Attack on Sened Station 1st February 1943, Tunesia. Historical record Source : Morton, M.D.

. Men on "Iron Ponies," The Death and Rebirth of the Modern U. S. Cavalry. htt!:""etd.lib.fsu.edu"theses"available"etd#$%%$&$$'#()'%$&"* The 81st Armored Reconnaissance Battalions first test as a nearly-complete unit came at the end of January 1943 The !attalion arri"ed in #orth Africa in $ecem!er 194% and &ith the rest of the di"ision mo"ed into &estern Tunisia in January 1943 There the di"ision !ecame increasin'ly fractured( no different than the e)ually dispersed 1st and 34th *nfantry $i"isions The 81st Armored Reconnaissance Battalion( or'ani+ationally !est suited to act as a sin'le unit( &as incapa!le of supportin' its no& dispersed parent unit spread out into three separate com!at commands A'ainst the &ishes of ,eneral -rlando .ard( commander of the 1st Armored $i"ision( the ** /orps commander( 0a1or ,eneral 2loyd 3redendall( ordered a raid on the small A4is outpost at 5ened 5tation .ith the attachment of B /ompany( 81st Armored Reconnaissance Battalion to /om!at /ommand /( the reconnaissance !attalion entered the fi'ht on a small scale /olonel Ro!ert 5tac6( the commander of /om!at /ommand /( departed ,afsa for 5ened 5tation at 7477 hours( %4 January 1943 He used / /ompany of the reconnaissance !attalion &ith an attached tan6 platoon from $ /ompany in a manner reminiscent of &ar 'ames conducted durin' the inter&ar years .ith the firm 6no&led'e that the enemy &as at 5ened 5tation( 5tac6 ordered the reconnaissance company to mo"e !eyond 5ened 5tation and esta!lish a position that &ould pre"ent reinforcements from comin' to the aid of the !elea'uered 'arrison The plan &or6ed &ell &ith 5tac6s small com!ined arms force capturin' 98 prisoners in three hours of fi'htin' !efore returnin' to ,afsa !y 1877 hours the same day The men of / /ompany 81st Armored Reconnaissance Battalion found an American 9-47 fi'hter plane in perfect condition The same raid also pro"ided a fe& &elcome additions to the !attalions 'ro&in' mena'erie of spare "ehicles( &ith the addition of a fe& 3ord truc6s( &hich had !een in the ser"ice of the ,erman army After paintin' them 'reen( the truc6s returned to ser"ice in support of the Allied cause -nly days later( the !attalion had a much harder time at 5ened 5tation Ready to return to the offensi"e( ,eneral 3redendall ordered ,eneral .ard to ta6e 0a6nassy( east of 5ened 5tation( in an operation that included the entire 81st Armored Reconnaissance Battalion B /ompany &ith a platoon of tan6s attached from $ /ompany supported /om!at /ommand / as it attempted to en"elop 0a6nassy from the north The remainder of the !attalion supported /om!at /ommand $s return to 5ened 5tation enroute to 0a6nassy *n neither dri"e &ere the ser"ices rendered !y the reconnaissance !attalion particularly effecti"e B /ompany led /om!at /ommand / &ith patrols durin' the ni'ht of 37 January( !ut &as initially oriented on 5idi-!ou-:id to the north since the ,ermans had captured the 3aid 9ass( held !y the 3rench( that mornin' The reconnaissance platoons made minimal mounted pro'ress that first e"enin' and &ere forced to dismount and continue on foot .ith the sun on the mornin' of 31 January also came ne&s that the ,ermans had &ithdra&n from 5idi-!ou:id( and the reconnaissance effort reoriented on see6in' access throu'h the 0eloussi pass to the ori'inal o!1ecti"e of 0a6nassy The reconnaissance company operated on a dispersed front &ith the platoons !eyond mutually supportin' distance The effort to 'ain a path for the com!at command culminated &ith the loss of three tan6s( one scout car( se"en men 6illed and four captured Rather than mo"in' for&ard in a series of incremental steps;tactically referred to as !ounds; the reconnaissance platoon &ith its attached tan6s dro"e into the pass at %7 miles per hour and &as immediately ta6en under fire !y ,erman anti-tan6 'uns 2ac6in' the mass of the entire !attalion to support the more challen'in' reconnaissance mission( the troop

commander further dissipated his assets compoundin' his a!ility to secure a sin'le e4it for the com!at command <nfortunately( the remainder of the !attalion faired no !etter in the south /ompanies A and /( &ith attached tan6 platoons( supported the dri"e of /om!at /ommand $ to 5ened 5tation from 31 January to % 3e!ruary .ith a reconnaissance company to the north and south of the a4is of ad"ance( the remainder of the tan6 company follo&ed the southern reconnaissance company Artillery and mortar fire com!ined &ith re'ular air attac6s held up the !attalion for an entire day and forced it to retire to :annouch 5tation to re'roup for another attempt on 1 3e!ruary .orse still( an entruc6ed infantry !attalion mo"in' for&ard to 1oin the action did so &ithout any reconnaissance to their front .ithout early &arnin'( the infantrymen preceded se"eral miles !efore sufferin' hea"y casualties as they ran into enemy lines 3i'htin' continued on 1 and % 3e!ruary &ith the reconnaissance !attalion ma6in' limited for&ard pro'ress( !ut pro"idin' some de'ree of security to the flan6s of the attac6in' com!at command .ith 'ro&in' concern a!out the situation to the north at 3aid 9ass( 1st Armored $i"ision ordered the 81st Armored Reconnaissance Battalion( alon' &ith /om!at /ommand $( to !rea6 off their attac6 to&ard 0a6nassy and mo"e to 5!eitla The !attalion mo"ed ei'hty-fi"e miles arri"in' in 5!ietla at day!rea6 on 4 3e!ruary The reconnaissance effort in late January and early 3e!ruary had !een less than impressi"e( !ut neither had the efforts of the rest of the com!ined arms team

Rede!loy+ent of (st ,r+ored Division to -aid ,rea. Source: ./asserine Pass 0attles: +a!s and s1etches2. U.S. Center of Military 3istory.

Italian forces =7th 5pecial Bri'ade >?th Tan6 Battalion H@ company A14 013B47 command tan6C Tan6 company * A34 014B41C Hea"y Tan6 /ompany A%4 5emo"ente 047 D=B18C 1st Battalion B 18th Bersa'lieri Re'iment Ere'ular statusF H@ *nfantry company A/- G 8 fi'ures( G 5olothurn AT-'un( G 1 medium truc6C *nfantry company A8 fi'ures( G 1 medium truc6C *nfantry company A8 fi'ures( G 1 medium truc6C 0ortar company A%4 81mm mortar G 8 cre&( G li'ht truc6C 0, company A%4 00, G 8 cre&( G medium truc6C AT-'un company A%4 4Dmm AT G 8 cre&( G % li'ht truc6C Attached artillery Artillery -9 A% fi'ures G radio truc6C Artillery !attery A%4 D=B%D 'uns( G 8 cre&( G % truc6sC Artillery !attery A14 17=mm 'un G =cre&C E-33 TAB2HF AA !attery A14 %7mm Breda on truc6C Air support 14 3iat /R 4% fi'hter-!om!er A%4 H0, B %4 li'ht !om!C American forces /om!at /ommand I$J 1st < 5 *nfantry $i"ision 81st Reconnaissance Battalion H@ /ompany A14 03A1 5tuart 3Dmm( G 14 08 H0/ D=mm( %4 Recce Jeep G /- K 8 fi'ures( G 14 04 halftrac6-81mm mortarC 2i'ht tan6 company A34 03 5tuart 3DmmC *nfantry company A A17 fi'ures( G 1 !a+oo6a( G 14 03 halftrac6C *nfantry company B A17 fi'ures( G 1 !a+oo6a( G 14 03 halftrac6C 0, company / A%4 H0, G 8 cre&( G %4 0%7 utility truc6 G to&ed 3Dmm AT-'un G 3 cre&C 3rd BattalionB13th Armored Re'iment H@ /ompany A14 04 5herman command tan6( G 14 08 H0/ D=mmC 0edium tan6 company / A34 04 5herman D=mmC 88th 3ield Artillery Battalion -!ser"ation post A% fi'ures G 1eep K radio truc6C 17=mm Ho&it+er Battery A%4 019 H0/ halftrac6C E-33 TAB2HF AA !attery A14 01= halftrac6 3Dmm AA( % 4 H0,C Air support 14 9-38 2i'htnin' A44 H0, and sin'le %7mm autocannon B %4 li'ht !om! or 14 hea"y !om!C

The ar!ame The &ar'ame is played on a 8 !y 8 ta!le and lasts 1= turnsL the < 5 player starts first The "arious types of terrain such as mountains( orchards( 5ened to&n and a'ricultural fields as per normal mo"ement penalties in the rules and all !loc6 line of si'ht The railroad is purely for esthetical reasons and pro"ides no mo"ement !onus or co"er The road 'i"es normal road speed and leads from &est to east i e from ,afsa to 0a6nassy 5ened should !e made of fi"e !uildin's( of &hich one is the rail&ay station 0ountains can only !e passed !y infantry( mortar- and machine'un troops on foot *talian forces may deploy &ith a ma4imum of M of their forces at point A( and the remainder at point B around the 5ened 5tation area The Bersa'lieri mountain troops are re'arded as !etter trained than usual *talians( and fi'htBtest morale as re'ular troopsL all others remain poor troops < 5 forces enter !et&een points 1 and % *n Turn 1 the 81 st Reconnaissance Battalion enters the ta!le *n Turn % the 88 th 3ield Artillery Battalion enters the ta!le *n Turn 4 the 3 rd BattalionB13th Armored R't enters the ta!le Both forces ha"e air support and may choose to ha"e their fi'hter enter the 'ame on any 'i"en turn once( for % consecuti"e turns of !om!in' or strafin' 'round troops After this the fi'hter is remo"ed from play -!1ecti"e for the *talian forces is to pre"ent a !rea6throu'h of the Americans and them occupyin' 5ened 5tation( !y destroyin' as much enemy troops as possi!le -!1ecti"e for the < 5 forces is to !rea6 throu'h the *talian lines( occupy 5ened 5tation and mo"e on to 0a6nassy The force in possession of 5ened 5tation at the end of the 'ame recei"es 1= e4tra points -ccupation is only possi!le &ith com!at unitsL no transport "ehicles 9oints are a&arded for destroyin' enemy forces as follo&sN 0edium K hea"y tan6s O 1% pts L 2i'ht tan6s( halftrac6s K truc6s O 17 pts L AAT-C'uns K 1eeps O 4 ptsL fi'ure O 1 pt -ri'inal 5ourceN Brea6throu'h at A'ordat ; Al!erton 0orero ATorino .ar'ame /lu! 5iteC