Sources Of Operation Torch Failure

“Show me a completely smooth operation and I'll show you someone who's covering mistakes. Real boats rock.” (Herbert, 1985) The Algerian-French-Morocco Campaign specifically Operation Torch is by far one of the most forgotten and rarely talked about operations during World War II (WW2). Operation Torch not only paved the way for a multi-national amphibious landing, but opened a 2nd front in the west giving Russian troops relief in the eastern front. The Algerian-French-Morocco Campaign became a massive testing ground of tactics, techniques and procedures that resulted in future successes during the Normandy invasion (Howe, 1993). Operation Torch could have been a major disaster if German Forces denied Allied Forces from turning local French
Churchill broke a stalemate between the members of CCS and approved Operation Torch. British Generals had already started planning a possible invasion of Northern Africa as Operation Super-Gymnast which was fortunate due to the training of British Officers on manning of landing crafts (Slee, 2017). Unlike the Americans, the British have been in learning from previous mistakes made one being at Dieppe (Slee, 2017). There were two major keys to success with this operation without both these the operation could have failed and caused heavy losses on both sides. One depended on American Forces having the ability to persuade Vichy Forces to not resist Allied forces and two German Forces not knowing of the operation. The French especially the Vichy Forces had a strong distrust towards the British due to Mr. Churchill calling a bombardment of a French Fleet at Algerian port of Mers-el-Kebir. The attack on the French Fleet resulted with 1,297 French Sailors dead and 350 wounded, creating resentment against the British (Silverster, 2009). Due to this issue when planning for Operation Torch extra planning considerations had to come into play. Landing forces were divided into three forces; The Western Assault Force, The Central Task Force and The Eastern Task Force. The Western Assault Force led by MG Patton comprised of 35,000 American troops whose objective was to seize Casablanca. The Central Task Force led by MG Frendendall had 18,500 American troops that would increase to 39,000 troops with the objective of Oran. The Eastern Task Force led by British LTG Anderson who led 10,000 Americans and 10,000 British troops with the objective of Algiers. MG Clark led a group of U.S. diplomats to Gibraltar to help rally the French Vichy to the Allied side in hopes of not having to fight 120,000 French Vichy troops stationed in North Africa. This was a bold move since MG Clark had to give up