Operation Torch: North Africa

Campaign
By: Aryan Musani
Course of Events:
- Pincer movement with American landings at
Morocco’s Atlantic coast and Anglo-American
landings on Algeria’s Mediterranean coast.
- The purpose of “Torch” was to hem Rommel’s
forces. (U.S. Troops on the west, British on the
east)
- Distraction → Smoke and Mirrors, draw German
attention, weaken Eastern Front
- 10,000 troops landed in vicinity of Casablanca on Allied troops landing on a beach near Algiers during Operation
the Atlantic coast of Morocco and on beaches Torch, November 8, 1942.
near Oran and near Algiers
- Commanded by Eisenhower
Contd.
- secure bridgeheads for opening a second front to the rear of German and Italian
forces battling the British in Libya and Egypt.
- 350 warships and 500 transports carrying some 107,000 troops
- The invasion forces had to overcome French opposition in territories controlled by
the Vichy Regime under Marshall Philippe Pétain.
- Nov 7→ attempted coup d’etat by pro-Allied General Antoine Béthouart against the
French command in Morocco. (failed)
- 3 ops → West, Center, East (9th Nov) Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless scout
- Center Task Force encountered stubborn French resistance before Oran’s surrender bombers and Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat
fighters on the flight deck of USS Santee
on November 9. (ACV-29) during Operation Torch.
- West Task Force → brief Naval engagement Casablanca (already weakened coup),
French surrender
- East Task Force → aided by a successful coup by the French resistance in Algiers,
neutralized the French XIX Corps, safe for Allied landings
- Nov 10th and 11th, ceasefire
Consequences:
- French forces in North Africa joined the Allies, offending Charles de Gaulle and other members of
Free France.
- Adolf Hitler ordered the occupation of Vichy France and started building up Axis forces in Tunisia (Tunisia
campaign still offered stiff resistance aka Tunis did not fall quickly to British and American forces)
- Failed to draw away large numbers of Germans from the eastern front
- Operation Torch marked the largest American campaign to date in the Atlantic theater
- first major operation carried out jointly and combined by the United States and the United Kingdom during
World War II.
- revealed serious problems with the logistical, communication, and command-and-control with Anglo
American navy and army → learn from mistakes