Operation Husky: Attacking Europe’s Soft Underbelly

During the early morning of July 10, 1943, Operation Husky, the largest amphibious landing in military history, was about to take place off the island of Sicily. H-Hour for the first wave of assault troops was 0245. As landing craft advanced toward the island, they were engulfed by a 40 miles per hour gale storm. The soldiers later named the storm “Mussolini wind.”

Due to these extreme weather conditions, the enemy was caught off guard. However, ground landings and paratroopers were also significantly impacted, with numerous small landing craft and gliders crashing. Despite the deleterious circumstances, many were able to land and make headway against the enemy.

The Sicily Invasion was for many American soldiers their first experience in combat. Only the 1^st and 9^th Infantry Divisions had previously seen combat. Both they had participated in the North African campaign.

Operation Husky’s logistical plan was complex. It involved, in the initial stages, battlefield coordination between American and British forces. The landing zones covered one hundred miles with over seven divisions spread out from the Gulf of Gela to the Gulf of Noto. This was the largest area covered during an invasion.

An Uphill Struggle

Sicily’s geography with barren land surrounded by hill and mountainous terrain was challenging and perfect for the defenders. The ultimate prize was the city of Messina, which was heavily defended and guarded by natural obstacles. At that time, it was beyond the range of allied air assets.

While the allies were slowly making their way inland, they encountered frequent German counterattacks. Further, enemy units were retreating, laying mines, and destroying bridges leading towards Messina. These delaying tactics were instrumental in the evacuation of thousands of enemy troops and materiel across the two-mile gap between Messina and Calabria, the mainland toe of Italy.

After two and a half weeks, the 1^st Infantry Division encountered the stiffest German opposition in the mountain village of Troina. Defending the village was the battle-hardened 15^th Panzer Grenadier Division. The unit was no stranger to the 1^st Infantry Division as the two had previously encountered each other in North Africa.

The weeklong battle ended with the Allies controlling Troina. Following the victory, General Patton relieved the exhausted 1^st Infantry Division, only to soon begin training them for their future landing on Omaha Beach in Normandy.

The Importance of Operation Husky for the Future of the War

The success of the six-week-long Sicilian campaign was very important. It opened the waterways between mainland Europe and the Mediterranean Sea. It provided an airbase for Allied bombers in preparation for attacks on mainland Western Europe. And it destabilized the fascist regime of Mussolini, thus facilitating a coup that overthrew the dictator on July 25.

Despite the Allied success, over 100,000 enemy soldiers, thousands of vehicles, and considerable equipment made it back to the Italian mainland to fight another day. Historians have to the retreat as “Germany’s Dunkirk.”

The invasion of the Italian mainland began shortly after on September 9 in Salerno. The next 20 months would prove how difficult the campaign to liberate Italy was, often leading historians to question Winston Churchill’s comment, “Italy was the soft underbelly of Europe.”

This post was originally published in June 2020. It has been edited for republication.