Husky was also the codename of Australian military support to Sierra Leone ending in February 2003. Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only country to occupy an entire continent, and the largest in the region of Australasia/Oceania. ... The Republic of Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ...

The Allied invasion of Sicily took place in July 1943. The invasion of the island was codenamed Operation Husky and it launched the Italian Campaign. Sicily (Sicilia in Italian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 sq. ... 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war. ...

Participants

Main article: Operation Husky order of battle Operation Husky Order of Battle is a listing of the significant formations that were involved in the campaign for Sicily, July 10 – August 17, 1943. ...

The invasion of Sicily involved primarily four nations: The British Commonwealth and United States as the Allied landing force and Italy and Germany as the Axis forces defending the island. Flag of the Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of independent sovereign states, most of which were once governed by the United Kingdom and are its former colonies. ... The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America, the States, or (archaically) Columbia—is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ... In general, allies are people or groups that have joined an alliance and are working together to achieve some common purpose. ... The Italian Republic or Italy (Italian: Repubblica Italiana or Italia) is a country in southern Europe. ... The Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. ... The Axis Powers is a term for the loose alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan. ...

The Anglo-American landing force was under control of the Allied 15th Army Group. It consisted of the U.S. 7th Army and British 8th Army, each with two Corps underneath them. The primarily Italian defenders were two Italian Corps (XII and XVI) and one German Panzer Corps (XIV). The Seventh United States Army, also known as USAREUR, is the main American force in Europe. ... The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations in World War II, fighting in the campaigns in North Africa and Italy. ...

Planning

In the early part of 1943, following the realisation that the invasion of France would be impossible that year, it was decided to use the troops from the recently won North African Campaign to invade the Italian island of Sicily. The strategic goals were to remove the island as a base for Axis shipping and aircraft, allowing free passage to Allied ships in the Mediterranean Sea, and to put pressure on the Italian regime in the hope of eventually knocking Italy out of the war. It could also act as a precursor to the invasion of Italy, although this was not agreed by the Allies at the time of the invasion, the Americans in particular resisting commitment to any operation which might conceivably delay the invasion of France. 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... The battle in the North African desert during World War II from 1940-1943. ... The Italian Republic or Italy (Italian: Repubblica Italiana or Italia) is a country in southern Europe. ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 sq. ... The word axis has several meanings: In geometry, it may refer to: An axis of rotation A coordinate axis An axis of symmetry In anatomy, the axis is the second cervical vertebra. ... -1... The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America, the States, or (archaically) Columbia—is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ...

General Dwight Eisenhower was in overall command of the invasion, with General Sir Harold Alexander as commander of land forces. The land forces were designated the 15th Army Group, and comprised the British 8th Army, under General Bernard Montgomery, and the U.S. 7th Army under General George Patton. The Axis defenders comprised around 365,000 Italian troops and around 40,000 Germans with at least 47 tanks and about 200 artillery pieces, under the overall command of Italian General Alfredo Guzzoni. Dwight David Ike Eisenhower (October 14, 1890–March 28, 1969), American soldier and politician, was the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961) and supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, with the rank of General of the Army. ... Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis (December 10, 1891 - June 16, 1969) was a British military commander and Field Marshal, notably during World War II as the commander of the 15th Army Group. ... The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations in World War II, fighting in the campaigns in North Africa and Italy. ... Bernard Law Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (November 17, 1887 - March 24, 1976) was a British military officer during World War II often referred to as Monty. ... The Seventh United States Army, also known as USAREUR, is the main American force in Europe. ... General George Smith Patton Jr. ... The Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. ...

The landings

Map of the Allied landings in Sicily on July 10, 1943

The landings took place in extremely strong wind conditions, which made the landings difficult but also ensured the element of surprise. Landings were made on the southern and eastern coasts of the island, with the British forces in the East and the Americans towards the West. Download high resolution version (806x580, 134 KB) Source: http://www. ... Download high resolution version (806x580, 134 KB) Source: http://www. ...

Four airborne operations were carried out, landing during the night of the 9/10 July, as part of the invasion; two were British and two American. The American troops were the 82nd Airborne division, making their first combat parachute jump. The strong winds blew the dropping aircraft off course and scattered them widely; the result was that around half the US paratroops failed to make it to their rallying points. British glider-landed troops fared little better; only 12 out of 144 gliders landing on target, many landing in the sea. Nevertheless the scattered airborne troops maximised their opportunities, attacking patrols and creating confusion wherever possible. U.S. paratroopers jump into Australia on a military training exercise. ... July 9 is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 175 days remaining. ... July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. ... The 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army was formed originally as the 82nd Infantry Division on August 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia. ... The Apollo 15 capsule landed safely despite a parachute failure. ... Gliders are un-powered heavier-than-air aircraft. ...

The sea landings, despite the weather, were carried out against little opposition, the Italian units stationed on the shoreline lacking equipment and transport. The British walked into the port of Syracuse virtually unopposed. Only in the American centre was a substantial counterattack made, in exactly the point where the US Airborne were supposed to have been. On the 11 July Patton ordered his reserve parachute regiments to drop and reinforce the centre. Unfortunately not every unit had been informed of the drop, and the transports, which arrived shortly after an Axis air raid, were fired on by their own side, losing 37 out of 144 planes by friendly fire. Map of central Mediterranean Sea, showing location of Syracuse on the island of Sicily. ...

The land battle

The plans for the post-invasion battle had not been worked out in detail. Each Army was expected to advance towards its own objectives; boundaries between the two armies were fixed. In the first two days progress was excellent, capturing Vizzini in the west and Augusta in the east. Categories: Possible copyright violations ...

However resistance in the British sector then stiffened. Montgomery persuaded Alexander to shift the boundaries so that the British could by-pass the resistance and retain the key role of capturing Messina, while the Americans were given the role of protecting and supporting their flank. Patton sought a greater role for his army, and decided to try to capture the capital, Palermo. After dispatching a 'reconnaissance' toward the town of Agrigento which succeeded in capturing it, he persuaded Alexander to allow him to continue to advance. Alexander changed his mind and countermanded his orders, but Patton claimed the countermand was 'garbled in transmission', and by the time the position had been clarified Patton was at the gates of Palermo. Messina, Italy Strait of Messina, Italy. ... (This article is about Palermo in Sicily. ... Agrigento (formerly Girgenti) is the name of a town on the southern coast of Italy, capital of the province of Agrigento. ...

The fall of Palermo inspired a coup against Mussolini, and he was deposed from power. Although the removal of Italy from the war had been one of the long-term objectives of the Italian campaign, the suddenness of the move caught the Allies by surprise. Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. ...

After Patton's capture of Palermo, with the British still bogged down south of Messina, Alexander ordered a two-pronged attack on the city. Patton became obsessed with the idea of reaching Messina before the British, writing "This is a horse race in which the prestige of the US Army is at stake.". The Axis, now effectively under the command of German General Hans Hube, had prepared a strong defensive line, the 'Etna Line' around Messina, that would enable him to make a progressive retreat while evacuating large parts of his army to the mainland. Patton began his assault on the line at Troina, but it was a lynchpin of the defense and stubbornly held. Despite three 'end run' amphibious landings the Germans managed to keep the bulk of their forces beyond reach of capture, and maintain their evacuation plans. Elements of the US Third Infantry Division entered Messina just hours after the last axis troops boarded ship for Italy. However Patton had won his race to enter Messina first.

Consequences and aftermath

The casualties on the Axis side totalled 29,000, with 140,000 captured. The capture of Biscari airfield also resulted in an atrocity when American troops killed seventy-three Prisoners of War, supposedly inspired by Patton. The US lost 2,237 killed and 6,544 wounded and captured; the British suffered 2,721 dead, and 10,122 wounded and captured. For many of the American forces this was their first time in combat. However the Axis successfully evacuated over 100,000 men and 10,000 vehicles from Sicily. No plan had been made by the Allies to prevent this. The Biscari massacre was a war crime committed by US American troops during World War II, where unarmed German and Italian prisoners of war were massacred at Biscari in 1943, as ordered by George S. Patton. ...

The invasion also had an impact on the Eastern front. One of the reasons why the Germans had to cancel their offensive near Kursk was that they decided to send units to Italy after they received news of the invasion. The Eastern Front was the theatre of combat between Nazi Germany and its allies against the Soviet Union during World War II. It was somewhat separate from the other theatres of the war, not only geographically, but also for its scale and ferocity. ... Battle of Kursk Conflict World War II Date July 4, 1943 – July 22, 1943 Place Kursk, USSR Result Indecisive; generally considered a strategic German loss The Battle of Kursk was a significant battle on the Eastern Front of World War II. It remains the largest armored engagement of all time...

Husky was the largest amphibious operation of World War II in terms of men landed on the beaches, and of frontage; it overshadowed even the later Normandy landings. Strategically, the Sicilian operation achieved the goals set out for it by Allied planners. Axis air and naval forces were driven from the island; the Mediterranean sea lanes were opened and Mussolini had been toppled from power. It opened the way to the invasion of Italy, which had not necessarily been seen as a follow-up to Operation Husky. The word amphibious or amphibian, when used alone, has several possible meanings in the English language. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... The Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 between the German forces occupying Western Europe and the invading Allies. ...

Constituent operations

• Operation Barclay: Deception operation aimed at misleading Axis forces as to the actual date and location of the Allied landings.
• Operation Chestnut: Advanced air drop by 2 SAS to disrupt communications on July 12, 1943.
• Operation Corkscrew: Allied invasion of the Italian island Pantelleria on June 10, 1943.
• Operation Fustian: Airborne landing at Primrose Bridge ahead on July 13-14, 1943.
• Operation Ladbroke: Glider landing at Syracuse on July 9, 1943.
• Operation Narcissus: Commando raid on a lighthouse near the main landings on 10 July, 1943.

During World War II, Operation Barclay was the Allied deception plan in support of the invasion of Sicily. ... During World War II, Operation Chestnut was a failed British raid by 2 Special Air Service, conducted in support of the Allied invasion of Sicily. ... During World War II, Operation Corkscrew was the Allied invasion of the Italian island of Pantelleria (between Sicily and Tunisia) on 10 June 1943. ... During World War II, Operation Fustian was the British airborne assault to seize and hold Primrose Bridge over the River Simeto, south of Mount Etna on the island of Sicily, until relieved by ground forces. ... During World War II, Operation Ladbroke was the British glider landing near Syracuse, Sicily on the night of 9 July 1943 as part of the invasion of Sicily. ... During World War II, Operation Narcissus was a raid by forty members of the Special Air Service on a lighthouse on the southeast coast of Sicily. ...

See also

• Operation Husky Order of Battle

Operation Husky Order of Battle is a listing of the significant formations that were involved in the campaign for Sicily, July 10 – August 17, 1943. ...

External links

• US Army account of the battle (http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/brochures/72-16/72-16.htm)
• 82nd Airborne account of Sicily (http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/5340/division/campaigns/sicily.html)
• World War Two Online Newspaper Archives - The Sicilian and Italian Campaigns, 1943-1945 (http://warmuseum.ca/cwm/newspapers/operations/sicilianitalian_e.html)