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GLOBAL STRATEGY (cont’d.)

GLOBAL STRATEGY (cont’d.). U.S. PUBLIC VIEWS JAPAN AS IMMEDIATE THREAT (SO DO MOST U.S. MILITARY LEADERS) WHY? PEARL HARBOR JAPANESE SUCCESS IN PACIFIC REVENGE FOR P.H. & PHILIPPINES PROBLEM: F.D.R. NEEDS TO SUPPORT BRITS BRITS. ARE HISTORICALLY THE U.S.’s CLOSEST ALLY

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GLOBAL STRATEGY (cont’d.)

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  1. GLOBAL STRATEGY (cont’d.) • U.S. PUBLIC VIEWS JAPAN AS IMMEDIATE THREAT (SO DO MOST U.S. MILITARY LEADERS) • WHY? • PEARL HARBOR • JAPANESE SUCCESS IN PACIFIC • REVENGE FOR P.H. & PHILIPPINES • PROBLEM: • F.D.R. NEEDS TO SUPPORT BRITS • BRITS. ARE HISTORICALLY THE U.S.’s CLOSEST ALLY • STALIN & SOVIETS ARE PARANOD ABOUT ANGLO-AMERICANS • STALIN THINKS ANGLO-AMERICANS WANT TO SEE RUSSIA DEVESTATED BY GERMANS

  2. GLOBAL STRATEGY (cont’d.) • F.D.R. FINALLY CONVINCES MILITARY LEADERS (ex. – DOUGLAS MacARTHUR) THAT U.S. MUST DEFEAT GERMANY BEFORE JAPAN • “GERMANY FIRST” POLICY IS ADAPTED • PROBLEMS? • HOW WILL THE U.S. BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN THE EUROPEAN WAR? • EX.: • MORE NAVAL INVOLVEMENT? • MORE AERIAL INVOLVEMENT? • LAND-WARFARE? • WHERE WILL THE U.S. ATTACK THE GERMANS? • U.S. MILITARY LEADERS WANT TO ATTACK ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL • BRITS. OPPOSE IDEA – THINK ALLIES AREN’T READY YET • BRITS. WANT U.S. TO ATTACK SOMEWHERE IN MEDITERRANEAN • WHY? • GERMAN FORCES ARE LESS NUMEROUS THERE • BRITS ARE FIGHTING IN NORTH AFRICA & CAN USE U.S. HELP • FINAL DECISION: • U.S. FORCES WILL INVADE AXIS-HELD TERRITORY IN NORTH AFRICA • VICHY FRENCH FORCES ARE VIEWED AS RELATIVELY WEAK • U.S. WILL BE ABLE TO GAIN VALUABLE EXPERIENCE THERE BEFORE INVADING NORTHERN EUROPE • OPERATION TORCH – NOVEMBER, 1942 • ANGLO-AMERICAN ALLIES LAND FORCES IN NORTH AFRICA (MOROCCO, ALGERIA)

  3. OPERATION TORCH: TASK FORCE LOCATIONS

  4. OPERATION TORCH, NOV., 1942 • WHERE? • NORTH AFRICA • AREAS CONTROLLED BY VICHY FRANCE • MOROCCO, ALGERIA • WHY NOT FURTHER EAST? • BRITS ARE ALREADY FIGHTING IN EGYPT, LIBYA • BRITS HAVE PUSHED AXIS FORCES WESTWARD TOWARD TUNISIA • FORCES? • U.S. ARMY • U.S. NAVY • WHO? GEN. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER IS C/O • HOW? INVASION FORCE DIVIDED INTO 3 TASK FORCES: • WESTERN TASK FORCE: TARGET – MOROCCO COAST • CENTRAL TASK FORCE: TARGET – ORAN, ALGERIA • EASTERN TASK FORCE: TARGET – ALGIERS, ALGERIS • GOAL / OBJECTIVE: • SEIZE MAJOR COASTAL PORTS FROM VICHY FRENCH • DENY AXIS POWERS CRITICAL NAVAL PORTS • SEIZE CONTROL OF W. MEDITERANNEAN • PUSH AXIS ARMIES EAST TOWARDS TUNISIA • FORCE AXIS ARMIES TO FIGHT U.S. & BRITISH FORCES ON TWO SIDES • FORCE AXIS TO ABANDON NORTH AFRICA

  5. U.S. INFANTRY RAPPEL INTO LANDING CRAFT, OPERATION TORCH, NOVEMBER, 1942

  6. U.S. ARMY INFANTRY IN LANDING CRAFT, OPERATION TORCH, NOVEMBER, 1942

  7. U.S. INFANTRY LANDING ON MOROCCAN COAST, NOVEMBER, 1942

  8. GENERAL DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, U.S. ARMY, SUPREME COMMANDER, ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, NORTH AFRICA

  9. GEN. GEORGE S. PATTON (L) & GEN. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, NORTH AFRICA, 1942

  10. GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON, U.S. ARMY,COMMANDER, U.S. ARMY II CORPS, NORTH AFRICA

  11. GEN. GEORGE S. PATTON, U.S. ARMY, NORTH AFRICA, 1943

  12. FIELD MARSHALL ERWIN ROMMEL, COMMANDING OFFICER, THE AFRIKA CORPS

  13. FIELD MARSHALL ERWIN ROMMEL, COMMANDING OFFICER, GERMAN PANZER ARMY AFRIKA (“THE AFRIKA CORPS”)

  14. TUNISIA, 1942 - 43

  15. OPERATION TORCH (cont’d.) • INITIAL U.S. LANDINGS SUCCEED • WHY? • VICHY FRENCH RESISTANCE IS LIGHT • GERMANS ARE OCCUPIED IN LIBYA/EGYPT BY BRITISH • U.S. FORCES BEGIN EASTWARD ADVANCE TOWARDS TUNISIA • PROBLEMS? • U.S. TROOPS HAVEN’T BEEN TESTED AGAINST GERMANS YET • U.S. BATTLEFIELD TACTICS AREN’T TESTED • U.S. LEADERSHIP IS STILL UNTESTED • U.S. & BRITISH LEADERS DON’T ALWAYS AGREE • EXAMPLE: EISENHOWER & MONTGOMERY DON’T ALWAYS AGREE ON STRATEGY

  16. THE CASABLANCA CONFERENCE • WHEN? JAN., 1943 • WHERE? CASABLANCA, MOROCCO • WHO? ALLIED POLITICAL & MILITARY LEADERS: • EXAMPLES? • FDR • CHURCHILL • CHARLES De GAULLE (FREE FRENCH forces) • WHY? ALLIED STRATEGY TO WIN EUROPEAN WAR NEEDED DISCUSSION • RESULT? • ALLIES WILL ONLY ACCEPT THE UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER (define) OF GERMANY • WESTERN ALLIES WOULD CONTINUE TO INCREASE SUPPLIES/AID TO SOVIET UNION • WESTERN ALLIES WOULD JOIN FORCES TO INVADE SICILY • INVASION OF ITALY WOULD FOLLOW SICILY INVASION

  17. NORTH AFRICAN ANGLO-AMERICAN WAR GOALS

  18. 1943 ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY & ITALY

  19. FDR & CHURCHILL AT CASABLANCA, JANUARY, 1943

  20. KASSERINE PASS • JAN./FEB., 1943: • U.S. TROOPS CONTINUE ADVANCE TOWARDS TUNISIAN BORDER • BORDER IS MOUNTAINOUS • MOUNTAIN PASSES HAVE TO BE SECURED • KASSERINE PASS IS VITAL ROUTE CONTROLLING EAST-WEST MOVEMENT ON ALGERIAN/TUNISIAN BORDER • ALLIED TROOPS HAVE MOVED INTO PASS & ESTABLISHED POISITIONS THERE • FEB., 1943: GERMANS ATTACK ALLIED POSITIONS AT KASSERINE • RESULT? • COMPLETE GERMAN VICTORY • ALLIED (esp. U.S.) TROOPS ARE ROUTED • WHY? • POOR LEADERSHIP (esp. U.S.) • LACK OF ALLIED AIR COVER (fault of BRITS.) • SUPERIOR GERMAN ARMOR & AIR COVER • BETTER GERMAN BATTLE TACTICS • U.S. TROOPS ARE INEXPERIENCED • EFFECT? • EISENHOWER PUTS GEN. GEORGE S. PATTON IN COMMAND OF U.S. ARMOR IN TUNISIA • WHY PATTON?

  21. GERMAN 88 mm “FLAK” GUN

  22. ALLIED VICTORY IN AFRICA • NOV., 1942: BATTLE OF EL ALAMEIN • BRITISH 8th ARMY DEFEATS ROMMEL & GERMAN AFRIKA KORPS • RESULT? • GERMAN THREAT TO EGYPT & SUEZ CANAL IS OVER • GERMAN RETREAT TO TUNISIA BEGINS • GEN. BERNARD MONTGOMERY BECOMES ALLIED HERO • AFTER KASSERINE PASS: • EISENHOWER REPLACES LLOYD FREDENDALL w/GEN. GEORGE PATTON • PATTON IS C/O OF U.S. 2nd ARMORED CORPS (tanks) • PATTON IMMEDIATELY BEGINS OFFENSIVE AGAINST AFRIKA CORPS

  23. ALLIED VICTORY IN AFRICA • MARCH-APRIL, 1943: • ALLIES BEGIN TW0-SIDED OFFENSIVE AGAINST AFRIKA CORPS IN TUNISIA • BRIT. 8TH ARMY AGAINST S.E. TUNISIA • U.S. AGAINST W. TUNISIA • MARCH, ‘43: BATTLE OF EL GUETTAR • PATTON U.S. 2nd ARMORED CORPS ATTACKS • U.S. USES BETTER TACTICS (artillery, armor, communication) • U.S. LEADERSHIP BETTER • RESULT? • U.S. VICTORY • U.S. TROOPS GAIN CONFIDENCE • GERMAN RETREAT TOWARDS TUNIS BEGINS • MAY, 1943: • GERMANS TRAPPED IN TUNIS • GERMANS BEGIN EVACUATING TO SICILY • AXIS SURRENDER 275,000 TROOPS • ALLIES CONTROL NORTH AFRICA • ALLIES BEGIN PLANS FOR SICILY INVASION

  24. OPERATION HUSKY, 1943 • OPERATION HUSKY: • DEFINE: THE ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY • WHEN? JULY-AUAGUST, 1943 • WHO? U.S, BRITS., CANADIANS, etc. • WHY? • AXIS FORCES HAD RETREATED TO SICILY FROM TUNISIA • SICILY’S LOCATION – EXPLAIN • NEED FOR STAGING AREA FRO ITALIAN INVASION • MAJOR AMPHIBIOUS / AIRBORNE OPERATION • SO WHAT? • PROVIDES VALUABLE EXPERIENCE FOR LATER OPERATIONS (ex. – ITALY, NORMANDY) • FORCES ALLIES TO IMPROVE TACTICS/COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ALLIED ARMIES • PROBLEMS: • MAJOR LOSSES IN AIRBORNE DROPS – SO WHAT? • PATTON-MONTGOMERY RIVALRY DEVELOPS

  25. OPERATION HUSKY (cont’d.) • MAJOR PLAYERS: • COMMANDER: GEN. DWIGHT EISENHOWER • BRITISH 8th ARMY: GEN. BERNARD MONTGOMERY • U.S. 7th ARMY: GEN. GEORGE PATTON • AXIS: GEN. ALBERT KESSELRING (GERMANY) • PLAN: • 2 SIMULTANEOUS AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULTS: • MONTGOMERY: SYRACUSE • PATTON: GELA • OBJECTIVE: MESSINA – WHY? • TO CUT OFF RETREAT OF AXIS FORCES • USE CITY AS BASE FOR ASSAULT ON ITALY • AUGUST, 1943: • MESSINA TAKEN • AXIS RETREAT TO ITALIAN MAINLAND • WSTERN MED. SEA NOW OPEN TO ALLIES NAVAL FORCES • SO WHAT?

  26. PATTON & MONTGOMERY

  27. GEN. GEORGE PATTON, C/O,U.S. 7TH ARMY,SICILY, 1943

  28. OPERATION AVALANCHE, SEPTEMBER, 1943 • OPERATION AVALANCHE • DEFINE: ALLIED INVASION OF ITALY • WHEN? SEPT., 1943 • WHO? WESTERN ALLIES • WHY? • AXIS FORCES COULD STILL THREATEN U.S. FORCES IN MED. SEA • ITALY’s LOCATION • OCCUPY LARGE #s OF GERMAN FORCES • WHY? • THAT WOULD HELP ENSURE SUCCESS OF 1944 NORMANDY INVASION • BECAUSE…LARGE # OF GERMAN TROOPS WILL BE STRIPPED AWAY FROM FRANCE • OVERTHROW MUSSOLINI’s GOVERNMENT • KNOCK ITLAY OUT OF WAR – SO WHAT? • PLAN: • U.S. LAUNCHES AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT ON WEST COAST @ SALERNO • BRITS. LAUNCH ASSAULT ON S.E. PART OF ITALY • U.S. WILL ADVANCE TOWARDS ROME ON W/ COAST • BRITS. WILL ADVANCE UP EAST COAST • ARMIES WILL FORCE AXIS TROOPS NORTH AND EVENTUALLY OUT OF ITALY • PROBLEMS? YES • ITALY IS MOUNTAINOUS • SO…ITALY IS MORE EASILY DEFENDED BY AXIS

  29. ALLIED INVASION PLAN, ITALY SEPTEMBER, 1943

  30. ALLIED ADVANCES IN ITALY, SEPT.-OCT., 1943

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