What was operation husky

The initial Allied amphibious landings were made on 10 July on the south and southeast coasts of Sicily. Although severe weather conditions caused delays and misdirection, the Italian defense strategy called for massing forces in areas beyond the beaches and thus allowed the Allies to disembark and assemble without significant opposition. Despite some brief tactical successes, counterattacks by the few German units then present on Sicily were hampered by difficulties coordinating with their Italian allies.

By mid-month, Allied advances were slowed by German reinforcements rapidly deployed from mainland Italy. Hotly contested sectors included the areas around Mount Etna and the eastern Sicilian port of Catania.

However, the enemy formations were steadily squeezed into northeastern Sicily by the sheer mass of the Allied onslaught. Seventh Army troops on 22 July. In early August, following a series of delaying actions, the Germans decided to evacuate their remaining forces across the Strait of Messina to southern Italy.

This was accomplished over a three-day period—with minimal losses due to exceptionally strong antiaircraft defenses—by 17 August. The Germans were now forced to counter Allied operations in mainland Italy, invariably weakening their frontline forces elsewhere, particularly in the Soviet Union.

For the Allies, Husky provided a secure staging area for future operations in southern Europe. For the U. Images of the pre-invasion build-up and beach landings. Army Center of Military History. Robert J. Cressman, The Official Chronology of the U. Navy in World War II. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, Naval History and Heritage Command.

The Seventh U. Army under Lieutenant-General George S. Montgomery, carried out the invasion. The Canadians were part of the British Army. Having been deceived by Operation Mincemeat, Hitler left only two German divisions in Sicily to battle the Allied soldiers.

On July 18, the Canadians met their heaviest resistance to date at Valguarnera. The fight resulted in casualties, including 40 killed. At Leonforte, the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade encountered a stiff and difficult fight. Hitler took full advantage of the found information and sent his troops and ships to reinforce the islands of Sardinia and Corsica, west of Italy, against an impending Allied invasion.

However, Operation Mincemeat was a deception. The recovered body was not a Royal Marine but a homeless man from Wales who had committed suicide. As Hitler redirected his troops, a massive Allied invasion force sailed toward Sicily.

The Italian fascist regime was not prepared for the attack, as the allies had hoped. The Canadians formed the left flank of the five British landings that spread over 40 miles of shoreline near Pachino. The Americans established three more beachheads over another 40 miles of the coast. In taking Sicily, the Allies aimed to trap the German and Italian armies, preventing their retreat across the Strait of Messina.

Montgomery leading British ground forces. Allied troops encountered light resistance to their combined operations. Even several days into the attack he was convinced that it was a diversionary maneuver and continued to warn his officers to expect the main landings at Sardinia or Corsica.

The Axis defense of Sicily was also weakened by losses the German and Italian armies had suffered in North Africa, in casualties as well as the several hundred thousand troops captured at the end of the campaign. Meanwhile, jarred by the Allied invasion, the Italian fascist regime fell rapidly into disrepute, as the Allies had hoped.

Hitler instructed his forces to make contingency plans for withdrawal but to continue to fight fiercely against the Allied advance. As July turned to August, Patton and Montgomery and their armies battled against determined German troops dug into the mountainous Sicilian terrain.

The U. As Patton and Montgomery closed in on the northeastern port of Messina, the German and Italian armies managed over several nights to evacuate , men, along with vehicles, supplies and ammunition, across the Strait of Messina to the Italian mainland.

When his American soldiers moved into Messina on August 17, , Patton, expecting to fight one final battle, was surprised to learn that the enemy forces had disappeared. The advance against the Italian mainland in September would take more time and cost the Allies more troops than they anticipated. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us!

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