Allied Invasion of Sicily Begins Trivia

The Allied invasion of Sicily is a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies take Sicily from the Axis (Italy and Nazi Germany). It is a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launches the Italian Campaign.

What do you know about Allied Invasion of Sicily?
Try this US World War 2 History Made Easy Quiz.
"Check Your Answers" at the end of the page.

1) What is the operational plan called for the amphibious assault of the island by two armies, one landing to the south east and one on the central southern coast.

• Operation Mush
• Operation Corndog
• Operation Husky
• Operation Alabama

2) Overall command is lead by General Dwight D Eisenhower, as Commander-in-Chief for Allied Forces North Africa with General Sir Harold Alexander acting as his second in command as well as being the Land Forces / Army Group commander. Who is appointed as Chief of Staff?

• Major General Walter Bedell Smith
• Major General Omar Nelson Bradley
• Major General Manton Sprague Eddy
• Major General Troy Houston Middleton

3) The Eastern Task Force (also known as Task Force 545) is lead by General Bernard Montgomery and comprises the British 8th Army bolstered by the addition of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. Montgomery is to command both the Eastern Task force as well as the 8th Army.

• True or False?

4) The Western Task Force (Task Force 343) is commanded by George G. Meade, comprising the American 7th Army. Meade is to command both the Western Task force as well as the 8th Army.

• True or False?

5) The 7th Army has three infantry divisions organized under U.S. II Corps. 1st and 3rd Infantry Divisions are to sail from ports in Tunisia while 45th Infantry Division sails from the United States via Oran in Algeria. Who commands the U.S. II Corps?

• Major General George Kennedy
• Major General John G. Ford
• Major General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.
• Major General Omar Bradley

6) The Allied naval forces is also grouped into two task forces to transport and support the invading armies. The Eastern Naval Task Force under command of Admiral Bertram Ramsay is of British origin (the Mediterranean Fleet) and the Western Naval Task Force was formed around the United States Eighth Fleet. The two naval task force commanders report to the Admiral Andrew Cunningham, the Naval Forces Commander and he in turn, reports to Eisenhower. Who commands the United States Eighth Fleet?

• Admiral H. Kent Hewitt
• Admiral Kent Jackson
• Admiral Marvin Bernadine
• Admiral H. Scott Fitzgerald

7) The major sub-command of Mediterranean Air Command is the Northwest African Air Forces (NAAF) under the command of Lieutenant General Carl Spaatz with headquarters in Tunisia. NAAF consists to provided the primary air support for the operation. What is NOT a primary of groups?

• U.S. 12th Air Force
• U.S. 9th Air Force
• British Royal Air Force (RAF)
• U.S. 25th Air Force

8) The island is defended by the two corps of Italian 6th Army under General Alfredo Guzzoni. In early July the total Axis force is about and 42,000 German troops as well as 30,000 Luftwaffe ground staff. What is the size of the Italian Army?

• 30,000 Italian
• 130,000 Italian
• 230,000 Italian
• 330,000 Italian

9) By late July the German units are being reinforced, principally by elements of two further divisions (1st Parachute Division and 29th Panzergrenadier Division) and a corps headquarters (XIV Panzer Corps) under General der Panzertruppe Hans-Valentin Hube, bringing troop numbers to around 70,000. Once Hube arrives, General Alfredo Guzzoni agrees from July 16 to delegate to him control of all sectors where there are German units involved and from August 2 Hube is given control of the whole Sicilian front.

• True or False?

10) The British allow a corpse disguised as a British officer to drift ashore in Spain, carrying a briefcase containing fake secret documents. These documents reveal that the Allies are planning to invade Greece, and have no plans to invade Sicily. German intelligence accepts the authenticity of the documents with the result that the Germans divert much of their defensive effort from Sicily to Greece. What is the deception known as?

• Operation Corkscrew
• Operation Mincemeat
• Operation Haversack
• Operation Heartbreak

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