Invasion of Sicily

From July 9^th to August 17^th, 1943, British troops under Montgomery worked with American troops under Patton invaded Sicily. This was an important battle, as the Allies knew, because if they won, they would gain a good European foothold, but if they lost, it would be a major loss that could lead to disaster. So the Allies launched Operation Husky. This was a two-pronged attack, with Montgomery and the British landing in the Southeast and moving north, while Patton and the Americans landing in the Southwest and guarding the flanks of the British. Montgomery and Patton were fierce rivals, and Patton resented getting the lower position in this operation, as he felt Montgomery moved too slow and would claim all of the glory. On July 9^th, the groups first landed in Sicily, and fired on Italy. With the British and paratroopers in place, they were able to surprise the Italians and wade ashore. Hours later, Germans attacked the American held beaches, and American troops and navy tried to counter these attacks.  Due to a lack of communication, however, they accidentally shot down many of their own planes. In the battles in Sicily and North Africa, the use of tanks was very important. At the battle of Sicily, Tiger Tanks were used against the Allies, who wanted naval guns to stop them. White Phosphorous was very important in stopping the Italian offensive and turning the war around. As the British approached Messina, the Germans blocked them, causing Patton to decide to try to push towards the western tip of Palermo. He attacked at Messina when he got there, as the British were still stalled, and outflanked the German positions on the Northern Road. When the US and British troops arrived together at Messina on August 17^th, the Axis troops were just leaving Sicily, giving the Allies this all-important foothold that allowed them to work to invade Italy.

The link below gives a personal story of Ron Goldstein, a man who fought in Sicily:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/74/a2370674.shtml