The Allied invasion of Sicily was executed through Operation Husky. It began on July 10, 1943, ending on August 17, 1943. It was carried out by the British 8th Army, under Bernard Montgomery, and the US 7th Army, led by General George Patton. It preceded Operation Baytown, which was the British invasion of mainland Italy, which would take place on September 3, 1943, during World War II.
Summary of the Campaign
On July 10, 1943, Montgomery's 8th Army divisions landed at Syracuse, on the shores of the southern tip of the island. Meanwhile, Patton's 7th Army forces landed on the beaches near Gela, in the southwestern coastline. The British 8th Army units made the main thrust into the island, fighting against 300,000 German and Italian troops that had been deployed on the island. Once they were able to establish their beachheads, the American 7th Army pushed eastwards and northwards, outflanking strong German positions.
From the very beginning, the Allied forces faced stiff resistance put up by the Wehrmacht divisions deployed on Sicily. As Montgomery's 8th Army forces advanced northwards towards Messina, the US 7th Army division had breached the Axis' defensive lines in the center of the island, reaching the northern shores in about three weeks. It was then that the German High Command decided to evacuate their forces and ship them to mainland Italy, saving them for the fierce fighting that would come ahead to prevent the Allies from reaching Rome.
The assembled Allied combat forces that had invaded Sicily totaled 180,000 infantry troops, which were supported by 600 tanks, 4,000 light armored vehicles, and 1,850 artillery pieces. British and US Navy battleships and cruisers had provided fire support for the landing troops.
Below, units of the British 8th Army go ashore in southern Sicily.
A British infantry squad picked their way through the rubble in Catania, Sicily.
