The U.S. Liberty ship Robert Rowan explodes after being hit by a German bomber off Gela, Sicily, 11 July 1943
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| Conflict | Sicilian Campaign | | Date | 9 July � 17 August 1943 | | Location | Sicily, Italy | | Result | Allied victory | Allies:
United Kingdom
United States
Canada | Axis:
Kingdom of Italy
Nazi Germany | United States Dwight D. Eisenhower
UK Harold Alexander
UK Bernard Montgomery
UK Arthur Tedder
United States George S. Patton
Canada Guy Simonds | Nazi Germany Albert Kesselring
Kingdom of Italy Alfredo Guzzoni
Nazi Germany Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin
Nazi Germany Hans-Valentin Hube | Initial Strength:
160,000 personnel
14,000 vehicles
600 tanks
1,800 guns
Peak Strength:
467,000 personnel | 230,000 Italian personnel
60,000 German personnel
260 tanks
1,400 aircraft | 24,820 casualties
(5,837 killed, 15,683 wounded, 3,326 captured) | Nazi Germany Germany:
~20,000 casualties
Kingdom of Italy Italy:
147,000 casualties (mainly POWs) |
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The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis (Italy and Nazi Germany). It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.
Husky began on the night of 9 � 10 July 1943, and ended 17 August. Strategically, Husky achieved the goals set out for it by Allied planners. The Allies drove Axis air, land and naval forces from the island; the Mediterranean's sea lanes were opened and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was toppled from power. It opened the way to the Allied invasion of Italy.
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