Allied invasion of Sicily facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

Sicilian Campaign

Part of the Italian Campaign of World War II

The U.S. Liberty ship Robert Rowan explodes after being hit by a German bomber off Gela, Sicily, 11 July 1943

Date	9 July – 17 August 1943
Location	Sicily, Italy
Result	Allied victory

Belligerents

Allies:
United Kingdom

British India

United States

Canada

Free French

Australia

Union of South Africa

Axis:

Italy

Germany

Commanders and leaders

Alfredo Guzzoni

Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin

Hans-Valentin Hube

Strength

Initial Strength:
160,000 personnel
14,000 vehicles
600 tanks
1,800 guns
Peak Strength:
467,000 personnel

230,000 Italian personnel
40,000 - 60,000 German personnel
260 tanks
1,400 aircraft

Casualties and losses

24,850 casualties
(5,837 killed or missing, 15,683 wounded, 3,330 captured)

Germany:
~20,000 casualties

Italy:
131,359-147,000 killed, wounded and captured (mainly POWs)

The Allied invasion of Sicily was a major battle during World War II. It was also known as Operation Husky. The Allied forces took control of Sicily from the Axis Powers. These powers included Italy and Nazi Germany.

This operation involved a huge attack by sea and air. It was followed by six weeks of fighting on land. Operation Husky marked the start of the Italian Campaign. After Sicily, the Allies moved on to invade mainland Italy.

Operation Husky began on the night of July 9–10, 1943. It ended on August 17, 1943. The Allies achieved all their goals. They removed Axis air, land, and naval forces from the island.

This victory also opened up the Mediterranean Sea for Allied ships. A big result was that Italy's leader, Benito Mussolini, was removed from power for a short time.

Why Sicily Was Important
The Battle Begins
Images for kids
See also

Why Sicily Was Important

Allies Plan Their Attack

The plan for Operation Husky was to attack Sicily from the sea. Two large armies would land on different parts of the island's coast. One army would land on the southeastern coast. The other would land on the central southern coast.

Naval ships would fire their guns to help the soldiers land. Bombers would also attack enemy positions from the air. The overall commander for this operation was American General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The Allied land forces came from the American, British, and Canadian armies. They were split into two main groups. General Bernard Montgomery led the Eastern Task Force. Lieutenant General George S. Patton commanded the Western Task Force. Besides landing from ships, airborne troops were also part of the plan. These troops would parachute in to capture important bridges and high ground.

The Allied naval forces were also divided into two groups. Their job was to transport the invading armies safely to the beaches.

Axis Defenses in Sicily

The island of Sicily was defended by the Italian 6th Army. General Alfredo Guzzoni was their commander. In early July, the Axis forces on Sicily included about 200,000 Italian soldiers. There were also about 32,000 German troops. An additional 30,000 German air force ground staff were present. By late July, the number of German troops had grown to 70,000.

How the Attack Was Planned

Map of the Allied landings in Sicily on 10 July 1943

The final attack plan was created on May 17. Earlier, in January 1943, leaders from the US and Britain met. This meeting was called the Casablanca Conference. They discussed their future war plans. The British leaders really wanted to invade Sicily. General Eisenhower was chosen to be the Commander-in-Chief of all Allied Forces for this mission.

Getting Ready for the Invasion

After the Axis forces were defeated in Tunisia, Allied bombers started attacking. They targeted airfields in Sardinia, Sicily, and southern Italy. They also bombed factories in southern Italy. Important ports like Naples, Messina, Palermo, and Cagliari were also bombed.

Tricking the Enemy

To make the Axis forces think the Allies would attack somewhere else, several trick operations were carried out. The most famous one was called Operation Mincemeat. The British let a dead body, dressed as a British officer, wash ashore in Spain. This body carried a briefcase with fake secret documents.

These fake documents said the Allies planned to invade Greece and Sardinia. They claimed there were no plans to invade Sicily. The Germans believed these documents were real. Because of this, the Germans moved many of their defenses from Sicily to Greece. This made the real invasion of Sicily easier for the Allies.

The Battle Begins

Map of allied movements on Sicily during the month of July.

On the night of July 9–10, two British and two American airborne attacks took place. Their main goal was to capture a bridge over the River Anape. However, strong winds caused many paratroopers to land in the wrong places.

Despite this, some airborne troops fought bravely. A small group managed to capture the bridge. They held it against enemy counterattacks for several hours.

The strong winds also made the sea landings difficult. But on July 10, landings were successfully made on twenty-six main beaches.

By the evening of July 10, all seven Allied divisions were ashore. The important port of Syracuse had also been captured.

General Alexander's plan was to secure a strong line. This line would stretch between Licata and Catania. His main goal was to capture key ports on the island.

Images for kids

Allied leaders in the Sicilian campaign. General Dwight D. Eisenhower meets in North Africa with (foreground, left to right): Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, General Sir Harold Alexander, Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, and (top row): Mr. Harold Macmillan, Major General Walter Bedell Smith, and unidentified British officers.
General Alfredo Guzzoni, Supreme Commander of Italo-German forces in Sicily
Lascaris War Rooms
British airborne troops wait to board an American WACO CG4A glider.
Troops from the 51st (Highland) Division unloading stores from tank landing craft on the opening day of the invasion of Sicily, 10 July 1943
An American crew checks their Sherman tank after landing at Red Beach 2, Sicily, 10 July.
Remains of the Italian Navy armed train "T.A. 76/2/T", destroyed by USS Bristol while opposing the landing at Licata
British troops of the 6th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, part of the British 50th Division, with an American paratrooper of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division, in Avola, 11 July 1943
Italian soldiers of the 206th Coastal Division, taken prisoner by British forces. Typical of the second-rate equipment issued to the Coastal divisions, they are wearing Adrian helmets of World War I vintage, rather than the more modern M 33.
Men of The Loyal Edmonton Regiment, part of the 1st Canadian Division, enter Modica.
American paratroopers of the 504th PIR bound for Sicily, July 1943
Sherman tank of the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) in the village of Belpasso near Catania, Sicily, August 1943
A U.S. Army Sherman tank moves past Sicily's rugged terrain in mid July 1943.
4.2-inch mortar of the 1st Battalion, Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment, British 78th Infantry Division, in action near Adrano, 6 August 1943
American troops fire 81mm mortars in support of the Seventh Army's drive on Palermo.
Men of the 6th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, British 78th Division, await orders to move into Centuripe, Sicily, 2 August 1943.
General Montgomery stops his car to talk to men of the Royal Engineers working on a road near Catania, Sicily, August 1943.
British troops scramble over rubble in a devastated street in Catania, Sicily, 5 August 1943.
American soldiers looking at a dead German pilot and his wrecked aircraft near Gela, Sicily on 12 July 1943.
A Royal Navy ammunition ship, hit by bombs, burns during the initial landings.