodora, Byzantine empress
Roman Catholic : Memorial of the Apparition of the Virgin at Lourdes (opt)
Jewish : Tu B'Shevat-Arbor Day (Shevat 15, 5758 AM)

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Religious History
1650 Death of Ren‚ Descartes, 53, French philosopher and mathematician. His last words were: 'My soul, thou hast long been held captive; the hour has now come for thee to quit thy prison...; suffer, then, this separation with joy and courage.'
1779 English founder of Methodism John Wesley wrote in a letter: 'Chance has no share in the government of the world. The Lord reigns, and disposes all things, strongly and sweetly, for the good of them that love him.'
1858 In Lourdes, France, 14-year-old French peasant Bernadette Soubirous experienced her first vision of the Virgin Mary. By July 16th of this year, she had experienced 18 such visions.
1948 U.S. Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall prayed: 'We ask Thee not for tasks more suited to our strength, but for strength more suited to our tasks.'
1989 Rev. Barbara C. Harris, 58, was consecrated in Boston as the first woman bishop in the Anglican Church. (In 1988 the Church of England passed the first legislation which began opening the Anglican priesthood to women.)

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"History never looks like history when you are living through it."

[Valin]

"Going up against Rommel we need our best tank man.

Patton?

Possibly.

God help us!"

[snippy_about_it]

Next time you say angry, bitter things, remember Love's Check List

and if you're a woman, check your hormone level. ;-)

In all seriousness, these are good rules to live by. Thanks Mayor.

[snippy_about_it]

Morning Gail. In our shopping center where we opened our Wild Bird Center we met a very nice lady who is opening a quilt shop in the same center. She will be having classes there, too.

[snippy_about_it]

Nice post AZ. Trouble with the music link though. I don't know if mp3's work here, I know wav and ra files work.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning feather. I was beat and had to post early last night so I could hit the sack!

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Victoria. I just couldn't wait til midnight to post. Too tired.

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks Grzegorz for this information on Rommel.

[snippy_about_it]

The whole affair was a shame. And that's putting it lightly. Just awful.

[snippy_about_it]

Morning Aeronaut.

[snippy_about_it]

So you were up at 2 a.m. :-(

Our sleep patterns sure are messed up. Hope you weren't up long, we have lots to do today. :-)

[snippy_about_it]

Glad to hear your dad's going to be okay. We have frost on the rooftops this morning but it sure warm up to 50.

[snippy_about_it]

Darn. Maybe when spring comes you'll get more flag pics from our freepers. I have some new pictures of the store but I keep forgetting to bring my camera home so I can download them. How are you enjoying your new camera?

[Soaring Feather]

Snippy, you're working, too hard. My goodness and you have been sick, also.You have to take a little easy time out gal.

:)

[Colonel_Flagg]

Good morning, Foxhole ..

Riveting read today - thank you very much. IMO, the North African campaign, especially at Kasserine, showed the need for dramatic tactical changes on the part of the Army, from largely different commanders.

I've heard it said that armies need to learn from other armies in war. That was certainly the case at Kasserine.