Operation Torch was the Allied invasion of French North Africa between 8 and 16 November 1942 during World War II. It was intended to distract the Axis forces from the Eastern front and thereby relieve the Soviet Union of the pressure it was facing to fight them. The invasion led to Oran's surrender on 10 November and France's agreement to an armistice with the Allies. Involved were British and American forces, organized into the Western, Central and Eastern task forces, which landed on beaches near Casablanca, Oran, and Algiers, respectively.
Overview
Western Task Force â Morocco
Vice Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, USN
Task Group 34.1 covering force
: Battleship USS Massachusetts (Capt. Whiting)
: Heavy cruisers USS Wichita (Capt. Low) and USS Tuscaloosa (Capt. Gillette)
: Destroyers USS Wainwright, USS Mayrant, USS Rhind and USS Jenkins
: Tanker USS Chemung
Task Group 34.2 Carrier group
: Aircraft carrier USS Ranger (Capt. Durgin)
: Escort carrier USS Suwannee (Capt. Clark)
: Light cruiser USS Cleveland (Capt. Burrough)
: Destroyers USS Ellyson, USS Forrest, USS Fitch, USS Corry and USS Hobson
: Tanker USS Winooski
Task Group 34.8 Northern task force
: Battleship USS Texas (Capt. Pfaff)
: Escort carriers USS Sangamon (Capt. Wieber) and USS Chenango (Capt. Wyatt)
: Light cruiser USS Savannah (Capt. Fiske)
: Destroyers USS Roe, USS Livermore, USS Kearny, USS Ericsson, USS Parker, USS Hambleton, USS Macomb, USS Dallas and USS Eberle
: Submarine USS Shad
: Submarine tender USS Barnegat
: Minesweepers USS Raven and USS Osprey
: Tanker USS Kennebec
: 8 transport ships
Task Group 34.9 Center task force
: Heavy cruiser USS Augusta (Capt. Hutchins)
: Light cruiser USS Brooklyn (Capt. Denebrink)
: Destroyers USS Wilkes, USS Swanson, USS Ludlow, USS Murphy, USS Bristol, USS Woolsey, USS Edison, USS Tillman, USS Doyle and USS Rowan
: Submarines USS Gunnel and USS Herring
: 15 transport ships
: 6 mine hunting vessels
Task Group 34.10 Southern task force
: Battleship USS New York (Capt. Umsted)
: Escort carrier USS Santee (Capt. Sample)
: Light cruiser USS Philadelphia (Capt. Hendren)
: Destroyers USS Mervine, USS Knight, USS Beatty, USS Cowie, USS Quick, USS Doran, USS Cole, USS Bernadou, USS Rodman and USS Emmons
: Submarine USS Barb
: Tankers USS Housatonic and USS Merrimack
: 3 mine hunting ships
: 6 transport ships
US I Armored Corps
Major General George S. Patton, USA
Northern Attack Group (Mehedia)
Brig. Gen. Lucian K. Truscott (9,099 officers and enlisted)
: 60th Infantry Regiment (Reinforced) of 9th Infantry Division
: 1st Battalion of 66th Armored Regiment of 2nd Armored Division
: 1st Battalion of 540th Engineers
Centre Attack Group (Fedhala)
Maj. Gen. J. W. Anderson (18,783 officers and enlisted)
: 3rd Infantry Division
:: 7th Infantry Regiment (Reinforced)
:: 15th Infantry Regiment (Reinforced)
:: 30th Infantry Regiment (Reinforced)
Southern Attack Group (Safi)
Maj. Gen. Ernest N. Harmon (6,423 officers and enlisted)
: 47th Regimental Combat Team of 9th Infantry Division
: 3rd and elements of 2nd Battalion of 67th Armored Regiment of 2nd Armored Division
French forces in Morocco
Général de division Georges Lascroux
Covering Task Force - Force H - Mediterranean
ViceAdmiral Edward Neville Syfret, RN
Aircraft carriers , and
Battleships , and
Battle cruiser
light cruisers , and
17 Destroyers
Central Task Force â Oran
Commodore Thomas Hope Troubridge, RN
Escort carriers and
Light cruisers and
Anti-aircraft cruiser
Headquarters ship
1 anti-aircraft ship
13 Destroyers
4 sloops
6 Corvettes
8 mine hunters
8 Trawlers
2 Submarines
19 Landing ships
28 Transport ships
US II Corps
Major General Lloyd R. Fredendall, USA
Approx. 39,000 officers and enlisted
1st Infantry "Big Red One" Division (Maj. Gen. Terry Allen)
: 16th Infantry Regiment
: 18th Infantry Regiment
: 26th Infantry Regiment
1st Armored Division (Maj. Gen. Orlando Ward)
: Combat Command B
: 6th Armored Infantry Regiment
1st Ranger Battalion
2nd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment
Eastern Task Force â Algiers
Rear Admiral Sir Harold Burrough, RN
Aircraft carrier
Escort carrier
Light cruisers , and
Headquarters ship
Monitor
3 anti-aircraft ships
13 Destroyers
3 Sloops
6 Corvettes
7 Mine hunters
8 Trawlers
3 Submarines
17 Landing ships
16 Transport ships
Allied Landing Forces
Major General Charles W. Ryder, USA
Approx. 33,000 officers and enlisted
British (approx. 23,000)
: 78th Infantry Division (Maj. Gen. Vyvyan Evelegh)
:: 11th Infantry Brigade
:: 36th Infantry Brigade
: No. 1 Commando
: No. 6 Commando
: 5 squadrons of RAF Regiment
United States (approx. 10,000)
: 9th Infantry Division (Maj. Gen. Manton S. Eddy)
:: 39th Infantry Regiment
: 34th Infantry Division (Maj. Gen. Charles W. Ryder)
:: 135th Infantry Regiment
:: 168th Infantry Regiment
19th Army Corps (French Army in Algeria)
Notes
Citations
Bibliography