Charles Robert Anderson

“ Highly relevant today, World War II has much to teach us, not only about the profession of arms, but also about military preparedness, global strategy, and combined operations in the coalition war against fascism. ”

“ While two reinforced U.S. Army divisions fought along the Atlantic coast, other large units moved against objectives hundreds of miles away in the Mediterranean Sea. On the same day that Western Task Force troops ran across beaches near Casablanca, Center Task Force landed one reinforced division at Oran, and Eastern Task Force put ashore two regimental and one battalion landing teams at Algiers. In the Mediterranean, the U.S. Army had to deal with a condition absent from the situation on the Atlantic coast: large-scale British participation. ”

“ In the middle the 2d Battalion Landing Team stopped to await naval gunfire support, was then hit hard by a French counterattack, and was pushed back almost to the beach with heavy losses. While the Navy was firing on the Mehdia fortress, troops ashore did not yet have enough artillery to quiet the French batteries, whose fire kept tank lighters from landing and forced transports to move out of range, thus lengthening the route to shore. By nightfall on D-day the Americans occupied precarious positions miles from the airfield they so desperately needed. ”

“ By daylight, American troops controlled all port facilities, the post office, telecommunications station, petroleum storage tanks, all roads leading into town, and the civil police force. Reinforced by continuing waves of landing craft, American troops extended their beachhead inland against little more than sniper fire. Sunrise made possible more accurate naval gunfire, and by 1045 all French batteries were out of action. Most resistance to Blackstone infantry advancing through town came from a walled barracks, headquarters to the garrison of fewer than 1,000 men. ”

“ The assignment of an aircraft carrier to each landing site gave the task forces a great advantage: Allied aircraft could prevent reinforcement of enemy garrisons, but the French could not prevent Allied buildups ashore. Only at Safi and Algiers did lone sorties of French aircraft inflict damage, and both were quickly driven off.
Naval gunfire provided essential support in neutralizing coastal batteries. In coordinating with friendly troop movements ashore, however, problems arose. Most landings took place near urban areas, which placed troops in civil-military minefields. ”

“ Ninety-six percent of the 1,469 casualties were American, with the Army losing 526 killed, 837 wounded, and 41 missing. Casualties varied considerably among the three task forces. Eastern Task Force lost the fewest Americans killed in action, 108, Western Task Force, with four times as many American troops, lost 142 killed; Center Task Force lost almost twice as many killed, 276. But without the British-sponsored Reservist disaster at Oran, the Center Task Force killed-in-action total would have been in the same range as that of the other task forces. ”

“ Even on beaches without sandbars, lighters frequently bottomed some distance from the shoreline and had to discharge vehicles into several feet of water, disabling electrical systems. Problems such as these provoked a spiral of unloading delays and forced troops ashore into a tactical disadvantage during the crucial early hours of the landings. Reaching shore sooner than tanks and artillery, infantry units on D-day often found themselves attacking French coastal batteries and armored units with little more than rifles and hand grenades. ”

“ Most of Patton's infantry would land at Fedala, 12 miles north of Casablanca. Moving inland, the troops would swing around to the east side of Casablanca and, in conjunction with the armored force from the south, air support from the north, and naval gunfire offshore, advance westward on the city.
To accomplish its mission, Western Task Force would have 2 infantry divisions, 1 armored division, 2 separate tank battalions, and sufficient support units to maintain the total force of 34,871 officers and enlisted men. ”

“ For advancing units ashore, a more immediate tactical problem with naval gunfire occasionally arose. In the Fedala area a conflict in calls for support almost caused the tragedy of American fire landing among American troops. As troops of the 7th Regimental Landing Group neared an objective they requested continuation of naval gunfire. At the same time, 30th Regimental Landing Group officers asked the ships to hold fire for the moment, since their troops were nearing the impact zone. ”

“ Hours earlier, Navy officers had discovered that an unknown current had carried transports up to seven miles out of position. The attempt to realign ships in the darkness forced a postponement of H-hour. With landing craft finally in the water, fewer than half reached assembly points on time; turning toward shore, many straggled behind organized waves. High surf and navigational errors led a high proportion of boats far from assigned beaches. Many crashed against rocky bluffs, drowning troops and destroying equipment. ”

“ Algiers presented the Allies with more than military objectives. As headquarters for French forces in all of North Africa, the city incorporated a political character which Allied commanders did not find at other landing sites. Since the fall of France this political aspect had become especially tangled, with the French military deeply fragmented and local commanders promoting various responses to Torch. ”

“ Beaches X and Y lay west of Oran, Beach Z east. Once ashore the troops would take roads, villages, and two airfields in the area, converge ten miles inland of Oran, and move on the city from three sides. All naval and air support would come from a British task force of 61 escort vessels, including I battleship, 3 aircraft carriers, 3 cruisers, and 13 destroyers, as well as 43 transports. A city of 200,000, Oran had formidable defenses including 13 coast artillery batteries, 16,700 troops, about 100 planes, and several destroyers in the harbor. ”

“ While those operations ended in victory, any evaluation of U.S. Army performance must allow for the generally inept resistance offered by French and colonial forces. Only isolated artillery batteries and infantry units proved formidable; a better-equipped and more determined opponent could have Casablanca Conference, 14–21 January 1943. Left to right, General Henri Giraud, President Roosevelt, General Charles de Gaulle, and Prime Minister Churchill. (National Archives) .
easily capitalized on the many Allied landing problems. ”

“ The first troops ashore were from 1st Battalion, 7th Infantry (1–7 Battalion Landing Team) , reaching Beach Red 2 at 0500. All other teams landed in daylight. At first light—about 0545—coastal batteries and machine guns began firing on transports offshore and landing craft plowing through the surf. U.S. Navy cruisers and destroyers immediately returned the fire. Most landing teams encountered more trouble from high surf and inexperienced boat crews than enemy fire. Some, such as 2–7 Battalion Landing Team, were strewn over two beaches, while others stepped ashore miles from assigned beaches. ”

“ During their move south the Americans made good progress against sporadic fire and strafing aircraft. But soon the unloading problems of the previous day began to retard operations. By 1700 on D-day 39 percent of the troops had landed, but only 16 percent of vehicles and 1.1 percent of supplies were ashore. Moreover, when Anderson started south he had no land-based air support, and most of his tanks were still on the transports. ”

“ A more serious problem concerned transport of vehicles to shore. Because vehicles required deeper-draft landing craft than troops, sandbars that light troop-carrying boats overrode became obstacles to heavier tank and truck lighters. ”

“ In an extraordinary demonstration of improvisation and leadership, Colonel Wilbur combined Company A, 1–7 Battalion Landing Team, with four tanks of the 756th Tank Battalion and mounted an assault on the cape at 1140. ”