Operation Husky

Allied Forces

• Allied 15^th Army Group
  • U.S. 9^th Infantry Division
  • U.S. 82^nd Airborne Division
  • British 46^th Infantry Division
  • U.S. Seventh Army
    • 1^st Ranger Battalion
    • 3^rd Ranger Battalion
    • 4^th Ranger Battalion
    • 70^th Tank Battalion
    • 753^rd Tank Battalion
    • 601^st Tank Destroyer Battalion
    • 2 patoons, 813^th Tank Destroyer Battalion
    • 39^th Engineer Regiment
    • 540^th Engineer Shore Regiment
    • 5^th Armored Artillery Group
      • 58^th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
      • 62^nd Armored Field Artillery Battalion
      • 65^th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
    • 17^th Artillery Regiment
    • 36^th Artillery Regiment
    • 77^th Artillery Regiment
    • 178^th Artillery Regiment
    • Free French 4^th Moroccan Tabor
    • U.S. II Corps
      • U.S. 1^st Infantry Division
      • U.S. 45^th Infantry Division
    • U.S. Provisional Corps
      • U.S. 2^nd Armored Division
      • U.S. 3^rd Infantry Division
  • British Eighth Army
    • Combined Operations Pilotage Parties
    • Special Raiding Squadron
    • No. 3 (Army) Commando
    • No. 40 (Royal Marine) Commando
    • No. 41 (Royal Marine) Commando
    • Three companies of 2^nd/7^th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment
    • 2^nd/4^th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment
    • 1^st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
    • 2^nd Battalion, Highland Light Infantry
    • 1^st Battalion, Welch Regiment
    • 7^th Battalion, Royal Marines
    • British XIII Corps
    • 105^th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
    • 6^th Army Group, Royal Artillery
      • 24^th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
      • 98^th (Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry Queen Mary’s) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
      • 111^th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
      • 66^th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
      • 75^th (Shropshire Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
      • 80^th (Scottish Horse Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
    • XIII Corps Troops Royal Engineers
      • 56^th Field Company, Royal Engineers
      • 576^th Corps Field Park Company, Royal Engineers
      • 577^th Army Field Company, Royal Engineers
      • 578^th Army Field Company, Royal Engineers
    • British 5^th Infantry Division
    • British 50^th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
    • British 78^th Infantry Division
    • British 1^st Airborne Division
    • British 4^th Armoured Brigade
  • British XXX Corps
    • 73^rd Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
    • 5^th Army Group Royal Artillery
      • 57^th (Home Counties) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
      • 58^th (Sussex) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
      • 78^th (Lowland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
      • 7^th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
      • 64^th (London) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
      • 70^th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
      • 11^th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (Honourable Artillery Company)
      • 142^nd (Royal Devon Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
    • 1^st Canadian Infantry Division
    • 1^st Canadian Tank Brigade
    • British 51^st (Highland) Infantry Division
    • British 23^rd Armoured Brigade
    • British 231^st Infantry Brigade

• Allied Mediteranean Naval Component
  • Covering Task Force
    • Prevent the Italian Navy from attacking the invasion forces.
  • Eastern Naval Task Force
    • Transported the Eastern Task Force (British Eighth Army) and provided Naval gunfire support.
  • Western Naval Task Force
    • Transported the Western Task Force (Seventh U.S. Army) and provided Naval gunfire support.

• Mediterranean Air Command (Allied)
  • Northwest African Air Forces
  • Northwest African Strategic Air Force
  • Northwest African Coastal Air Force
  • Northwest African Tactical Air Force
  • Northwest African Troop Carrier Command
  • Northwest African Photographic Reconnaissance Wing
  • Northwest African Air Service Command
  • Northwest African Training Command
  • Air Headquarters Malta
  • No. 216 (Transport and Ferry) Group
  • Royal Air Force Gibraltar
  • Middle East Command
  • No. 201 (Naval Co-operation) Group
  • Air Headquarters Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean
  • U.S. 9^th Air Force

Axis Forces

• Italian 6^th Army
  • 10^th Anti-tank Artillery Grouping
  • 131^st Tank Infantry Regiment
    • XII Tank Battalion “L”
      • 1^st Tank Company
      • 2^nd Tank Company
    • CI Tank Battalion
    • CII Tank Battalion
    • IV Self-propelled Anti-tank Battalion
    • CXXXIII Self-propelled Anti-tank Battalion
    • CCXXXIII Self-propelled Anti-tank Battalion
  • XII Dismounted Squadrons Group/ Regiment “Cavalleggeri di Palermo”
  • II Battalion/ 10^th Arditi Regiment
  • DV Self-propelled Anti-aircraft Artillery Group
  • 2 companies Bersaglieri motorcyclist
  • 2 batteries Anti-aircraft artillery
  • Battery Anti-aircraft artillery battery
  • 19^th Mining Engineers Company
  • Army Services
  • Italian XII Army Corps
    • 12^th Army Corps Artillery Grouping
    • VII Anti-aircraft Artillery Group
    • CIV Anti-tank Battalion
    • CX Motorized Artillery Group
    • CLI Coastal Artillery Group
    • CCXXXIII Motorised Artillery Group
    • I Bersaglieri Anti-tank Battalion
    • Engineer battalion
    • 2 companies Bersaglieri motorcyclist
    • Army Corps Services
    • Coastal Troops Command
      • 136^th (Autonomous) Coastal Regiment
      • 202^nd Coastal Division
      • 207^th Coastal Division
      • 208^th Coastal Division
      • 230^th Coastal Division
      • XXIX Coastal Brigade – Harbour Defence Command “N”
    • Tactical Groups
      • Tactical Group “Chiusa Sclafani”
      • Tactical Group “Alcamo-Partinico”
      • Tactical Group “Inchiapparo-Casale”
      • Tactical Group “Campobello-Ravanusa”
    • Mobile Groups
      • Mobile Group A
      • Mobile Group B
      • Mobile Group C
    • XII Army Corps Reserve
      • 26^th Infantry Division “Assietta”
      • 28^th Infantry Division “Aosta”
  • Italian XVI Army Corps
    • 40^th Army Corps Artillery Grouping, in Piazza Armerina
    • 16^th Army Corps Engineer Grouping
    • LVIII Bersaglieri Battalion
    • XII Army Corps Machine Gun Battalion
    • CCXXXIII Self-propelled Anti-tank Battalion
    • XI Anti-aircraft Artillery Group
    • Engineer battalion
    • Army Corps Services
    • Coastal Troops Command
      • 206^th Coastal Division
      • 213^th Coastal Division
      • XVIII Coastal Brigade
      • XIX Coastal Brigade
      • Harbour Defence Command “H”
    • Tactical Groups
      • Tactical Group “Barcellona”
      • Tactical Group “Carmito”
      • Tactical Group “Comiso-Ispica”
      • Tactical Group “Linguaglossa”
    • Mobile Groups
      • Mobile Group D
      • Mobile Group E
      • Mobile Group F
      • Mobile Group G
      • Mobile Group H
    • XVI Army Corps Reserve
      • 4ª Divisione di fanteria “Livorno”
      • 54ª Divisione di fanteria “Napoli”
  • German XIV Panzer Corps
    • 382. Panzergrenadier Regiment
      • 2 Battalions
    • 904^th Fortress Battalion
    • 923^rd Fortress Battalion
    • 926^th Fortress Battalion
    • 4^th Battery/ I Battalion/ 71. Werfer Regiment
    • Panzer-Division “Hermann Göring”
    • 15. Panzergrenadier-Division
    • 1. Fallschirmjäger-Division
    • 29. Panzergrenadier-Division “Falke
  • Territorial Defense Command Palermo
    • 25^th Military Zone
    • 26^th Military Zone
  • Maritime Military Command Sicily
    • Maritime Military Base Messina-Reggio Calabria
    • 6^th Camicie Nere Maritime Artillery Legion
      • Sicilian Command Group North
      • Sicilian Command Group South
    • 14^th Camicie Nere Maritime Artillery Legion
      • Calabrian Command Group North
      • Calabrian Command Group South
  • Maritime Military Sector Augusta-Syracuse
    • 7^th Camicie Nere Maritime Artillery Legion
      • Augusta Sector
      • Autonomous Group “Siracusa”
  • Maritime Military Sector Trapani
  • Armored Trains
    • Type 1 Operational Train
    • Type 2 Operational Train
    • Type 3 Operational Train
    • Type 3-bis Operational Train
    • Type 4 Operational Train

• Air Force Command Sicily
  • Augusta Airfield
  • Castelvetrano Airfield
  • Chinisia Airfield
  • Comiso Airfield
  • Gerbini Airfield
  • Palermo-Boccadifalco Airfield
  • Reggio Calabria Airfield
  • Stagnone Airfield
  • Sciacca Airfield
  • Catania-Sigonella Airfield
• 3^rd Air Fleet
  • Bomber Group
  • 51^st Bomber Squadron
  • Torpedo-Bomber Group
• 4^th Air Fleet
  • Crotone Airfield
  • Gioia del Colle Airfield
  • Grottaglie Airfield
  • Lecce Airfield
  • Manduria Airfield
  • Montecorvino Airfield
  • Vibo Valentia Airfield
• Territorial Anti-aircraft Defense
  • 22^nd Territorial Camicie Nere Anti-aircraft Legion
    • Ionia
    • Gerbini Airfield
    • Catania
    • San Pietro Clarenza
    • Gela
    • Licata
    • Porto Empedocle
    • Sciacca
    • Castelvetrano
    • Marsala
    • Chinisia Airfield
    • Palermo
    • Termini Imerese
    • Milazzo

• Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale
  • 14^th Zone
    • 166^th Camicie Nere Legion “Peloro”
    • 167^th Camicie Nere Legion “Etna”
    • 168^th Camicie Nere Legion “Hyblae”
    • 169^th Camicie Nere Legion “Tirreno”
    • 170^th Camicie Nere Legion “Agrigentum”
    • 171^st Camicie Nere Legion “Vespri”
    • 172^nd Camicie Nere Legion “Enna”
    • 173^rd Camicie Nere Legion “Salso”
    • 174^th Camicie Nere Legion “Segesta”

Operation Husky

In January 1943, as the North African Campaign nears its conclusion, the political leaders and military Chiefs of Staff of the United States and Britain convene at the Casablanca Conference to deliberate on future strategies. The British Chiefs of Staff propose an invasion of Sicily or Sardinia, believing that such an action would compel Germany to disperse its forces, potentially remove Italy from the war, and possibly influence Turkey to side with the Allies. Initially, the Americans view this as opportunistic and irrelevant, but they are ultimately convinced of the benefits of invading Sicily, primarily due to the substantial reduction in Allied shipping requirements if the Mediterranean were to be opened through the elimination of Axis air and naval forces on the island.

General Eisenhower is appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Expeditionary Force, while General Alexander is designated as Deputy Commander-in-Chief, responsible for detailed planning and the execution of the operation. Admiral Cunningham assumes the role of Naval Commander, and Air Chief Marshal Tedder takes on the position of Air Commander. The initial outline plan involves dispersed landings by brigade and division-sized units in south-eastern, southern, and north-western parts of Sicily, with the objective of quickly capturing key Axis airfields that pose a threat to both the beachheads and the invasion fleet. Additionally, the plan envisions the swift capture of major ports on the island, excluding Messina, which would expedite the Allied build-up and deny these strategic locations to the Axis.

High-level planning lacks coherence initially, as Alexander, Montgomery, and Patton are preoccupied with operations in Tunisia. Various plans are presented, many of which Montgomery dislikes due to the risk of dispersing Allied forces. He finally expresses his objections on April 24^th, 1943 and suggests alternative proposals. However, Tedder and Cunningham oppose Montgomery’s plan, pointing out that it would leave thirteen Axis-controlled landing grounds intact, which would pose a serious threat to the Allied fleet.

A meeting is called by Eisenhower on May 2^nd, 1943, where Montgomery, Cunningham, and Tedder are present. Montgomery presents a new proposal, advocating for a concentrated effort on the southeastern corner of Sicily, abandoning the planned landings near Palermo and instead focusing on the southeastern ports. Alexander joins the discussion on May 3^rd, 1943, and Montgomery’s plan is accepted, based on the reasoning that taking logistical risks, such as landing supplies across beaches, is preferable to operational risks, such as dispersing forces.

Montgomery’s suggestion turns out to be the right course of action, although he presents it in a manner that suggests he is primarily concerned with his own objectives, which irritates his American allies. As it turns out, maintaining the armies by landing supplies across the beaches proves easier than anticipated, partly due to the successful deployment of a large number of new amphibious DUKW vehicles. Alexander later writes that the DUKW “revolutionises the problem of beach maintenance.”

On May 17^th, 1943, General Alexander issues Operation Instruction No. 1, detailing the overall strategy and assigning specific tasks to the two armies. His intention is to establish Allied forces along a line from Catania to Licata, preparing for subsequent operations to secure the rest of the island. He notes that, while it is impractical at this stage to plan beyond establishing the initial positions, he envisions pushing north to Santo Stefano on the northern coast, effectively splitting the island in two and severing the Axis east–west communications.

The invasion fleet consists of 2,760 ships and landing craft from the River Clyde in Scotland, Norfolk in the USA, and various ports across the Mediterranean. The fleet assembles near Malta, totaling over seven and a half divisions along with their equipment and supplies. This makes Operation Husky the largest amphibious operation in history up to that point, requiring extensive coordination among the Allied forces.

The British Eighth Army is assigned to land in southeastern Sicily. The XXX Corps lands on both sides of Cape Passero, while XIII Corps is positioned in the Gulf of Noto around Avola, north of the cape. This results in a beachhead stretching 40 kilometres for the Eighth Army, leaving a gap of around 40 kilometres between the two Allied forces.

The British naval task forces are divided into three components. Force A is commanded by Rear Admiral Philip Vian commands Force A from H.M.S. Bulolo, supporting the British XIII Corps, including the British 5^th and 50^th Infantry divisions. They land between Syracuse and Avola. Force B under command of Rear Admiral McGrigor leads Force B from H.M.S. Largs, supporting the 231^st Independent Brigade near Marzamemi and the 51^st (Highland) Infantry Division. Force V commanded by Rear Admiral Vian, landing the 1^st Canadian Division west of Force B.

The American Seventh Army under General George S. Patton and Vice Admiral Henry Kent Hewitt is supposed to land in the Gulf of Gela in south-central Sicily, between Scicli and Licata. They aim to capture strategically important airfields around Gela, landing on beaches codenamed “Cent,” “Dime,” and “Joss.” The U.S. 3^rd Infantry Division and U.S. 2^nd Armoured Division positioned to the west at Licata Mollarella beach, the U.S. 1^st Infantry Division landing in the centre at Gela, and the U.S. 45^th Infantry Division to the east at Scoglitti. The U.S. 82^nd Airborne Division is assigned to parachute behind enemy lines to support the landings at Gela and Scoglitti. This creates a beachhead extending over 50 kilometres.

Preperations

With the Axis forces defeated in Tunisia, the Allied strategic bomber force begins targeting key airfields in Sardinia, Sicily, and southern Italy, alongside industrial targets and major ports such as Naples, Messina, Palermo, and Cagliari. These attacks are spread across the region to create uncertainty about the Allies’ next move and keep Axis aircraft pinned down away from Sicily. Bombing operations also target northern Italy and Greece to maintain ambiguity regarding Allied intentions.

From early July, bombing missions concentrate on Sicilian airfields and Axis supply lines, while coastal defences are intentionally left untouched to maintain the element of surprise concerning the landing locations. By July 10^th, 1943, only two airfields in Sicily remain operational, and over half of the Axis aircraft are forced to leave the island. Between mid-May and the invasion, Allied air forces conduct over 42,000 sorties, destroying 323 German and 105 Italian aircraft at the cost of losing 250 aircraft, mostly to anti-aircraft fire.

In May, the Allies initiate operations against the small island of Pantelleria, which lies 110 km southwest of Sicily and 240 kilometres northwest of Malta, to prevent its airfield from being used by Axis forces attempting to withdraw from North Africa. On May 13^th and 31^st, the cruiser H.M.S. Orion bombards Pantelleria, and from June 6^th, 1943, Allied air attacks intensify. Between May 8^th, 1943, and June 11^th, 1943, Allied aircraft conduct over 5,200 sorties, dropping over 6,200 tonnes of bombs on the island. These intense airstrikes reduce the effectiveness of Italian gun positions on Pantelleria by almost half, destroying communications, gun emplacements, and ammunition supplies.

On June 11^th, 1943, following a naval bombardment, the British 1^st Infantry Division lands on Pantelleria during Operation Corkscrew. The island garrison promptly surrenders. Shortly after, the nearby Pelagie Islands of Lampedusa and Linosa, located 140 kilometres west of Malta, follow suit, surrendering on June 12^th, 1943,

This series of operations paves the way for the upcoming invasion of Sicily by disrupting Axis defences, reducing their air power, and eliminating threats from nearby islands.

Combined Operations Pilotage Parties

Ahead of Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily set for July 1943, Combined Operations deploys thirteen officers and ratings to survey the designated landing beaches. They operate in the cover of darkness, using canoes or small craft to stealthily approach the shore without being detected by Axis forces. Their operations are critical for ensuring the selected beaches are suitable for a large-scale invasion.

No. 3 Combined Operations Pilotage Party begins reconnaissance of the beaches and coastal waters of Sicily in February 1943, gathering critical data on tidal conditions, underwater obstacles, and beach composition. Their work supports the upcoming Allied invasion of the island, providing vital intelligence about potential landing sites.

No. 4 Combined Operations Pilotage Party also undertakes reconnaissance missions on Sicilian beaches but faces significant losses. On February 26^th, 1943, and March 9^th, 1943, several team members go missing during their covert operations, highlighting the extreme risks associated with their missions. Despite these setbacks, the unit continues to gather the necessary information to prepare for the upcoming assault.

No. 6 Combined Operations Pilotage Party operates in the Mediterranean from April 1943 onwards, focusing on reconnaissance of Sicilian beaches in June. Their detailed surveys contribute further to the preparations for the Allied invasion of Sicily, ensuring that the beaches are suitable for the landing of tanks, vehicles, and supplies.

During these missions, nine of the thirteen members of the Combined Operations Pilotage Party teams go missing. Their disappearance raises major concerns for Allied planners, as the loss could potentially expose the entire operation. If Axis forces detect their presence, it would provide forewarning of an impending invasion and give them time to reinforce their defences along the Sicilian coast. The reliability of the mission’s secrecy is now in question, putting the operation at risk.

In late June 1943, No. 5 Combined Operations Pilotage Party conducts a detailed survey of the coastline near Syracuse, Sicily. During their mission, they discover hidden artillery positions, tunnelled into cliffs, that are previously undetected from aerial reconnaissance. This intelligence is crucial, as these gun emplacements pose a serious threat to the landing force. In preparation for the landings on 10 July, No. 5 Combined Operations Pilotage Party deploys three beacon buoys on D-1, set to surface just before H-hour, aiding in the navigation of the approaching assault force.

On the night of the invasion, despite challenging weather conditions, No. 5 Combined Operations Pilotage Party launches their canoes and, alongside other Combined Operations Pilotage Party members aboard motor launches, leads the British assault forces to the designated landing beaches. The beacon signals provide precise navigational markers, ensuring the troops land in the correct locations.

Special Raiding Squadron

On July 9^th, 1943, British forces, of the elite Special Raiding Squadron, prepare to play a critical role in this historic campaign. Their mission is to secure key coastal batteries and disrupt Axis defenses, paving the way for the main invasion force.

As the H.M.S. Ulster Monarch approaches Sicily, Mount Etna’s summit rises above the horizon, a stark reminder of the reality ahead. The sea, initially calm, turns rough by mid-afternoon, with strong winds creating large waves that toss the ship violently. The worsening conditions challenge the troops’ resolve, with seasickness taking hold across the ranks. Despite the discomfort, the men of the Special Raiding Squadron focus on their final preparations, knowing that success is vital for the larger Allied strategy.

By 02:00 on July 10^th, 1943, under dim “invasion lighting,” the troops assemble to board landing craft. The process is perilous, with heavy waves complicating the lowering of boats. As the soldiers, weighed down by gear, clamber aboard, one man falls into the water but is swiftly rescued. After forming up, the landing craft embark on the 5-kilometre journey to shore, battling spray and waves that soak the troops. Nearing the coastline, the waters calm slightly, but the tension remains as they approach their target under cover of darkness.

The landing does not go as planned. Navigational errors place the Special Raiding Squadron approximately 800 metres east of their intended site, directly below a heavily defended battery. However, the unit quickly adapts. Despite the confusion, Captain Paddy Mayne and his officers decide to press on. Mortar fire from their own forces briefly adds to the chaos, but the troops use the illumination from the explosions to locate their objectives.

The Special Raiding Squadron launches its assault with precision. No. 1 Troop, under Captain Bill Fraser, moves ahead, bypassing initial plans to focus directly on the Italian gun emplacements. Mortar teams led by Captain Alec Muirhead effectively neutralise key positions, and the defenders, overwhelmed and disorganised, offer little resistance. Within hours, the British capture the battery, securing several anti-aircraft and coastal defense guns.

As dawn breaks, the soldiers take stock of their success. Over 500 Italian troops surrender, and dozens more are killed or wounded. Civilians, including women and children, emerge from bunkers, providing an unexpected human dimension to the operation. Engineers swiftly disable the captured artillery, ensuring it cannot be used against the advancing Allied fleet.

Pushing inland, the Special Raiding Squadron moves to capture additional targets, including the strategically important AS 493 Battery, located approximately 1.6 kilometres from their position. Mortar fire from Muirhead’s team continues to play a decisive role, landing direct hits on enemy positions. Resistance remains sporadic, with many Italian troops either fleeing or surrendering.

By mid-morning on July 12^th, 1943, the SRS secures its final objectives, including batteries overlooking the harbour at Syracuse. Their success facilitates the safe landing of British and Allied reinforcements. As the troops regroup, they reflect on the operation’s challenges, rough seas, off-target landings, and the grim discovery of glider wrecks that cost many Allied lives. Despite these setbacks, the Special Raiding Squadron achieves its mission without suffering significant casualties.

Reboarding the H.M.S. Ulster Monarch later that day, the soldiers observe the aftermath of the invasion. The streets of Syracuse are littered with debris, while abandoned equipment and destroyed gliders bear witness to the cost of the operation.

Force X

Attached to Major General Terry de la Mesa Allen’s 1^st Infantry Division, under the command of Lieutenant General George S. Patton’s Seventh Army, three American Ranger units lead the assault during the Sicily landings on July 10^th, 1943. These units are the spearhead of the operation, with the mission of capturing key strategic positions. Major General Allen creates “Force X” for the task, which comprises the 1^st and 4^th Ranger Battalions, the 1^st Battalion of the 39^th Combat Engineer Battalion, three companies from the 83^rd Chemical Mortar Battalion (with 107-millimetres mortars), and the 1^st Battalion of the 531^st Engineer Shore Regiment. The latter are responsible for preparing the beaches for follow-up forces. Lieutenant Colonel Darby takes command of this combined force.

Force X lands at Gela, where the 1^st and 4^th Ranger Battalions quickly secure the port facilities despite coming under heavy fire from mines and enemy machine guns. They engage enemy tanks in Gela, utilizing captured 37-millimetres anti-tank guns, 107-millimetres mortars, and small arms. This encounter demonstrates to LTC Darby that the Rangers require more substantial firepower. Consequently, Darby procures four M-3 Half-tracks, each equipped with a 75-millimetres gun, which become known as the Ranger “Gun Trucks” throughout the campaign.

Meanwhile, the 3^rd Ranger Battalion, led by Major Dammer, lands approximately 32 kilometres west of Gela, at Licata. The battalion, attached to the 7th Infantry Division, seizes the high ground surrounding the landing beaches, located about 5 kilometres west of Licata. After securing the beachhead, they reorganize and move towards Castel San Angelo, a prominent villa overlooking Licata from the west. Due to naval bombardments, the Rangers are unable to enter Licata, so they hold their position at Castel San Angelo until follow-on units secure the town. In the days following, the 3^rd Battalion screens ahead of the 7^th Infantry Division during the westward advance, helping secure the towns of Montepuerto and Porto Empedocles, leading to the capture of Agrigento.

After Agrigento, the focus shifts north to Palermo. Major General Geoffrey Keyes forms a Provisional Corps, including the 82^nd Airborne Division and the 2^nd Armored Division, to spearhead the attack on Palermo. Force X is reassembled under Darby, this time excluding the 531^st Engineer Shore Regiment. Keyes assigns Force X the mission of covering the northern flank of the 2^nd Armored Division during its advance. Force X moves swiftly, and the reconnaissance platoon captures over 400 Italian soldiers at Castelvetrano. The Rangers’ rapid advance sees them come within 40 kilometres of Palermo, capturing over 4,000 Italian prisoners, clearing the way for the armored division to enter Palermo on July 22^nd, 1943.

With Palermo secure, the U.S. forces prepare to advance on Messina, the critical escape point for Axis forces on Sicily. The British Eighth Army, aiming for Messina from the beginning of Operation Husky, now finds the city as the primary objective of Patton’s Seventh Army as well. The rugged terrain, inadequate roads, and resolute Axis defense slow the Allied advance considerably.

The final Ranger operation in Sicily takes place on August 11^th, 1943, and August 12^th, 1943. The 3^rd Ranger Battalion, now attached to Major General Lucien K. Truscott’s 3^rd Infantry Division, plays a vital role in this action. To accelerate the advance towards Messina and cut off German and Italian forces, Patton employs amphibious landings to bypass enemy defensive positions. On August 11^th, 1943, the 3rd Infantry Division lands the 2^nd Battalion, 30^th Infantry Regiment, behind enemy lines at Brolo, located on the northern coast of Sicily, around 100 kilometers from Messina.

At the same time, the 3^rd Ranger Battalion, alongside other battalions of the 3^rd Infantry Division, attacks the German 15^th and 71^st Panzer Grenadier Regiments, who hold the high ground separating the main American forces from their unit at Brolo. After two days of fierce fighting, the Americans break through German defenses and link up with the battalion at the beach. Following this operation, the Rangers continue as conventional infantry but play no further role in combat on Sicily. The 3rd Battalion subsequently rejoins the 1^st and 4^th Ranger Battalions near the town of Corleone, where they receive reinforcements and commence training for their next mission: the landing at Salerno.

Operation Husky I

The initial phase, Husky I, leads the U.S. airborne Operations in Sicily. The American troops mainly consist of Colonel James M. Gavin’s 505^th Parachute Infantry Regiment, expanded into the 505^th Parachute Regimental Combat Team with additional elements including the 3^rd Parachute Battalion of the 504^th Parachute Infantry Regiment, the 456^th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, B Company of the 307^th Airborne Engineer Battalion, and supporting units from the U.S. 82^nd Airborne Division. Tasked with critical objectives near the southern Sicilian town of Gela. Their mission includes blocking key roads leading to the beaches, securing the drop zone for subsequent operations, and neutralising Objective Y, a defensive line of 16 fortified concrete pillboxes used by German gunners to dominate local road networks.

Strong winds of up to 70 kilometres/hour cause significant disruptions, scattering the troop-carrying aircraft over southeastern Sicily between Gela and Syracuse. By 14^th July, 1943, approximately two-thirds of the American 505^th Parachute Regiment have managed to regroup, with around half of the U.S. paratroopers failing to reach their designated rally points. Despite these setbacks, scattered airborne units initiate attacks on enemy patrols, creating confusion across the region.

Operation Ladbroke

The British landings begin with pathfinders from the 21^st Independent Parachute Company, who mark the landing zones for the main airborne force. Their goal is to capture the Ponte Grande bridge over the River Anapo, just south of Syracuse, and hold it until the British 5^th Infantry Division, advancing from the beaches at Cassibile approximately 11 kilometres away, arrives. Additionally, glider infantry from the British 1^st Airborne Division’s 1^st Airlanding Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Philip Hicks, are tasked with securing landing zones further inland.

The British air-landing troops also face challenges; of the 147 gliders, only 12 reach their intended landing areas, with 69 crashing into the sea, resulting in over 200 fatalities. Among those who land in the sea is Major General George F. Hopkinson, commander of the British 1^st Airborne Division, who spends several hours clutching wreckage before being rescued by the landing ship HMS Keren.

A platoon from the 2^nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, under Lieutenant Louis Withers, successfully lands on target and captures Ponte Grande bridge. By 08:30, additional paratroopers have joined in response to the sound of combat, and the British force has grown to 89 men holding the bridge. By 11:30, a battalion from the Italian 75^th Infantry Regiment, part of the 54^th Infantry Division “Napoli”, arrives with artillery to support a counterattack. The British defenders hold the bridge until 15:30, running out of ammunition and reduced to only 18 men, eventually surrendering just 45 minutes before the lead elements of the British 5^th Division arrive.

Seaborne Landings

The British landing sectors for Operation Husky are divided into five distinct zones. In the northern part of the Gulf of Noto lies the “Acid North” sector, designated for the British XIII Corps. This sector stretches from Cape Murro di Porco down to a coastal area almost parallel to the city of Noto. Here, amphibious assaults are carried out by British No. 3 Commandos, the British 5^th Infantry Division, and the British 50^th Infantry Division, targeting locations from north to south at Cassibile, Avola, and Noto.

Further south in the Gulf of Noto are the “Acid South” and “Bark East” sectors, both under the British XXX Corps. The British Independent 231^st Brigade lands in the Bark East zone, just north of the town of Pachino. At the tip of the Pachino Peninsula, the British 51^st (Highland) Infantry Division comes ashore in the “Bark South” sector. On the western side of the Pachino Peninsula, in the “Bark West” sector, the Canadian 1^st Division makes its combat debut alongside Nos. 40 and 41 Royal Marine Commandos.

Meanwhile, General Patton’s U.S. Seventh Army targets an area in the Gulf of Gela, extending from Licata on the western flank to Gela in the centre and Scoglitti at the eastern end. These landing forces are given code names, from west to east: “Joss,” “Dime,” and “Cent.” At Licata, U.S. forces land on both sides of the town, with the 3^rd Infantry Division and the 3^rd Battalion of U.S. Army Rangers leading the assault. Combat Command A of the U.S. 2^nd Armoured Division provides additional flank protection.

The “Dime” force, comprising the U.S. 1^st Infantry Division and a regimental-sized group of Darby’s Rangers, lands at Gela. Their objective is to capture the Ponte Olivo and Biscari airfields, located just east of the beachhead. On the extreme right of the American landing zones, the “Cent” force, made up of the U.S. 45^th Infantry Division, comes ashore near Scoglitti.

The strong winds complicate the amphibious landings but also ensure surprise, as many of the Italian defenders assume no one would attempt an invasion in such adverse conditions. The landings begin at 02:45 on July 10^th, 1943, along twenty-six primary beaches spread across 170 kilometres of Sicily’s southern and eastern coasts, from Licata in the west to Cassibile in the east. The U.S. 3^rd Infantry Division, commanded by Major General Lucian Truscott, lands at Torre di Gaffe and the beaches codenamed Red and Green near Mollarella and Poliscia, while British and Canadian forces land to the east. This operation represents the largest amphibious assault of World War II, considering both the size of the landing area and the number of divisions deployed on the first day.

The Italian defensive strategy does not envisage a pitched battle on the beaches, making the landings relatively uneventful. However, the challenging weather (particularly along the southern beaches) and unforeseen sandbars offshore cause significant issues for the Allied forces. Many troops disembark at incorrect locations, in the wrong order, or up to six hours behind schedule. Nevertheless, the weak defensive response from the Italian forces allows the Allies to recover and regroup effectively. Despite the general lack of opposition, some coastal units put up strong resistance. The 429^th Coastal Battalion, led by Major Marco Rubellino, suffers heavy casualties defending Gela, with 45 percent of its men lost, while the U.S. Army Ranger Battalion attacking Gela encounters mines, machine-gun fire, and artillery.

Similarly, the 246^th Coastal Battalion, under Major Rollo Franco, successfully repels British efforts to capture Augusta during the night of July 11^th-12^th, 1943 .

In Major General Terry Allen’s U.S. 1^st Infantry Division sector at Gela, the Italians launch a division-sized counterattack in the area where the dispersed 505^th Parachute Regimental Combat Team was supposed to have been. The Hermann Göring Panzer Division, which was meant to join forces with the 4th Infantry Division “Livorno” for the counteroffensive, arrives late, reducing the effectiveness of the attack.

Throughout July 10^th, 1943, Italian armoured units from the “Niscemi” Armoured Combat Group and infantry from the Livorno Division advance along Highways 115 and 117, nearly reaching the Allied positions at Gela. However, heavy naval gunfire from the destroyer U.S.S. Shubrick and the light cruiser U.S.S. Boise manages to destroy several Italian tanks and force the infantry into retreat.

By the morning of July 10^th, 1943, Joint Task Force Operations Support System Force captures the port of Licata, albeit at a cost of almost one hundred casualties in the U.S. 3^rd Infantry Division. Despite this, the division successfully repels a counterattack by the 538^th Coastal Defence Battalion. By 11:30, Licata is securely in American hands, and salvage operations to clear the harbour are underway. Major General Truscott and his staff come ashore around midday to establish their headquarters at Palazzo La Lumia. However, later that evening, the 538^th Coastal Defence Battalion, acting as a tactical reserve, launches another counterattack but fails. By the end of the day, all seven Allied divisions (three American, three British, and one Canadian) have successfully established their positions ashore. Syracuse is firmly in British hands, and fears of an Axis air assault have proven largely unfounded.

The preparatory Allied bombing campaign, carried out over the preceding weeks, has significantly weakened Axis air capabilities. In addition, the heavy presence of Allied aircraft operating from Malta, Gozo, and Pantelleria helps to fend off most of the Axis attempts at air raids. Some air attacks do get through on the first day, resulting in the loss of the landing ship LST-313 and the minesweeper U.S.S. Sentinel to German bombs. Italian Stuka dive bombers sink the destroyer U.S.S. Maddox, and Italian Re.2002 fighter-bombers sink the Indian hospital ship Talamba with a heavy loss of life. Over the following days, further Axis air raids damage or sink several warships, transport vessels, and landing craft.

From an Axis perspective, during the morning, Generalfeldmarschall Kesselring’s headquarters in Italy issues an order for the Panzer-Division Hermann Göring to eliminate the advancing Allied forces. In response to the Allied invasion of Sicily, General Guzzoni, the Italian commander on the island, directs both the 4ª Divisione di fanteria “Livorno” and two battle groups of the Panzer-Division Hermann Göring, combined to form the Axis XVI Corps, to conduct counter-attacks before the U.S. 1^st Infantry Division can establish a strong beachhead at Gela. In addition to this, Guzzoni mobilises two Italian airfield defence groups, originally stationed to protect the Ponte Olivo and Biscari airfields, to join in the attack on Gela. He also instructs the western units of the German 15. Panzergrenadier-Division, under General Rodt, to move east towards central Sicily.

Faulty communications, exacerbated by the destruction of telephone lines by American paratroopers, lead to uncoordinated attacks. The Panzer-Division Hermann Göring, along with the two Italian mobile airfield defence groups, attacks from the north-east, advancing from Niscemi. At the same time, a battalion from the 4ª Divisione di fanteria “Livorno” moves towards the Gela beachhead from the north-west, near Butera. Rather than launching a coordinated strike, these forces carry out a series of fragmented and uncoordinated attacks on the American positions at Gela.

General Conrath, in charge of the Panzer-Division Hermann Göring, decides not to wait for Guzzoni’s planned coordinated assault. Instead, he informs General Senger und Etterlin, the German liaison officer to the Sicilian Sixth Army, that he will initiate his attack at 04:00 hours on July 10^th, 1943 with his forces assembled around Caltagirone. Conrath splits his division into two task forces with orders to begin the offensive at 09:00 hours, aiming to complete the attack before the rising sun becomes an issue for his troops.

The first task force, an “infantry-heavy” Kampfgruppe, comprises two infantry regiments mounted on trucks, an armoured artillery battalion, and a company of 17 Tiger tanks armed with 88 millimetre guns. The second task force is “tank-heavy” and includes two battalions of approximately 90 Mk III and Mk IV medium Panzers, both with 75-millimetre main guns, as well as two armoured artillery battalions and reconnaissance and engineer units operating as infantry support for the tanks.

However, Conrath’s forces are less experienced than those of the 15. Panzergrenadier-Division. This lack of experience results in delays and confusion during their movement from staging areas to their attack points. The plan is for both task forces to launch simultaneous attacks on Gela and the junction between the U.S. 1^st and 45^th Infantry Divisions’ beachheads, near the mouth of the Acate River.

In the early morning hours of operation Husky, three separate Axis forces are mobilising against the centre of General Patton’s Seventh Army at the Gela beachhead. These forces include two Italian mobile airfield defence groups (Italian Mobile Force E), a battalion of the 4ª Divisione di fanteria “Livorno”, and two armoured task forces from the Panzer-Division Hermann Göring. However, due to a lack of coordination, the Axis units move independently, attacking without mutual support.

The American defence at Gela consists of Darby’s Force X within the port town, the 26^th Regimental Combat Team of the 1^st Division advancing towards Highway 117 north of Gela’s eastern end, and the 16th Regimental Combat Team moving towards the scattered elements of the 1st Battalion of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which have established a blocking position near Piano Lupo. This area, featuring two hills, dominates the road junction where the Gela-Vittoria highway meets a smaller road leading to Niscemi and the Ponte Olivo airfield.

The Italian Mobile Force E, equipped with outdated French Renault R-35 light tanks and motorised artillery, advances south-west from Niscemi towards Gela, approaching both sides of the Ponte Olivo Airfield. A column of around ten tanks, unsupported by infantry, reaches Gela’s north-eastern end but is repelled by elements of Darby’s Rangers, the 39^th Combat Engineers Regiment, and the 531^st Engineer Shore Regiment, supported by mortar fire from the 83rd Chemical Battalion. The 26^th Regimental Combat Team, advancing from their assault beaches, later makes contact with Darby’s Force X and moves east from Gela, cutting Highway 117 and taking control of high ground further inland.

Meanwhile, a battalion of the 4ª Divisione di fanteria “Livorno”, considered one of Italy’s best units on the island, advances from the northwest towards Gela. The battalion marches in formation but is decimated by American artillery, with the survivors retreating in panic, leaving the fields strewn with bodies and equipment.

Near Casa del Priolo, located between Piano Lupo and Niscemi, a small group of fewer than 100 American paratroopers from the 1^st Parachute Battalion, 505^th Parachute Infantry Regiment disrupts an uncoordinated attack by a column of Italian tanks and infantry. Although armed only with personal weapons and captured Italian machine guns, they successfully delay the Italian forces. Later, they move to Piano Lupo, aiming to link up with infantry from the 16^th Regimental Combat Team and secure naval gunfire support from U.S. destroyers offshore. Further Italian tank movements south of Piano Lupo are halted by the advancing 16^th Regimental Combat Team, forcing the Axis forces to retreat into the foothills northeast of Gela. The paratroopers eventually connect with the 16^th Regimental Combat Team at around 11:00 hours.

The two task forces under General Conrath leave Caltagirone with a five-hour delay and without coordinating with each other. The “infantry-heavy” task force, equipped with Tiger tanks, moves across the Acate River towards Biscari, near the 45^th Infantry Division’s beachhead. Meanwhile, the “tank-heavy” force, comprising approximately 90 Mk III and Mk IV Panzers and other armoured and infantry units, advances from the south of Niscemi towards Piano Lupo and the Plain of Gela by 14:00 hours. Both task forces launch parallel but independent attacks along either side of Biscari Airfield and Terrana Creek, which flows into the Acate River.

The 16^th Regimental Combat Team, with the paratroopers who had linked up with them at Piano Lupo near Highway 115, engage the advancing German forces, targeting the accompanying infantry with small-arms fire. Their actions create confusion among the Panzer commanders. American naval gunfire from destroyers and light cruisers, using 5- and 6-inch shells, effectively targets the German tanks on the Niscemi road, leaving wrecked Panzers just a few hundred metres from the right flank of the 1st Division’s beachhead at Gela.

Near Biscari, the “infantry-heavy” task force with Tiger tanks encounters resistance from the 1^st Battalion, 180^th Infantry Regiment of the 45^th Infantry Division, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel William H. Schaefer, alongside paratroopers and artillery. The German advance is halted by 15:30 hours due to resistance and terrain challenges, including dense olive groves and mechanical difficulties. Additionally, poor coordination between infantry and armour hinders progress. General Conrath’s Chief of Staff relieves the task force commander for failing to commit his forces effectively, and a renewed attack is initiated.

In the renewed assault, about a dozen Tiger tanks break through the American lines, leading to the capture of Lieutenant Colonel Schaefer and several of his men. However, a timely counterattack by the 3^rd Battalion, 180^th Infantry Regiment of the 45^th Infantry Division halts the advancing German forces. This rapid and determined defence forces the German troops to retreat back towards Biscari, preventing them from enveloping the right flank of the 1^st Infantry Division and pushing them into the sea.

Operation Husky II

On July 11^th, 1943, General Patton orders a reinforcement drop by the reserve parachute troops from the 504^th Parachute Infantry Regiment, led by Colonel Reuben Tucker, to bolster the central sector. The second airborne phase, Husky II, deploys the 1^st and 2^nd Battalions of the 504^th Parachute Infantry Regiment, commanded by Colonel Reuben H. Tucker. Departing from Kairouan, Tunisia, the paratroopers fly aboard C-47 transport planes toward Sicily. As the formation nears the coast, tragedy strikes—a nervous Allied naval vessel opens fire, mistakenly believing the planes to be enemy aircraft. This triggers a catastrophic friendly fire incident as naval and shore defenses join in. In total, 23 of the 144 transports are shot down, and 318 American troops are killed or wounded, including Brigadier General Charles L. Keerans Jr., who is killed in action.

Colonel Tucker’s aircraft, riddled with over 2,000 bullet holes, eventually reaches the drop zone near Gela after making two perilous passes along the coast. However, the operation is deeply disrupted; by morning, only 400 of the 1,600 troops have gathered near their objective. The remainder are scattered across the island. Despite the chaos, these isolated groups launch improvised attacks, destroy communications infrastructure, ambush Axis convoys, and sow widespread confusion. The Germans, misjudging the scale of the invasion, believe the number of paratroopers to be more than ten times the actual force.

The paratroopers, despite being outnumbered and outgunned, engage German and Italian forces with resilience. The 505^th Parachute Infantry Regiment and the 3^rd Battalion of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment secure Objective Y, silencing the pillboxes that had dominated the local terrain. Small groups continue to harass Axis forces, leading to overestimations of their strength and delaying effective counterattacks.

The Hermann Göring Panzer Division, a formidable enemy force, attempts to move against the Allied beachhead. Despite limited resources, the 82^nd Airborne Division uses ingenuity, courage, and relentless fighting to block the German tanks, ensuring the success of the landings.

By D+3 on July 12^th, 1943, the paratroopers complete their mission and are relieved by the 1^st Infantry Division. They regroup and, on July 13^th, 1943, launch a renewed offensive, spearheading the 82^nd Airborne’s advance 240 kilometres northwest along Sicily’s southern coast. Pressing captured Italian vehicles, including light tanks, trucks, motorcycles, and even mules and bicycles, into service, the 82^nd encounters minimal resistance. They capture 22,000 Axis prisoners, including Nazi and Fascist troops, as they sweep through the region.

Operation Faustian

During the night of 13^th July 1943, troops from the 1^st British Airborne Division attempt to seize the Primosole Bridge over the Simeto River, a critical access route to Catania. The battle rages from 14th to 16th July, until the Axis forces eventually withdraw. The 213th Coastal Division initially bears the brunt of the British attack near Agnone, facing a dual assault from British paratroopers and commandos from the 3rd Commando Brigade. The British, after overwhelming the 372nd Independent Coastal Battalion, make significant progress, but reinforcements from the Italian “Carmito” Tactical Group manage to temporarily push the British forces southward towards Lentini. However, due to unsustainable losses, the 213th Coastal Division dissolves by the end of the fighting.

Before the British 50th Division can advance towards Catania, the German “Hermann Göring” Division, supported by the 3rd Regiment of the 1st Parachute Division, arrives and engages five Allied divisions, halting their progress. Meanwhile, Canadian troops of the 231st Brigade, part of the British Army, attempt to seize the towns of Enna, Leonforte, and Adrano but are blocked by German-Italian forces between Assoro and Leonforte from 13th to 22nd July.

The British forces redirect their focus towards Paternò, with the Scots of the 51st Highland Division under General Douglas Wimberley leading the charge. However, the road to the town of Etna requires overcoming strong resistance from the Hermann Göring Division, commanded by Colonel Paul Conrath. Heavy battles ensue at the Gerbini airbase and later at Sferro, both in the vicinity of Paternò.

General Wimberley devises an attack plan that involves the 154th Infantry Brigade, a tank task force, and infantry from General Denis Richards’ 23rd Armoured Brigade, designated “Arrow Force.” Wimberley holds the 152nd and 153rd Brigades in reserve, prepared to deploy them as needed. On 19th July, the Scots advance, successfully securing two bridgeheads over the Dittaino River. The 153rd Brigade then moves towards Paternò, while the 154th Brigade heads towards Motta Sant’Anastasia Station, located east of Gerbini airfield. The 153rd Brigade is also dispatched to attack Sferro, but the offensive is thwarted by the German forces of the Hermann Göring Division.

On the same day, the advance towards Gerbini is halted just 2 kilometres away, and the 154th Brigade, along with Arrow Force, struggles to progress further. On 20th July, Wimberley orders an attack on Gerbini airfield with the 7th Argyll Regiment, but the enemy’s strong counterattack pushes them further south. During these battles, the Italian 213th Coastal Division is effectively dissolved, while the 10th Arditi Regiment distinguishes itself in the fighting.

Sferro Station is eventually occupied by the Scots, but due to an inability to push forward, they are forced to suspend further attacks. On 21st July, General Bernard Law Montgomery arrives at the front and orders Wimberley’s division to assume a defensive posture, marking the end of this phase of the fighting.

No. 3 Commando

On July 13^th, 1943, approximately 400 men from Lieutenant Colonel John Durnford-Slater’s No. 3 Commando capture the Malati Bridge as part of the southern seaborne landings near Agnone.

Gruppo Tattico Carmito, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Francesco Tropea, successfully defends Malati Bridge on July 13^th, 1943 against the Commando’s, assisted by local reservists. The Italian 4^th Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion also engages the Commandos, aided by the 372^nd Coastal Defence Battalion, and the 553^rd and 554^th Motorcycle Companies. The Italian force, including three Panzer IV tanks, pushes back the Commando assault.

The Commandos suffer significant losses, with 28 killed, 66 wounded, and 59 captured or missing.

Breakout of the Bridghead

General Alexander’s strategy focuses on establishing Allied forces along a line from Licata in the west to Catania in the east before launching subsequent operations to secure the remainder of Sicily. The success of this plan depends on capturing key ports, which are essential for the build-up of Allied forces, as well as securing airfields. Montgomery’s Eighth Army is assigned to capture Pachino Airfield at Cape Passero and the port of Syracuse. From there, they move north to secure Augusta and Catania, including the airfields in the Catania plain near Gerbini. Patton’s Seventh Army, on the other hand, is tasked with securing Licata and the airfields at Ponte Olivo, Biscari, and Comiso. They are also responsible for preventing Axis reserves from moving eastward against the Eighth Army.

On the Axis side, Colonel Wilhelm Schmalz leads Kampfgruppe Schmalz to coordinate with the 54^th Infantry Division “Napoli” under Major-General Giulio Cesare Gotti Porcinari, with the aim of countering Allied landings along the Augusta–Syracuse coast. Due to communication failures, Schmalz advances independently toward Syracuse. Meanwhile, an Italian battalion of 18 Renault R35 tanks under Lieutenant-Colonel Massimo D’Andretta, supported by infantry from the 75° Reggimento Fanteria “Napoli” led by Colonel Paolo Giovanni Ronco, breaks through the British Wiltshire Regiment’s positions before being halted by anti-tank fire in the suburbs of Syracuse.

July 11th, 1943

The day after the initial Allied landings in Sicily, General Guzzoni renews his offensive against the vulnerable centre of the American zone at Gela, utilising the remaining armour and infantry of the Panzer-Division Hermann Göring and 4ª Divisione di fanteria “Livorno”. His goal is to push the U.S. 1^st and 45^th Infantry Divisions back into the sea and subsequently launch a broader counter-offensive against all Allied beachheads on the island. To counter this threat, General Patton orders the remaining elements of Major-General Hugh Gaffey’s 2^nd Armoured Division and the 18^th Infantry Regiment of the 1^st Infantry Division, his reserve forces, ashore. A planned second drop by the 82^nd Airborne Division to reinforce the beachhead is cancelled due to the instability of the American positions.

Generalfeldmarschall Kesselring also orders General Conrath, via Luftwaffe channels, to launch a renewed attack on Gela that very same day, coordinated with heavy aerial bombardments on the beachheads and offshore transports. The Axis ground assault begins at 06:00 hours, with the Panzer-Division Hermann Göring attacking in three columns, two columns of Panzers advancing west of the Acate River and one infantry column to the river’s east. One tank battalion moves through the Ponte Olivo Airfield area, while the other advances down the Niscemi-Piano Lupo Road. The infantry force moves from Biscari, crossing the Acate River at Ponte Dirillo to join the Panzer units at Piano Lupo. The three Axis columns then converge on the Plain of Gela from the northeast, aiming to strike the American beachhead held by the 1^st Infantry Division. Meanwhile, the Italian 4ª Divisione di fanteria “Livorno”, organised in three columns, moves towards Gela from the northwest with support from Italian Mobile Group E.

However, Major-General Allen acts first, and during the night, he sends the 26^th Infantry Regiment (on the left) and the 16^th Infantry Regiment (on the right) towards the Ponte Olivo Airfield and Niscemi, objectives assigned to the 1^st Infantry Division upon landing. By dawn, the 2^nd and 3^rd Battalions of the 26^th Infantry Regiment are in dug-in positions along Highway 117, while additional blocking positions are established at Casa del Priolo and Abbio Priolo. Darby’s Force X strengthens their positions in Gela, while the battle-worn 180^th Infantry Regiment of the 45^th Infantry Division holds Highway 115 near Ponte Dirillo, supported by artillery from the 171^st Field Artillery Battalion.

At 06:00 hours, General Conrath launches his three columns, coinciding with an Axis aerial assault on Allied naval forces offshore. Allied air support is unavailable, and requests for support from the infantry go unanswered, forcing them to rely solely on naval gunfire. The 3^rd Battalion, 26^th Infantry Regiment engages in an initial clash as it moves north along Highway 117. In the meantime, an Italian column attempts to advance towards Gela but is repelled by Darby’s Force X and supporting artillery units. The Livorno Division also sends a column from Butera towards Gela, but Darby’s troops, with the aid of captured Italian artillery, 4.2-inch mortars, and naval gunfire from U.S.S. Savannah, halt them. The 4ª Divisione di fanteria “Livorno” suffers significant casualties, effectively eliminating it as a combat force.

German tanks advance south from Niscemi along the Piano Lupo road and across the Plain of Gela. At Abbio Priolo, the 2^nd Battalion, 16^th Infantry Regiment confronts the German Mk III and Mk IV tanks at close range, aided by field artillery. Despite this resistance, the German Panzers press on, forcing American defenders at Casa del Priolo and Abbio Priolo to fall back to Piano Lupo. There, the 16^th Infantry Regiment, with paratrooper support, holds the key road junction at Piano Lupo, using heavy weapons and bazookas to halt the German advance.

Another German tank column moves from Biscari towards Highway 115, forcing elements of the 180^th Infantry Regiment to retreat from Ponte Dirillo, despite support from the destroyer U.S.S. Beatty, which fires over 800 shells. The German force, consisting of 700 infantry from the 1. Panzergrenadier-Regiment of the Panzer-Division Hermann Göring, along with a battalion of armoured artillery and a company of Tiger tanks, continues south. Colonel Gavin’s 505^th Parachute Infantry Regiment, having previously captured Vittoria, moves to Biazza Ridge, a strategic high ground overlooking the Acate River. Gavin’s paratroopers, along with scattered units of the 180^th Infantry Regiment, set up defensive positions to protect the vulnerable left flank of the 45^th Infantry Division and the right flank of the 1^st Infantry Division.

Gavin’s ad hoc force encounters German Tigers while attempting to advance along Highway 115 towards Ponte Dirillo. Despite ineffective bazooka fire against the Tiger tanks, the use of 75 millimetre pack howitzers and 57 millimetre anti-tank guns eventually forces the Germans to withdraw after taking heavy losses. By evening, six Sherman tanks from the 2^nd Armoured Division and airborne engineers arrive to reinforce Gavin’s defences, and a renewed assault at 20:00 hours, involving both paratroopers and tanks, leads to the capture of a Tiger tank and several German mortars.

On Gela’s eastern side, General Conrath continues his push towards the American beachhead, with leading tanks firing on supply dumps and landing craft. The arrival of the 32^nd Field Artillery Battalion in amphibious DUKW’s helps stabilise the situation by providing artillery support against German armour. M4 Sherman tanks from the 2^nd Armoured Division also engage, establishing a final line of defence. Due to the close proximity of the combatants, naval vessels hold their fire to avoid friendly fire incidents, but the U.S.S. Boise eventually targets advancing German tanks with its 6-inch guns, destroying several Panzers on the Plain of Gela.

By 16:00 hours, General Conrath decides to call off his attack, having lost one-third of his tanks. An after-action report acknowledges that further engagement would lead to the division’s annihilation. The Panzer-Division Hermann Göring begins its withdrawal to positions south of Niscemi.

By the end of the day, a 80-kilometre wide American beachhead has been established across Sicily’s southern coast, with a depth of 3 to 6 kilometres inland. Over the first two days of Operation Husky, around 80,000 troops, 7,000 vehicles, and 900 guns are successfully landed, along with approximately 18,000 tonnes of supplies, marking a critical foothold for the Allied advance.

The Allied troopship U.S.S. Barnett, is hit by an Italian bomber formation during the morning. Italian and German bombers coordinate their attacks effectively, using dive bombers and torpedo bombers against the Allied fleet.

July 12th, 1943

During the night, following the failure of the second Axis counter-attack against the 1^st Infantry Division’s beachhead at Gela, a tragic incident unfolds. Over 140 air transports carrying Colonel Reuben H. Tucker and approximately 2,300 paratroopers from the 504^th Parachute Infantry Regiment come under intense “friendly fire” from Allied anti-aircraft guns as they approach for their intended drop over the Plain of Gela.

Despite assurances that following a prescribed flight path would ensure safe passage, the transports are subjected to heavy fire from U.S. Navy AA gunners. The naval personnel, still on edge from the day’s intense Axis aerial attack, which had sunk the ammunition-laden U.S.S. Robert Rowan with a catastrophic explosion, react defensively to the approaching aircraft. As a result, more than twenty of the C-47 transports are shot down, with none recovered, while nearly forty others are severely damaged, leading to numerous casualties among paratroopers and aircrew members.

General Montgomery proposes a revised plan to General Alexander, aiming to advance his Eighth Army north from the landing beaches towards Messina by advancing along both sides of Mount Etna. To achieve this, Montgomery requests that his forces, including the XXX Corps, be permitted to cross the boundary that separates his Eighth Army from Patton’s Seventh Army.

This modification of the original plan significantly impacts Major-General Middleton’s U.S. 45^th Infantry Division, the easternmost American assault division. Middleton is forced to cede the Vizzini-Caltagirone road (Highway 124) to the Canadian 1^st Infantry Division, which is part of Montgomery’s Eighth Army. As a result, the 45^th Infantry Division must withdraw to the Gela beaches and then move north once more to take up new positions on the left flank of the U.S. 1^st Infantry Division.

This reassignment frustrates Lieutenant-General Bradley, commander of U.S. II Corps, who resents the unplanned rearward movement of his forces. However, General Alexander, commander of the Allied 15^th Army Group, supports Montgomery’s changes. General Patton, in an unusually compliant manner, agrees with the decision, maintaining his Seventh Army as a flank guard for Montgomery’s Eighth Army as it pushes north towards Messina. These adjustments effectively continue to keep Patton’s forces in a supporting role, securing the left flank of the advancing British forces.

That very same day, the Royal Navy attempts an amphibious assault on Augusta on the night of but the attack is repelled by the Italian 246^th Coastal Battalion. Several Italian units then set up rearguard positions to cover the retreat of Kampfgruppe Schmalz and the Panzer-Division Hermann Göring. The Americans face challenges advancing towards Canicattì due to resistance from the Italian Semovente da 90/53 tank destroyers and Bersaglieri units, which manage to delay Allied progress before falling back towards Catania. The Axis forces, including Kampfgruppe Schmalz, retreat through Cozzo Telegrafo and Acquedolci, while the Hermann Göring Division withdraws towards Caltagirone and the Livorno Division moves to cover its flank.

The U.S. 1^st Infantry Division secures Ponte Olivo and advances north, while the U.S. 45^th Infantry Division captures Comiso Airfield and advances to Ragusa. The U.S. 3^rd Infantry Division, landing at Licata, pushes along the coast and inland towards Canicattì.

The British 1^st Parachute Brigade is dropped in Operation Fustian to capture the Primosole Bridge. The British paratroopers face heavy Italian anti-aircraft fire but succeed in capturing the bridge and hold off Axis counterattacks.

The 4ª Divisione di fanteria “Livorno”‘s 3^rd Battalion, 34^th Regiment, mainly composed of conscripts, launches a daylight attack on the Gela beachhead with infantry and armour from the Panzer-Division Hermann Göring but is repulsed by the defending American forces.

July 13th, 1943

With XXX Corps facing limited Axis resistance, Montgomery decides to take unilateral action. He orders the Canadian 1^st Infantry Division and the British 51^st (Highland) Infantry Division to move northwest, aiming to encircle Mount Etna from that direction and push towards Messina. At the same time, Dempsey’s XIII Corps is directed to advance separately towards the Plain of Catania. To implement this revised strategy, Montgomery, with Alexander’s approval, takes control of Highway 124, which had been assigned to Middleton’s 45^th Infantry Division of Bradley’s U.S. II Corps, for the use of the advancing Highlanders and Canadians.

As a result XXX Corps sees the 51^st (Highland) Infantry Division advance north to capture Palazzolo and Vizzini, while Canadian forces secure Pachino Airfield and link up with American troops at Ragusa, taking over 500 Italian prisoners in the process. In the same area, the 2^nd Special Service Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Robert Laycock, repels an Italian counterattack led by General Achille d’Havet’s 206^th Coastal Division.

This division of the Eighth Army leaves Montgomery’s forces vulnerable, allowing the Germans to target each of his separated corps individually, thereby hindering their progress towards Messina. Kampfgruppe Schmalz manages to delay Dempsey’s XIII Corps, British 5^th Infantry Division, in the Lentini area, allowing German paratroopers to deploy at Catania. The British XIII Corps pushes along the Catania road, while XXX Corps advances on two routes.

Elements of the British 5^th Infantry Division that had been delayed by Kampfgruppe Schmalz finally enter Augusta. Meanwhile, the British 50^th Infantry Division advances along Route 114 toward Lentini, encountering resistance from the 54ª Divisione di fanteria “Napoli”. The Italian divisional commander is captured, and although a battalion temporarily breaks through to reoccupy positions at Augusta, they are forced to withdraw by the British advance.

Meanwhile, Kesselring orders German units to reinforce the front and withdraw from western Sicily to focus on slowing the Allied advance along a new defensive line. The remains of the Panzer-Division Hermann Göring reach Caltagirone.

July 14th, 1943

On the right flank of the Eighth Army, elements of the British 13^th Corps secure the port city of Augusta, located at the northern end of the Gulf of Augusta. With Augusta now under Allied control, the Eighth Army begins its push towards Lentini, situated at the southern edge of the Plain of Catania. The ultimate objective is to capture the strategic port of Catania and seize the Gerbini Airfield complex at the western end of the Plain of Catania.

The British 1^st Parachute Brigade’s attempt to seize Primosole Bridge over the Simeto River is initially unsuccessful.

July 15th, 1943

General Hans-Valentin Hube arrives on Sicily to establish the XIV Panzer Corps headquarters and forms the Etna or Hube Line, utilising Luftwaffe paratroopers, remnants of the Panzer-Division Hermann Göring, and Italian units to defend Catania and Messina.

July 16th, 1943

The Primosole Bridge is retaken by the British 50^th Infantry Division. However, Montgomery’s expectation that Catania would be easily taken by Dempsey’s 13^th Corps soon proves overly optimistic as German forces have fortify positions north of the Primosole Bridge. Stiff German resistance quickly turns the effort into a far more challenging and prolonged campaign than initially anticipated.

July 17th, 1943

Facing increased resistance, Dempsey’s XIII Corps’ advance towards Catania grinds to a halt. Montgomery orders a feigned attack towards the city to confuse German defenders, while shifting his main focus to a “left hook” around Mount Etna involving XXX Corps, under the codename Operation Hardgate. Montgomery envisions that after capturing Adrano, a key road junction along Highway 121, the German defenders will abandon their fortifications in Catania, enabling XIII Corps to advance from the east with reduced resistance. In the operation, Canadian forces continue their advance towards Leonforte and Adrano, with the British 78^th Infantry Division called in to support.

General Patton reorganises his forces into two corps. Provisional Corps, led by General Keyes, includes armoured, infantry, and airborne divisions.

The Provisional Corps captures Porto Empedocle and Agrigento. II Corps captures Caltanissetta, and the American advance continues despite delays from Italian resistance.

July 18th, 1943

In the U.S. II Corps sector, Middleton’s repositioned 45^th Infantry Division is tasked with advancing north to Termini Imerese before pushing east towards Messina along Highway 113. Meanwhile, Allen’s 1^st Infantry Division is directed to capture Enna, a medieval city that had been bypassed by elements of XXX Corps during their advance from Valguarnera. The task of capturing the city of Enna was initially given to the Canadian 1^st Infantry Division, but logistical issues, extreme heat, malaria, and strong German defences in the surrounding hills prevent progress. Major-General Leese orders the Canadians to bypass Enna to the east, leaving Bradley’s right flank exposed. In response, Bradley tasks the U.S. 1^st Infantry Division with taking Enna.

July 20th, 1943

The U.S. 1^st Infantry Division takes the city of Enna.

July 22nd, 1943

The Provisional Corps captures Palermo and the 45^th Infantry Division cuts the northern coastal road, securing a strategic foothold.

July 28th, 1943

After Mussolini’s arrest Hube is effectively in charge of the German and Italian units in Sicily. 

July 29th, 1943

The British resume their offensive, named “Operation Hardgate,” aiming to capture the towns of Centuripe and Regalbuto. This attack is spearheaded by the 78^th Infantry Division, recently arrived from North Africa, alongside the 1^st Canadian Division, with the goal of advancing towards Adrano. Meanwhile, the 13^th Corps, positioned near Catania, largely holds its ground, keeping the Hermann Göring Division tied down but contributing little in terms of aggressive movement.

Colonel Schmalz, commanding the German forces, continues to conduct a resilient defence. Schmalz estimates that approximately thirty thousand shells are fired on just one kilometre of front in a one-and-a-half-hour period. Despite the barrage, his losses are minimal, with only two men killed and eight wounded.

In Regalbuto, the Panzer-Division Hermann Göring’s engineers put up a fierce fight, supported by infantry and a few tanks. They deploy Nebelwerfers, with devastating effect. Only after days of brutal fighting along sheer ravines and ridges do the British and Canadians manage to dislodge their well-entrenched German opponents. Eventually, B Company reaches the base of Tower Hill, driving off the remaining Germans. C Company then leapfrogs past and reaches the summit just as the last of two paratroop companies retreats down the other side. This outflanking manoeuvre clears the way for the battalion to advance towards Adrano.

Simultaneously, The American forces continue their advance and come up against the 15. Panzergrenadier-Division at Troina, an important strongpoint in the German defensive ring around Mount Etna. Troina is crucial, as Highway 120, a key route through the rugged Sicilian terrain, passes through it. The U.S. 1^st Infantry Division, known as the “Big Red One,” provides most of the soldiers, though elements of the U.S. 9^th Infantry Division are also involved.

Under Omar Bradley’s command, the offensive is spearheaded by the popular General Terry Allen and Theodore Roosevelt III, grandson of the former U.S. President. Despite Bradley’s personal animosity towards the two, he still relies on their expertise in the effort to capture Troina. The Germans occupy Troina in significant strength, with their positions overlooking the only feasible approach from the west, a roughly eight-kilometre-wide open valley. German observation posts, including a double-spire Norman church, provide them with a significant strategic advantage. At the outset, the Americans hold Cerami, a hilltop town directly facing Troina from the west.

July 31st, 1943

The Americans underestimate the strength of the German defences, and during the night, Lieutenant Colonel Jack Toffey leads the 39^th Infantry Regiment, 1^st Infantry Division, forward along Highway 120. However, German forces, under the direct command of Eberhard Rodt, supported by four battalions of Italian troops led by Giacomo Romano, are ready in well-camouflaged positions. The American troops are met by intense machine-gun fire, mortar attacks, and the concentrated bombardment of 88 mm flak guns. Unable to locate and counter this fire, the 39^th Infantry Regiment of the 1^st Infantry Division retreats after fierce fighting and heavy casualties.

Recognising Troina’s strong defenses, the Americans attempt to encircle the town. The 26^th Infantry Regiment, 1^st Infantry Division, moves to the north, capturing Monte Basilio after two days of intense fighting, while the 18th Infantry Regiment circles to the south, capturing Monte Salici amidst strong German and Italian resistance. The 39^th and 16^th Infantry Regiments push directly up the valley on either side of Highway 120.

August 1st, 1943

Start of the battle for Troina, with the Americans slowly advancing from cover to cover under heavy fire, while both sides exchange machine-gun, mortar, and artillery bombardments.

August 2nd, 1943

Unternehmen Lehrgang, the evacuation plan of Sicily, is approved by Oberbefehlshaber Süd Albert Kesselring. Unternehmen Lehrgang is initiated in response to the Allied invasion of Sicily (“Operation Husky”). The OKW and the commander-in-chief of Army Group C, Albert Kesselring, quickly decide that an organised withdrawal is preferable to risking a repeat of the mass surrender experienced at the end of the Tunisian campaign in May 1943. A decision is made to avoid defending the island to the last man and instead prioritise an orderly retreat. The first step in preparing for Unternehmen Lehrgang involves a meeting of senior operations officers in Frascati, Central Italy, chaired by Siegfried Westphal, Kesselring’s chief of staff, during which the operational details are outlined.

The Germans dig in along the San Fratello Line while Hube simultaneously begins an orderly, large-scale withdrawal of troops across the Straits of Messina to mainland Italy. The 29. Panzergrenadier-Division, led by General Walter Fries, defends the San Fratello Line against the advancing Americans, using the steep, avalanche-prone Nebrodi Mountains and their dense cork, oak, and beech forests as natural fortifications.

The 3^rd Infantry Division, advancing along Coastal Highway 113 at “Truscott’s Trot,” clashes with the 29. Panzergrenadier-Division near San Fratello in early August. The fierce resistance by the Panzergrenadiers halts the American advance, resulting in a bloody stalemate along the rugged Sicilian coastline as neither side is willing to concede ground.

August 3rd, 1943

The British capture the towns of Centuripe and Regalbuto.

Start of Unternehmen Lehrgang, the evacuation of Sicily. The operation is overseen by Kapitäns zur See der Reserve Gustav Freiherr von Liebenstein, who serves as the Seetransportführer for the Strait of Messina. The evacuation starts of with the Italian troops.

August 4th, 1943

General Hube orders the Panzer-Division Hermann Göring to withdraw from Catania, leaving the town to the British 8^th Army. After the withdraw, British VIII Corps resumes its advance along Highway 114 towards Messina.

August 5th, 1943

General Hube orders the Panzer-Division Hermann Göring to evacuate Troina to the U.S. 7^th Army. General Hube, deems the Etna Line untenable.

August 6th, 1943

American forces advance to the outskirts of the town of troina, only to find it abandoned by the Wehrmacht. The Germans leave behind decaying corpses, extensive devastation, and a distressed local population, who nonetheless welcome the arrival of the Americans. General Bradley, though an accomplished military leader, acts out of personal vindictiveness by immediately relieving Terry Allen and Theodore Roosevelt III of their commands, much to the despair of the two men and the lasting outrage of their troops, who hold them in high regard.

August 8th, 1943

The British capture Bronte, an important position in the new defensive line, while the Americans take Cesaro. Meanwhile, Hube, in the midst of withdrawing the 29. Panzergrenadier-Division from San Fratello along Highway 113, is caught off guard when the 3^rd Infantry Division conducts a surprise landing behind his lines using landing craft.

Concerned that the British or Americans—or both—might breach his defenses and seize Messina, Hube accelerates the withdrawal process.

General Hans-Valentin Robert Friedrich Hube receives permission from Generalfeldmarschall Kesselring for Unternehmen Lehrgang, the evacuation of Sicily. Aware that General Hube possesses a more accurate understanding of the combat situation on the ground, Kesselring entrusts Hube with determining the timetable for withdrawal.

The unique success of the delay during Unternehmen Lehrgang lies in the strategic use of terrain. The Germans deploy two divisions along efficient routes on the northern and southern coasts, while positioning a third in the mountainous interior. This arrangement sufficiently delays the Allied advance, allowing for a complete evacuation of German forces from the island. Selecting defensive lines along the ridges proves instrumental in achieving this outcome. The narrowing terrain towards Messina facilitates simultaneous defensive operations while moving portions of each division towards evacuation. The characteristics of the terrain enable smaller forces to effectively occupy the next defensive line, prolonging the withdrawal process.

The German plan for “Unternehmen Lehrgang” aims to delay the advancing Allied forces over four progressively narrowing defensive lines within a five-day period, providing enough time to evacuate the remaining 50,000 German troops across the Strait of Messina to mainland Italy. Upon reaching each delay line, two-thirds of the division are directed towards the evacuation points in Messina. Around 500 anti-aircraft guns are deployed in the vicinity of the Strait to counter Allied air attacks and protect the evacuation effort.

August 9th, 1943

Wehrmacht forces establish positions along the Tortorici Line to protect the critical road junction at Randazzo, which is now the key to allowing German units still at risk of encirclement to escape. By this time, Axis presence in Sicily is confined to a small corner of the island, with large numbers of Italian prisoners already captured.

As the Axis grip on Sicily weakens, General Patton becomes increasingly desperate to accelerate his advance, eager to reach Messina ahead of his rival, Montgomery.

August 11th, 1943

Repeating the strategy used at San Fratello, Patton orders Lieutenant Colonel Lyle Bernard to outflank the German positions along Highway 113 through an amphibious landing at Brolo. Truscott objects to the plan, believing it to be a suicide mission for his men, but Patton, fixated on reaching Messina first, forces Truscott into compliance.

The 2^nd Battalion launches its landing at Brolo, attempting to strike behind German lines with the support of the cruiser U.S.S. Philadelphia and six destroyers. However, they quickly realize they have taken on more than they can handle. Facing a strong counterattack by the determined Wehrmacht, Lieutenant Colonel Bernard pulls his forces back to Mount Cipolla, intending to make a final stand. Throughout the day, the American troops manage to fend off the Panzergrenadiers and their supporting Panzers, occasionally assisted by naval gunfire from the cautious U.S.S. Philadelphia.

The Americans suffer 177 wounded and killed, but the Germans, focused on escaping, do not press for total destruction. Once they push Bernard’s forces back to Mount Cipolla, they lose interest, attach their guns to prime movers, and drive off quickly along Coastal Highway 113, abandoning the Tortorici Line. On that same day, the 15th Panzergrenadiers begin evacuating across the Strait of Messina to mainland Italy, leaving much of the remaining defense to the Hermann Göring Division.

Unternehmen Lehrgang start with the evacuation of 15. Panzergrenadier Division.

August 12th, 1943

The evacuation of 15. Panzergrenadier Division in Unternehmen Lehrgang is completed.

August 13th, 1943

The key road junction at Randazzo falls to a combined Anglo-American assault, involving the British 78^th Infantry Division and the U.S. 9^th Infantry Division. The loss of Randazzo forces the Panzer-Division Hermann Göring to abandon Taormina and move north along Highway 114, leaving behind extensive land mines and booby traps. These obstacles significantly slow the British pursuit, allowing the Hermann Göring troops to reach Messina largely unhindered and begin their evacuation.

August 15th, 1943

Start of the evacuation of the German 29. Panzergrenadier Division to Italy.

August 16th, 1943

End of the evacuation of the German 29. Panzergrenadier Division and start of the evacuation of the Panzer-Division Hermann Göring.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Seventh Army reaches the city just hours before the British, with platoons from the 45^th Infantry Division, arriving at the outskirts on the evening.

August 17th, 1943

The Germans conclude Unternehmen Lehrgang with the end of the evacuation of Panzer-Division Hermann Göringand the last Italian units.

Darby’s Rangers and units from the 45^th Infantry Division enter Messina soon after dawn, followed by British armoured units later in the morning. At 10:00, Patton arrives to formally accept the surrender of the city officials, just minutes before a British officer arrives in an armoured car to do the same.

Aftermath

During Unternehmen Lehrgang, total of 101,569 Axis soldiers are transported across the Strait of Messina. From August 3^rd, 1943 to August 17^th, 1943, unternemhen Lehrgang, successfully evacuates a total of 62,000 Italian soldiers from Sicily to the Italian mainland, along with 767 vehicles, 20 tanks, 41 artillery pieces, . Meanwhile, between August 11^th, 1943, and 17^th August, 1943 Unternehmen Lehrgang successfully transports 39,569 German troops along with 4,444 wounded personnel. Besides that a lot of German equipment is saved including, 9,065 vehicles, 27 tanks, 94 heavy artillery pieces, 1,100 tonnes of ammunition, and 970 tonnes of fuel. Despite ongoing Allied air raids, losses remain minimal, with only a few small vessels being lost. This low loss rate is largely attributed to the effective anti-aircraft defences protecting the crossing area.

The German forces emerge from the battle significantly battered but largely intact, while the Italian troops experience catastrophic losses. Italian casualties amount to approximately 4,680 killed, 5,000 wounded, and around 152,000 either missing or captured. German losses include 4,561 killed, 4,583 missing, and 5,523 captured, totalling 14,667, with an additional 13,532 wounded and evacuated. On the Allied side, the Seventh Army suffers 2,237 killed and 5,946 wounded, while the 8^th Army endures 2,062 killed and 7,137 wounded.