Download The Allied Invasion of Sicily: The History of the Largest Amphibious Campaign of World War II AudioBook Free
The strong island of Sicily, dominated in the east by the snow-crowned eminence of the effective volcano Support Etna (which rises to a elevation of 11,000 legs), lies in the ocean just off the "toe" of the "boot" of Italy. This spectacular setting observed one of 1943's pivotal fights as the theatre of Allied functions shifted from North Africa to European countries - Procedure Husky, a mixed success wresting control of Sicily from the Axis. The action also caused Benito Mussolini's downfall, his imprisonment, and subsequent dramatic recovery by the scar-faced Otto Skorzeny - taking away significant portions of Italy from the fascist camp but nevertheless failing woefully to prevent an extended and costly Italian advertising campaign. Germany's North African defeat opened up the likelihood of taking the warfare in the western world to the European continent for the very first time since France's lightning conquest by the Wehrmacht in 1940. The Uk and Us citizens debated the merits of getting in France immediately in 1943, nonetheless they in the end opted against it. The Soviets railed at the Westerners as "bastards of allies" - conveniently forgetting that they aided and abetted Hitler's violent expansionism in eastern European countries for over yearly, starting in 1939 - but a 1943 "D-Day" style getting in France might have proven a proper and logistical impossibility. As it proved, the lackluster Allied displaying on Sicily and the escape of almost all of the island's garrison would encourage Hitler to alter his programs and defend Italy vigorously. With its rugged mountain ridges, deep valleys, and numerous streams, Italy contained tens of thousands of natural defensive positions.
