world war 2 operation husky in sicily us army

His British Deputy General Alexander would command British forces while General Patton commanded American forces. The overall commander to the invasion would remain General Eisenhower who commanded Allied forces in the North Africa. Moreover by capturing the island they would be able to push German aircraft out of the Mediterranean opening it fully for Allied transport. The Allies hoped that if they captured the island they would be able to convince the Italians to surrender. Patton won his race, but not before lots of German men and materials had been safely evacuated to the mainland of Italy where they were used against our soldiers in that long and difficult campaign.With the successful conclusion of the North African campaign the next natural target was Sicily. The British and Americans pressed the final miles to cut off the Germans at Messina. Etna, whose towering presence had loomed in the distance throughout their journey. The Canadians were told to stop at Adrano, at the foot of Mt. But Canadians of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, known as the Hasty Ps, scaled it at night and surprised the Germans by attacking from above the next morning. The east side was a sheer cliff and thought to be an impossible approach. At Assoro, for instance, Germans looked down from the town which sat on the west side of the mountain, a perfect vantage point for picking off would-be attackers. Sometimes when the soldiers reached towns they discovered streets reduced to rubble by aerial bombardment. Often mules were used for transport, as they were better suited to the winding dirt tracks than big tanks, but they made progress slow. Canadians persevered through Grammichele, Piazza Armerina, Agira, Regalbuto. These mountaintop towns were held by German troops. In the early days many Italian soldiers surrendered without too much resistance and the local people gave them grapes and oranges to quench their thirst in the scorching heat.įurther inland it was a different story. But the young Canadian lads were eyeing the pillboxes, watching for snipers and lookouts. Today tourists come to this southeast corner of Sicily to see the restored baroque architecture. In the first few days the Canadians passed through an area that is now a Unesco World Heritage site. All men and materials were brought in by sea, making it the largest amphibious operation yet, though D-Day, a year later, would be bigger still. The Canadian contingent was 25,000 strong. Sicily, a rural mountainous island known for its orange groves and almond orchards, olives and the Mafia, sits strategically in the Mediterranean off the foot of Italy. For the soldiers, pushing through, village by village, mountaintop by mountaintop, it was no game. Meanwhile, the Americans skirted the more level western coastline of the island and the British came up the east side, each competing with the other for glory.Īmerican General Patton wrote in a letter, “This is a horse race in which the prestige of the US Army is at stake.we must take Messina before the British.” By this time they were well into the middle of the island where their enemy was the fierce Hermann Goering division of the German army.įor six weeks, from July 10th to August 17th 1943, the Canadians, fighting as an independent unit for the first time, slogged through the interior of Sicily as part of Operation Husky, the first stage of taking back Europe from the Nazis after four years of war. Three dry and dusty weeks into the campaign, there was a five-hour downpour, and all the troops relished the chance to shower off the dirt caked to their skin. Temperatures hovered around 37 degrees, turning water bottles into hot water bottles, as one soldier put it. The roads were narrow dirt tracks switchbacking over steep, volcanic mountains. He men were young, of course, many just 18 to 24 years old.

Comparison of Federal & Provincial Governments.

Federal-Provincial Conferences in the 1970s.

Changing Voice of the West in the 1970s.The Quiet Revolution Patriation of the Constitution Canadian Government today The Great Depression World War II Newfoundland joins Laurier's Government Welcomes Immigrants.The Last Spike Manitoba Schools Act The KlondikeĪlberta & Saskatchewan join World War I The Roaring Twenties Native Treaties PEI joins Supreme Court formation 1871 British Columbia Joins Confederation.Changing Attitude in England in the 1850s.

Economic Changes in England in the 1840s.Governors' Attitudes to Responsible Government.Beginnings of Political Parties in the 1840s.Co-operation of the French & English in the 1840s.Rebellions in Upper & Lower Canada 1837.Act of Union Responsible Government Road to Confederation

World war 2 operation husky in sicily us army