Before the Torch landing Field Marshal Ewrin Rommel was commander of the Afrika Group Army in North Africa, made of  mostly German troops and a few Italian divisions. Hitler was quick to react to the Allied invasion in the Mediterranean. He rushed troops and supplies by land, sea and air into Tunisia and gave command to the newly reinforced Desert Army to Nehring. On December 9th 1942, during the Allied/Axis stalemate/pause Generaloberst Juergen von Arnim, recalled from Stalingrad, took over command of the Fifth Panzer Army replacing General Nehring.

On December 22-26 Anderson's First Army tried once again to take an objective. Longstop Hill a located a few miles northeast of Medjez el Bab was to be the last attempt by the Allies in 1942 to take Tunis.  The initiative failed leaving 534 American and British soldiers dead. This loss prompted Eisenhower to pause all Allied movement to give time for a reevaluation of strategy and a build up of forces.

Eisenhower decided instead of making the capture of Tunis and Birezte the focus of his strategy, he would make destroying Rommel's army him goal. He decided to shift focus away from the north and Anderson's First Army to the center where II Corps and part of the French XIX Corps were located.

The British First Army and the II Corps unlike the British Eighth Army were fresh from boot camp. The Eighth Army had been fighting in the North African Desert since 1940 trying to keep the Axis away from the Suez Canal. They gained invaluable experience in fighting a desert war and were skilled seasoned soldiers. Tunisia was the first meeting between American and German soldiers on the field, the first joint Anglo-American operation and the first large scale amphibious landing operation. When planning the Combined Chiefs of Staff knew what they wanted to accomplish and what they wanted too happen but they have little idea as to exactly how to do it. This accounts for the lack of co-ordination of forces during the Torch landings.

On a few occasions battleships didn't give accurate cover for landing forces, division engineers weren't always employed right away, sometimes equipment wasn't employed properly or not at all or simply lost. While the men were excited and enthusiastic to enter the fight their inexperience were evident during the first few skirmishes with the Axis Army in November.

In the Battle for the Kasserine Pass, the Axis went on the offensive. Rommel originally wanted the Fifth Panzer Army to join with his Afrika Corps and push east, back towards Tripoli to smash the Montgomery's Eighth Army. Hitler's desire was to maintain two armies in Tunisia and Rommel's plan was rebuked. Instead the Tenth and the Twenty-first Panzer Divisions lead by Arnim Rommel attacked the United States' II Corps at Sidi Bou Zid along what is known as the Eastern Dorsal  on February 14th 1943. Rommel launched his attack on February 21st moving northwest to get rid of the Allied troops posted along the Western Dorsal.

Major General Lloyd R. Fredendall, commander of II Corps had his men parceled out and stretched very thin. Fredendall was given a two day stay. On the 16th of February, Rommel wanted to keep moving all the way to Allied supply lines stationed in Tebessa beyond the Western Dorsal. Arnim disagreed and was already diverting his Panzer Divisions away from Rommel's army. Even though Kesselring flew in from Rome and gave Rommel the authority to launch the attack, Arnim  still refused to hand over the units Rommel requested. Because of the delay Fredendall was able to order troops to the Kasserine P ass after noticing Axis reconnaissance scouting the area.

One battalion of artillery, tank destroyers and infantry was sent. The idea was to allow the German army to enter the past but to fight it out within. At dusk,  Allied troops were surprised when infantry patrols descended upon them in the pass after scaling the ridges surrounding the Allied troops. Allied soldiers ran in response weakening the line. February 20th the Rommel's army broke through the pass, halted then turned around to retreat.

He was convinced a counter attack would be underway in the morning so he backed away and didn't pursue to gather his men. The next afternoon Allied reinforcements from Algeria came to relieve the battered British soldiers who were holding out near the Thala road, the road leading into the Kasserine Pass. On the 23rd of February Rommel turned back south towards the Mareth Line where the rear was holding his position against the Montgomery's Eighth Army.

Hoping to surprise the Eighth Army before they could attack, Rommel decided to stop Montgomery near Medenine on March 6th 1943 south of the Mareth Line. Before the Afrika Group Army could get to Medenine, the Eighth Army knew from intelligence reports Rommel was on his way and set up a defensive line of anti tank guns. Rommel's Panzer divisions drove right into the British line. Over fifty Panzers were destroyed in the battle.  As the army retreated, the newly formed Northwest Tactical Air Force, pursued. Yet another failure for the Allies at the Kasserine Pass, the total lack of air support for ground trooping trying to hold the line, tactical or strategic.

While Rommel and Montgomery were busy in the south, Eisenhower was facing after battle humiliation. The United States' troops in at Sidi Bou Zid, Kasserine and at Faid( a village near Sidi Bou Zid) performance was stunningly horrible. So much so some men didn't even fight in face of the enemy, they just ran from the battle field and the casualties were enormously high.  Eisenhower was already trying to ease tension between the Allied commanders and the Allied staff. Now he was going to have to deal with getting the U. S. troops in right fighting form and erase the negative opinion of the American solider from the minds of her allies and enemies.

The first Eisenhower sent for Major General Ernest Harmon from Morocco to inspect Fredendall's lines February 23rd. Harmon took over command of the battle at Thala. A few days later Eisenhower relieved Fredendall and sent for Major General George. S. Patton to take command of II Corps in Tunisia on March 6th. Patton appointed Major General Omar N. Bradley to be his deputy.

On March 9th Rommel was summoned back to Germany where he was relieved of his command. Whatever was left of Rommel's army was absorbed in Armin's Fifth Panzer Army.

General Harold Alexander, commander of the Eighteenth Army Group( comprised of the British First Army, II Corps and the British Eighth Army) in light of Kasserine started cleaning up and restructuring command for the whole Allied Army. He created an army group reserve, set down a policy of no withdrawal, set up battle training for the soldiers, stressed unity to his commanders and prepared to have the Army Group link up with the Eighth Army forces Wadi Akarit behind the Mareth Line.

Patton and his II Corps was to take the offensive along the Eastern Dorsal to draw man power and attention away from Alexander's attack of the Mareth Line. Patton wanted to take this chance to show and prove the true ability of the American soldiers. he devised a plan to retake the area to the south of Kasserine, go through on of the passes and come out on the coastal plains on the other side of the Dorsal. He then wanted a second unit to capture the town of Gafsa and drive to Gabes
 

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