FAÏD PASS. This opening in the eastern mountain chain was taken from a weak French garrison and held against U. S. and French counterattacks, 30 January-2 February 1943. Just before daylight, 14 February, very strong German forces came through Faïd Pass and others came from south of the pass to drive the Americans from positions to the west. The enemy cut off and isolated three groups, on Djebel Ksaira and Garet Hadid southwest of the pass, and Djebel Lessouda northwest of it. On 15 February, an American armored counterattack to relieve the troops was made in strength far inferior to that required. Most of the troops were captured trying to escape. On 17 February, the American base at Sbeitla and the airfields at Thelepte were evacuated, as all troops were pulled back into the western mountain chain. The enemy then decided to continue his attack toward the northwest.
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THE GENERAL GRANT TANK. These medium tanks were of the riveted hull type, later models having cast or welded armor, and were equipped with either a short-barreled (top) or long-barreled (bottom) 75-mm. gun. Principal armament was the 75-mm. cannon, in a right-hand sponson, capable of being swung in an arc of about 30 degrees. The entire tank would often have to be turned to bring the gun to bear. In a hull-down position only the secondary gun, the 37-mm. cannon in the turret, could be fired. The silhouette of the M3 was much higher than that of corresponding German tanks.
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CAPTURED GERMAN ARMOR. The Mark IV medium tank (top) was equipped with a 75-mm. cannon of higher velocity and range than any of the Allied tank guns then in use. It was generally superior to Allied tanks and was probably the best tank the enemy had until the Panther made its appearance in Italy, 1944. The Mark IV was used until the end of the war. The eight-wheeled armored car with a 75-mm. howitzer (bottom) was equipped with quite thin armor which was so well angled that machine gun bullets and small fragments were not effective against it. It could be steered from both ends and had a speed of slightly more than thirty miles an hour. (German medium tank Mark IV (Pz. Kpfw. IV); German armored vehicle, 7.5-cm. howitzer.)
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