![]() While these actions were taking place, CCC (Combat Command C) had seen some action in a limited operation to capture the town of Sened in preparation for a major operation aimed at Maknassy. Both counter-attacks were unsuccessful and another attempt on February 1 was also a failure. ![]() ![]() By 1200 hours, the reconnaissance elements of CCA reported that the Germans were indeed attacking in strength and two armor forces were formed around the 3rd Battalion, 1st Armored Regiment, 701st Tank Destroyer Battalion and the 26th Infantry Regiment and were sent to the passes at Faïd and Rebaou. The complex Allied chain of command proved disastrous later on against an enemy that reacts as conditions dictated and expects local commanders to act on their own imitative. Colonel McQuillian turned to II Corps for instructions who then passed the French request onto the British 1st Army HQ and it was not until 0900 hours that an order was received to provide armor support to the French. For about a week, the French commander had been requesting reinforcements from the US II Corps commander, General Fredendall and finally appealed in person to Colonel Raymond McQuillian, the 1st Armored Division’s Combat Command A (CCA) commander whose HQ was located at Sidi Bou Zid. Although the French were able to inflict significant casualities among the Axis infantry, they were severely pressured by German armor since they only had a single platoon of WWI era Renault FT-17 light tanks. Just before dawn on January 30, French units guarding the mountain passes near Faïd came under attack by a combined Italian-German force based around elements of the veteran 21.
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