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Admin. Review. Lesson 17. The US Navy in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic 1943-1945. Learning Objectives. Comprehend the absolute priority given to keeping the sea lanes to Britain open.
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Lesson 17 The US Navy in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic 1943-1945
Learning Objectives • Comprehend the absolute priority given to keeping the sea lanes to Britain open. • Know the relationship between Roosevelt and Churchill in the establishment of the United Nations and the broad concepts of Allied strategy. • Comprehend the confrontation between German U-boat strategy versus Allied convoy Antisubmarine (ASW) strategy in the Atlantic. • Comprehend the differences between British “War of Attrition” versus American plans for a direct confrontation with Germany. • Comprehend how Allied amphibious landings assisted in ending the war in Europe.
Remember our Themes! • The Navy as an Instrument of Foreign Policy • Interaction between Congress and the Navy • Interservice Relations • Technology • Leadership • Strategy and Tactics • Evolution of Naval Doctrine
Competing Allied Strategies • Allies spend 1943-44 building up in England for cross channel invasion • Anzio Op SHINGLE • January 1944 • Normandy OpOVERLORD • June 1944 • Southern France OpDRAGOON • August 1944 • Succeed in pushing Germans back into its borders. • Spring 1945: War ends in Europe.
Op SHINGLE • Intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an attack on Rome • Allied forces in this attack consisted of 5 cruisers, 24 destroyers, 238 landing craft, 62+ other ships, 40,000 soldiers, and 5,000+ vehicles. • Gen Lucas fails to size advantage • Stalemate
Op OVERLORD • A 12,000-plane airborne assault preceded an amphibious assault involving almost 7,000 vessels. Nearly 160,000 troops crossed the English Channel on 6 June; more than 3 million troops were in France by the end of August.
Op DRAGOON • Controversial from the time it was first proposed. • Difference of opinion between the American military leadership and their British counterparts. • Revived after the successful execution of OVERLORD • Allied ability to resupply their growing forces in France • Port facilities at Cherbourg • Artificial harbor at Omaha Beach • French pressure