Operation Torch was the code name given for the Allied invasion of North Africa in late 1942. Hitler had sent German troops to reinforce Mussolini's Fascist Italian troops, which had been all but beaten early in 1941. Aware that an Allied presence in North Africa could set up an invasion through Southern Europe, Hitler sent in General Erwin Rommel "The Desert Fox" to force the Allies out of North Africa. Rommel's "Afrika Korps" was very successful initially, but subsequently suffered from supply line disruptions and weakened forces. Led by famous field commanders such as U.S. Gen. George Patton and British Gen. Bernard Montgomery, the Axis' hold on North Africa eventually fell to the Allies' superior numbers and firepower. Operation Torch was the first major Allied campaign involving U.S. troops in WW2 and also saw the U.S. Army's first major airborne operation of the war. The success of Operation Torch gave the Allies a base from which to launch operations into Sicily and Italy, effectively opening a second front in Southern Europe to complement the Soviets on the Eastern Front.
For a more detailed account of North Africa in WW2, click here.
For a more detailed account of North Africa in WW2, click here.