Today we continued Erin and Jenna’s Presentation.
The US did not get involved in the war until 1941. The only reason that we went to war is because Britain, are ally, needed help in the war. We became involved with direct assistance in 1941.
In 1940, the war at of the African Front began. The tanks were heavily used in this part of the battle. June 10, 1940 is the exact date when the African Front battles started with the Italian Declaration of War. June 15- 17, 1940 was the first battle of the African Front which is at Fort Capuzzo something. The Battle of Girba was the first tanks battle on June 17. The second battle of Capuzzo was during the entire month of September. Allies in this part of the war were Great Britain, the Free French Underground and they were fighting the Germans and the Vichy French Government.
Battles in 1941 were mostly won by the allies. Rommel’s first offensive was 8 battles that he led. Rommel was an Axis General from Germany. Operation Brevity was a main part of this whole thing. Operation Scorpion was one of two battles the Axis Powers won. Operation Battleaxe was the second and final battle that the Axis Powers won. Operation Crusader was won by the Allies.
1942, the US if thoroughly involved in the North African Campaign. The US decided to attack in Africa because it was easier than going through the heavily guarded France. This is the first place we sent troops were to fight in the African Front. Joseph Stalin was not happy with our decision to fight in Africa rather than invade France. He thought the US was wimpy for not helping out Stalin. The US was already focusing on Post WW II things in 1942. Rommel’s second offensive included the Battle of Gazala which was won by the Axis Powers. The First Battle of El Alamein was indecisive. The Battle of Alam El Halfa was an Allied victory. Operation Torch was the main United States victory. The Allied Powers won. Operation Torch was the code name for the huge amphibious invasion of Northern Africa. This was the biggest offensive for the US since joining the war in 1941. The Eighth Army Offensive was an Allied offensive. The Tunisian Campaign was a bunch of battles in Tunisia. The Tunisian campaign took place at the end of 1942 into 1943.
1943, the Tunisian Campaign continued. It had 6 major battles. It was one of the last main offensives before the Allies found out about the German Ultra Code. The African Campaign was less than three year Campaign and the US were involved for one year. The Allied Powers came out successful in the African Campaign. Over 300,000 German troops were captured.
The Italian and Mediterranean Front was next.
The Italian and Mediterranean Front encompass the naval, land, and air campaigns fought between the Allies and Axis forces in the Mediterranean Basin. Fighting in the Italian and Mediterranean from lasted from June 10 1942 to May 2 1945. Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt started this Front to relieve pressure from the Soviets. They argued that they should go though Italy to Germany or if they should go help the Soviets. Later the Italian Front was formed. The allies advanced towards Rome which was blocked by the Kesselring Gustav line. The Allies landed 50,000 seaborne troops at Anzio, 33 miles south of Rome on January 22 1945. Churchill called Italy the soft underbelly of the Axis Powers. After the initial invasion, a US general, Mark Clark, called Italy a tough gut of the Axis Powers. American forces wanted to put off invading Italy until the invasion of Europe began. The Allies invaded Sicily in July 1943. This resulted in evacuating the German and Italian forces from Italy. Allied forces gained experience in the paratroopers became more popular. The invasion of Sicily began in 1943. Forces of the British Eighth Army landed in the “toe” of Italy in September 1943. They invaded with Operation Baytown. The Italian Government agreed to and armistice with the Allies. A lot of German control was still in Italy and that caused the war of the Italian and Mediterranean Front continued because of the Germans still had a lot of control over Italy. The Allies advanced north to Rome. The Apennine Mountains caused the advance to Rome to become slower and even worse for the US because of this Terrain.
Comments