Operation+Torch

John Hazen and Craig Spilker

**__Plans and Preperation__**
There were origialy 5 different beaches planned, but restricted resources forced that number down to 3. The British had had some problems with anphibous landing before so they let the Americans plan this one out.

**__The Actual Battles__**
Before the invasion went in, we sent envoys to talk with the French there, to see if they would be cooperative. A British submarine went into the French territory to plan if, or how, would help the invasion forces. There would be three prongs of attack: one in Casablanca in Morrocco, one in Oran, Algeria, and another in Algiers, Algeria. There was little resistance from the French so the Germans in Tunisia had to deal with 3 entire armys at their doorstep.

**__Algiers__**
The only fighting took place in the Algiers docking area when two destoryers attempted to put ashore American infantry to prevent French from scuttling ships and sabotaging the docks. There was also a destroyer sunk after being hit heavly by coastal defense batteries. There was also little defense from a handful of forts and coastal defense batteries. A cease-fire was reached on November 8th by American General Ryder and French General Juin.

__**Orans**__
Here, the French repeled the invasion force very well. On November 8th, the 14 ships that were carrying the main invasion force attacked in the early morning hours. Almost 18,000 men went onto the beach and the fleet eliminated the French fleet in a manner of a day. The land resistance was eliminated later on the 9th. The invasion force only lost a total of 3 planes.

__**Casablanca**__
There was little resistance because there was no commander. He was on a battleship who was needed to repel an American attack further up the coast.

**Overview of the battle**
The map of the war thearter. Some soldiers unloading a jeep.