ABSTRACT
The invasion of Sicily provides a good example of the thoroughly planned operation. Not so thoroughly or so lengthily planned as ‘Overlord’ of course, but, for various reasons, it turned out possible to devote to the study of the Sicilian operations a good deal more time than was usual. The principal reason derives from Allied Grand Strategy. The Casablanca Conference was a bit of a half-way house. It already seemed likely that the final shape of Allied strategy would be based on an invasion of northwest Europe from the United Kingdom, but in January this decision was not yet taken. Accordingly, Casablanca is now best remembered as the place where the expression ‘unconditional surrender’ was produced out of Roosevelt’s memories of the American Civil War with particular reference to General U.S. Grant’s initials. On the military side the decision was taken to carry on with the air attack on Germany, in the hope that it would produce better results than it had so far, and to put the finishing touches to the clearance of the African coastline by seizing the island of Sicily. This operation ‘Husky’, was a mere pendant to the African campaign, designed to open the Mediterranean as a safe passage to the Far East. This would have the same effect as if the shipping available to the Allies were suddenly increased by two million tons. What we should do thereafter with the armies assembled in the Mediterranean, whether they should advance northwards or be wafted back to the U.K. from whence to spring across the Channel at the appropriate time, was left to be settled at the next meeting in May.
