Tunisian Victory Reel 5 - Winter in Tunisia and Rommel’s Counterattack

From Christmas on the Front to the Battle of Kasserine Pass


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Reel 5 of Tunisian Victory (1944) captures the harsh winter of 1942–1943 as Allied forces dug in at the Dorsal Mountains near Tunis, preparing for the final push against Axis forces. Against this backdrop, the reel provides a glimpse of Christmas in Tunisia, with church bells ringing worldwide, soldiers receiving mail and packages from home, and General Dwight D. Eisenhower sharing a meal with his troops. Lighter moments include troops feeding pets, giving Arab children candy, and attempting to ride camels, while the Red Cross distributed milk to local children.
In January 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt made a surprise visit to review the troops, followed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s arrival for the Casablanca Conference (code name Symbol). Footage shows Roosevelt, Churchill, Generals Charles de Gaulle, Henri Giraud, Eisenhower, Harold Alexander, and Air Marshal Arthur Tedder meeting to coordinate Allied strategy. Churchill later traveled to Tripoli, Libya, to meet General Bernard Montgomery, preparing for the next phase of the war.
The reel shifts to animated battle maps showing British, French, and American positions in Tunisia, with the British 8th Army facing Rommel’s Mareth Line, a pre-war French defensive system. Footage highlights Rommel’s battle-hardened troops, German tanks, and the latest Luftwaffe aircraft, setting the stage for one of the most significant Axis offensives.
Rommel’s forces launched a powerful attack through the Kasserine Pass, advancing dangerously close to the Allied supply base at Tebessa. The American counterattack pushed Rommel back, regaining control of Kasserine. In response, Rommel turned his forces against the British 8th Army, but the introduction of the British 17-pounder anti-tank gun devastated his armor, destroying 52 German Tiger tanks in a decisive engagement.
The reel concludes with an animated map of General Eisenhower’s strategy for the final North African offensive, featuring Generals Eisenhower, James Doolittle, and Carl Spaatz coordinating air and ground operations. Scenes of U.S. bombers with nose art, including "Pluto," "Yankee Doodle," "Jersey Jackass," and "Fancy Pants," illustrate the growing air power that would aid in crushing the Axis presence in North Africa.

Part of this Complete Film

Tunisian Victory (1944) - WWII North Africa Campaign Documentary

License: Royalty-Free