Answers on Operational Objectives

     The object of the German offensive was to push through the Belgian Ardennes, cross the Mousse, retake Antwerp and its harbor facilities, thrust to the north and reach the sea which they almost succeed in doing. This would cut off the Allied troops in Holland and Belgium, making it impossible for them to withdraw. The success of the operation depended on three important

to deal with the French and Russian forces , staunch allies, in order to avoid a war on

inadequate communication; lack of supporting firepower; and in the final hour before the raid, absolute

The Italian Campaign put Allied troops in Europe. Lesser objectives of the invasion included a chance to capitalize on the collapse of Italian resistance; to immediately use Allied forces; to engage German forces that could be sent to Russia and northern France; to take control of airfields that could be used for bombing missions; and to gain control of the Mediterranean.

The objective of the battle was to secure a new major front in Normandy, but also to push the Germans

The development of the allied military strategy in World War II (WWII) presented challenges for the U.S. and Great Britain as they worked together to defeat the Axis powers. First, this paper will review the environment at the time of WWII when Admiral Stark penned the “Plan Dog” memorandum and MAJ Wedemeyer’s War Defense Team put together the “Victory Plan”. Next, it will look at the advantages and disadvantages of coalition operations with supporting examples. Then, a review of two major meetings between U.S. and Great Britain will identify what strategic decisions were made and the effects they have on the war. Finally, this paper will explore the foundations of strategy (Clausewitz and Sun Tzu) by which the allied forces used and

Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall to work as a planning officer in Washington, D.C. In November of 1942, he led Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa. This was an attack across the English Channel, the principal allied offensive effort. The Allies commenced as a combined operation under the command of Eisenhower. The objective of this maneuver was to seize the main ports between Casablanca and Algiers (USHMM 2). Many troops faced resistance from Casablanca and Algiers. Eisenhower motivation was to push quick east along the Mediterranean and take the important ports of Bizerte and Tunis. The invasion was a success along with hardships along the way and it resulted in the end of the empire in

During Casablanca Conference in January 1943, the Allies decided that, after they had gained all North Africa, the next move would be in the Mediterranean. The idea was to kick Italy out of the war. By the summer of 1943 the Canadian soldiers who had not been involved in the Dieppe raid had been in the Britain for almost three and a half years, waiting for a chance to fight. On June 26, the word came at last; they were told to pack up their bedrolls and get ready to move out. The Canadians were headed for Sicily, The Island just off the toe of the Italian “boot”. There they would join the Britain Eighth army under the hero of El Alamein, General Montgomery. The battle plan was to invade Sicily and trap Germany and Italy soldiers between the

In the early morning of June 6, 1944, the Allied forces made their way to France. Later known as D-Day, this would be the largest amphibious invasion in history, with more than 6,000 ships carrying 160,000 troops, and air support that included more than 10,000 aircraft. Shortly after midnight, 24,000 American, British, and Canadian airborne troops landed. Allied infantry and armored divisions began landing on the coast of France at 06:30. The men landed under heavy fire from machine guns overlooking the beaches, and the shore was covered with obstacles such as mines, stakes, metal tripods, and barbed wire, making the invasion difficult and dangerous despite war planes and a fleet of warships bombarding German fortifications along

This raid is key, one of the military intelligence officers reports “Crucial information has been gained following this successul operation. The operation will give us vital experience following the deployment of a large number of our troops, and trasportation of artillery devices.”

First of all, France and Britain hoped to regain Western power over Africa using the concept of alliances during the Suez

“The Task Organization commanded by Admiral Rawlings passed to the West of Crete with the principle mission of preventing entry of the Italian Fleet into the area of operation and the secondary mission of preventing a sea – borne invasion of Crete.” The British had an advanced knowledge of the German plan due the breaking of the German code. However, the British underestimated the Germans. Breaking the code had revealed the use of the Luftwaffe and the British choose to focus on the impending naval attack.

This is known as the greatest seaborne invasion in history. It was aimed at 80 kilometers along the Normandy coast. Canada's objective was to attack right in the middle of the Normandy

The decision to invade North Africa “reflected the triumph of British strategic arguments over those of the Americans” as the Americans were pushing for an invasion in northern France as early as 1942. American military leadership, however, was not sold on the logic or necessity of a North African campaign. General George C. Marshall, the architect of American military strategy, wanted no part of a US commitment to a Mediterranean campaign. The decision to commit American troops in North Africa came directly from President Roosevelt, who overruled the advice of Marshall and his military advisers on this point.

Operation TORCH is valid, well-conceived operational approach executing several decisive tactical actions to achieve the desired strategic end state. North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea are in firm control of the Axis. This prevents the British from using the shortest route through the Mediterranean Sea in accessing raw materials and Persian Gulf oil. The British are heavily dependent on imported oil. Therefore, the Allied want access to Persian Gulf oil and raw materials via the Mediterranean Sea. Furthermore, the Allied strongly believe control of North Africa from the Atlantic Sea to the Red Sea best achieves free use of the sea lines of communication (SLOC) via the Mediterranean Sea. Operation TORCH takes control of Mediterranean