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Operation Torch
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Jim in MN
Posted 11/7/2012 21:43 (#2684920)
Subject: Operation Torch


70 years ago tomorrow Nov 8, 1942 American and British troops landed at Casablanca in French Morocco and Oran and Algiers in Algeria. This was the first Allied landings in the European Theatre during WW2. Gen Montgomery attacked the German Africa Corps in Egypt in late October and by the time of the Allied landings the Africa Corps was retreating. The idea was to capture the Tunisia ports of Bizerte and Tunis before the Africa Corps could get there but the Germans moved troops from Sicily to Tunisia and in December stopped the Alloes short of Tunis and Bizerte. Opposing the Allied landings were the French Vichy troops under Marshall Petain and it was unkown whether they would resist the Allies. They got that awnser immediately as the French Artillery opened up on the landing craft. My brother landed at Casablanca with the Third Infantry Division. He lost his best friend because of the French Resistance. A guy named Wilhelm from Grundy Center, Iowa. At that time Wilhelm was buried in French Morocco, but after the war his remains were retuned to Grundy Center and he was buried in Grundy Center. My brother attended his Memorial Service at Grundy Center. So much for the French Allies. Five American Divisions were involved in this action, Third, First, Ninth, and 34th Infantry Divisions plus the US First Armored Division and also a couple of British Infantry Divisions. Jim J
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