2 of XVIII: Allied land forces = 2 Task Forces.
1. Eastern Task Force led by Monty was British 8th Army w/ Canadian Div.
2. Western Task Force led by Patton = US 7th Army
1. Eastern Task Force led by Monty was British 8th Army w/ Canadian Div.
2. Western Task Force led by Patton = US 7th Army
3 of XVIIII:
The two task force commanders reported to Gen Sir Harold Alexander [pictured] commander of the 15th Army Group
The two task force commanders reported to Gen Sir Harold Alexander [pictured] commander of the 15th Army Group
4 of XVIII: An awful lot of parts + pieces. Husky would also be the 1st big test of America’s airborne capability [1st big combat parachute assault]. Vertical envelopment was an unproven concept at the time.
5 of XVIIII: Previously, the 509th PIR jumped in Operation Torch, but that was w/ fewer than 600 troops.
Husky, meanwhile, would be an entire British division + a US regiment
Husky, meanwhile, would be an entire British division + a US regiment
6 of XVIII: Airborne forces were to support both Eastern and Western Task Forces. To E: east, the British 1st Airborne Division, was to seize bridges & high ground. To W: Jim Gavin’s @PantherBrigade.
The airborne part of the operation was an absolute disaster.
The airborne part of the operation was an absolute disaster.
7 of XVIII: High winds, clouds, and human error introduced chaos & tragedy. The C-47 pilots got lost, dropping Paratroopers miles from their designated drop zones.
8 of XVIII: Worse, confused Allied naval gunners mistook the C-47s for Axis aircraft [friendly fire = 22 c-47s shot down, 83 KIA]
9 of XVIII:
Little known fact: AA6, Matthew Ridgeway, General of the US Airborne, did NOT actually jump into Sicily due to concerns about his age (48) & ability to command and control his forces. He went in safely by ship after most forces were inserted.
Little known fact: AA6, Matthew Ridgeway, General of the US Airborne, did NOT actually jump into Sicily due to concerns about his age (48) & ability to command and control his forces. He went in safely by ship after most forces were inserted.
10 of XVIII: Meanwhile, the amphibious landings = enormous success! German defenders didn’t think the Allies would land in such strong winds = little Axis resistance. Landings on 26 main beaches. Leading the way was @3rd_Infantry under legendary Dog Face Soldier Lucian Truscott.
11 of XVIII: This was the largest amphibious operation of World War II in terms of size of the landing zone and the number of divisions put ashore on the first day.
12 of XVIII: Terry de le Mesa’s @FightingFirst also played a key role in the amphibious assault and subsequently rollup of beachheads.
13 of XVIII: As the first day carried on, the Paratroopers who survived the landing did some good.
14 of XVIII: You see, long before the concept of Mission Command, Gavin taught his Paratroopers to display initiative, to operate decentralized in small groups, and to fight within the commander’s intent.
15 of XVIII: Operation Husky lasted 39 days. Sicily was exposed as the soft underbelly of the Axis forces in Europe. Allied forces [total = 160k+ troops] quickly consolidated gains in Sicily.
16 of XVIIII: Following Operation Husky, the @USArmy had a decision to make regarding airborne ops: should the Army continue this experiment of large forces parachuting from the sky? Was it too dangerous? Should we scrap the whole idea?
17 of XVIII: Eisenhower & Ridgway decided to continue w/ vertical envelopment, but w/ lessons learned from Husky. We developed pathfinder teams, control measures of naval gunners, and advanced training for troop carrier pilots to prevent tragedy in future airborne assaults.
XVIII of XVIII: Operation Husky was an enormous success, but largely due to the element of surprise and the failure of Axis intel.
