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The British had succeeded in compressing the front somewhat. The Germans claimed that this was just what they wanted. Berlin radio spoke of "the achieve ment of final union between Rommel's forces and those of Arnim," and added: "The original aim of a long prepared plan of operation has thus been achieved." Rommel was reported to have set up new headquarters at El Djem, far north of General Patton's main efforts.
This was a disappointment. People at home had had high hopes for General Patton. They had thought he might crash through to the sea behind Rommel, cut him off and, with the British, drive the Fox to ground in the south once & for all.
General Patton, standing there looking at his map, knew what had actually been planned and what had been done. Very possibly there had never been a plan for him to break through to the sea. Last week his strength was identified as one armored and three infantry divisions, and that would certainly have been a slim spear to throw at the coast. But George Patton must have had passing thoughts of an opportunity missed.
If Patton had not been ordered to try to cut Rommel off, he had certainly been given the task of harassing his flank as he withdrew northward. This Patton had not been able to do; he must have had his doubts as to who was winning the first round of the Rommel-v.-Patton match.
Patton's force was containing some of Rommel's strength, but not effectively harassing it.
On the Ground. The frustrating thing for George Patton was that he could not get at Rommel on the kind of flat terrain where he excels, as Rommel also does.
Between Patton and the flat land, as he launched the second battle of El Guettar last week, lay a final series of ridges which the Axis had organized all too well for defense ever since December.
The first battle of El Guettar took place fortnight ago, when the 10th Panzer Division was driven southeast of the dusty Arab village, and U.S. infantry was in turn driven back from its forward positions on Djebel el Kreroua (TIME, April 5).
In the second battle Patton intended to regain that height and others flanking the road to the plain, then spew his armor out on to the flat places where it could maneuver.
This was not easy. The enemy had chosen his positions well. His artillery and mortars dominated all the natural approaches to the hills, and they were emplaced in gullies where U.S. artillery could not find them. Infantry set out to take the heights and gun positions. Men inched forward and many were killed. For two days and two nights the foot soldiers tried to do their jobs.
"Those hills are the toughest sort of going," said Patton in his room at head quarters. "A few men holding good positions are the hardest to lick. We can't kill many of them. They must have gotten their mortars in there with mules. I'd give anything for one good pack." On the third day the infantry commanders told General Patton they would be able to complete their assignments that day. General Patton ordered his armor forward. The infantry felt their urgency too strongly and pressed on too fast on the hillsides, not taking the very tops.
Axis pockets and Axis artillery were left behind, unsubdued. And when the armor tried to move, that artillery and the ever-present land mines stopped them.