About this Group

From February 19-25, 1943, the Allies fought their Axis foes in the Battle of Kasserine Pass. It was the first major land action by the American ground forces in the European Theatre of Operations (Operation Torch, early November, 1942, was largely unopposed), although both the battle itself and its ancillary events (the wider Tunisia Campaign), involved many other players. The forces of Great Britain, Free France, and other allies, fought against the Germans and the Italians. Kasserine Pass is widely considered a humiliating defeat for the Americans. But in spite of the heavy casualties and capture of hundreds of American GIs, the battle played an important role in the painful but necessary maturation of the American forces, from the brass down to the boots, and from how soldiers were trained Stateside to how they fought when they reached the field for the rest of the War. The lessons learned proved invaluable, and not only was Rommel’s tactical victory brief, the long-term effect proved that sometimes getting a bloody nose is just the doctor ordered to clear the head.

Late February, 2018 will be the 75th anniversary of this fascinating chapter in World War 2 history. In honor of the brave men of all sides who fought in it, I would like to put out a call for a Kasserine Pass Build Group. The modeling possibilities are tempting indeed for those who love their hobby strongly coupled with history in general and the pathos of battle in particular. Whether you like aircraft or armor, figurines, dioramas, or even the naval vessels involved in the wider campaign, surely there is something for you here. I am hoping for a mixture of classics (American, British, and German standbys) along with some interesting anomalies (for example, Free French markings and Italian specialty aircraft). In any case, this is our big chance to build desert warfare machines during a significant anniversary period!

As for projects, I have my eye on an A-20B of the 12th Air Force, 47th Bomb Group. Your passion is probably elsewhere, but I am betting that somewhere in your stash is something that could make things interesting and honor the heroes of this watershed battle.

General guidelines would be as follows (framework shamefully plagiarized from Louis Gardner’s build group guidelines—thanks buddy!):

1. Any model drawn from the war materiel—air, land, or sea—of any of the combatants in the battle of Kasserine Pass or the wider Tunisia Campaign.
2. Any scale would be permitted.
3. Build as many entries as you like.
4. Join late? No problem!
5. All comers welcome, just jump in and you’re a member.
6. We can make our initial posts on February 19, 2018—75 years to the date after the opening day of the battle. Ending date would be June 1, 2018—about the time the Allies finished mopping things up in North Africa.
7. End dates not strictly enforced, and progress leading up to the due dates can be posted in the Work in Progress groups.

Hosted by

Group admin:	David A. Thomas
Moderator(s):	(none assigned)

Status

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