Operation Torch

Algeria, North Africa. 1942

A group of American army officers, led by one of General Eisenhower’s top aids, lands by submarine to meet with their counterparts in the French army. Their plan: to try to persuade the officers to break away from Nazi dominated Vichy France. Almost discovered by Vichy police, the Americans escape to their submarine without a firm commitment from the sympathetic Frenchmen not to resist an allied army headed toward the shores of Africa.

This month, in 1942, many consider the turning point in the Second World War. Four major campaigns were undertaken during this period, costing hundreds of thousands of lives and sending the enemy, Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, on the defensive for the first time in three years. The battles were Alamein, Guadalcanal, Stalingrad, and Torch, and we will examine each here in the coming weeks.

Since America entered the war, December 2, 1941, the idea had been to get US troops in the war against Germany as quickly as possible. Though woefully unprepared, plans were for a landing in Europe at least by 1943, code named Bolero. Winston Churchill knew the Americans could fight, but sending them against seasoned German veterans would be suicide. Why not engage the Axis from Europe’s back door, meaning the Mediterranean, until they were properly trained and ready to meet Germany on her home ground.

Churchill’s military advisors presented this to their new allies, and were met with scorn by the American brass. Just another British attempt to shore up their colonial interest in the region, they surmised. Besides, they were here to fight Germans, not poorly armed French colonials and Bedouin tribesmen. Churchill, however, found a sympathetic ear in President Franklin Roosevelt, who knew the American people wanted their troops fighting Hitler’s legions without delay.

Overruling his military aids, the president gave the invasion of North Africa the green light, and Operation Torch was born. Given command was a green Lt. General Dwight Eisenhower, who had been General Marshall’s top man at the War Department. It was his job to unravel the myriad difficulties of a modern amphibious landing.

One of the first to be considered was, would the French in North Africa oppose the landings. The conquered nation had been irate with the British since the Royal Navy sank part of the French fleet earlier in the war, to keep them out of Hitler’s grasp. However, Americans would be leading the way. Had not France and the US been allies since the latter’s War of Independence? It was to this purpose that General Clark braved the Axis infested African coast to learn if the French would fight. His undertaking was less than successful, but daring nonetheless.

Ike forged ahead with his plans. There would be three landings on Africa’s western coast, at Casablanca, Oran, and Algiers. The first two would be headed by Americans to appease the French, the last by British forces, though an American group under Major General Ryder would be in front. The Western Task Force, under Maj. Gen George Patton would land 35, 000 troops at Casablanca. Center Task Force, led by Maj. Gen. Lloyd Fredendall, would take Oran with 39,000 men. Leading the way, Eastern Task Force was commanded by British Gen. Kenneth Anderson, and consisted of a mixture of Americans and English.

All three forces landed on schedule on November 8, 1942, with varying degrees of difficulty.

At Algiers, there was little trouble, though one landing on the city waterfront was driven off. The head of the Vichy African forces, Admiral Jean Darlan was in the city at the time and at nightfall, he ordered the French to surrender.

At Oran, the struggle would last longer. Two attempts, first by naval commandos to seize the harbor, then by British and American paratroopers to capture the main airfield, ended in failure. Inch by inch the assault continued, however, the French finally giving up on November 10 after another order from Admiral Darlan.

By far the hardest fighting of the operation was at Casablanca, where lay a large part of the remaining French fleet. Here, an early morning duel between the American battleship Massachusetts and the incomplete French dreadnaught Jean Bart ended with the latter being silenced. Afterwards the landings proceeded quickly

By the evening of the 10, the Vichy forces were in retreat everywhere. Only a final order from Admiral Darlan would end the struggle. By November 11, all resistance had ceased.

The importance of Operation Torch would soon make itself known. Considered by many to be unnecessary, as a diversion of forces, it would prove to be a vital training ground of amphibious techniques, battlefield tactics, and new equipment. More importantly, for the Germans, it was the beginning of the end, or as Churchill put it:" The end of the beginning."
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