Securing North Africa As the war continued, it was clear that German forces were strongly entrenched in much of Europe. So in 1942, the Allies announced that they would be opening a second front in Europe, hoping to alleviate pressure on the Soviets. Because the Allies were not ready to launch an full-out attack, they decided to start with the invasion of North Africa, which was occupied by the Germans and the Vichy French forces. The operation was a success, and the Allies managed to secure North Africa, while taking out 275 000 Axis soldiers at the same time.
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On July 9-10, 1943, the Allies sent hundreds of thousands of troops, including Canadians, onto the island. A few days later, more British and American forces landed several hundred miles to the north at Salerno. Their plan was simple: the northern forces would trap the German forces by throwing a net across the Italian peninsula while the British army chased the Germans into it from the south. When Canadians first arrived on the island, many faced little resistance. However, as the troops advanced further north, the fighting became more violent. In the end, the Canadians were able to advance 240 kilometers inland, forcing the German and Italian forces to withdraw to the Italian mainland. |
The Invasion of italy Although the Canadians had aided the Allies in winning the Battle of Britain and the Battle of the Atlantic in 1940, Canadian troops had seen little action. With this being said, things dramatically changed in 1943. With North Africa secured, the Allies were now able to move onto their next operation, assaulting the Italian island of Sicily. However, the main purpose of this attack was to weaken the German defences in France by drawing troops south, rather than to recapture Europe.
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The BAttle of the Boot Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator, fell as a result of the failure to protect Sicily. After Mussolini was overthrown, the new Italian government surrendered to the Allies. This came as no surprised to Hitler, as he had prepared for this. The Allied forces were faced with a strong German line of defence, forcing them to fight their way up to the "boot" of Italy.
The Canadians had one objective in mind, to capture the city of Ortona on the Adriatic Sea. To do this, Canadians fought fiercely for four months as they advanced their way northward through the mountains. Once they reached Ortona, the Canadians were faced with a street-by-street battle with the Germans. German forces were no match for the Canadians, as Canadian Forces emerged successful on December 28, 1943. As Canadian Forces continued to advance northward, they were soon withdrawn from the battle due to the Italian campaign. |