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N0KFQ > TODAY 11.08.12 18:15l 41 Lines 1829 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 26613_KB0WSA
Read: GUEST
Subj: Today in History - Aug 11
Path: IZ3LSV<IK2XDE<ON4HU<CX2ACB<LW6EKY<VE2PKT<N4JOA<N4ZKF<N0KFQ<KB0WSA
Sent: 120811/1534Z 26613@KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA BPQK1.4.52
Aug 11, 1943:
Germans begin to evacuate Sicily
On this day in 1943, German forces begin a six-day evacuation of
the Italian island of Sicily, having been beaten back by the
Allies, who invaded the island in July.
The Germans had maintained a presence in Sicily since the
earliest days of the war. But with the arrival of Gen. George S.
Patton and his 7th Army and Gen. Bernard Montgomery and his 8th
Army, the Germans could no longer hold their position. The race
began for the Strait of Messina, the 2-mile wide body of water
that separated Sicily from the Italian mainland. The Germans
needed to get out of Sicily and onto the Italian peninsula. While
Patton had already reached his goal, Palermo, the Sicilian
capital, on July 22 (to a hero's welcome, as the Sicilian people
were more than happy to see an end to fascist rule), Montgomery,
determined to head off the Germans at Messina, didn't make his
goal in time. The German 29th Panzergrenadier Division and the
14th Panzer Corps were brought over from Africa for the sole
purpose of slowing the Allies' progress and allowing the bulk of
the German forces to get off the island. The delaying tactic
succeeded. Despite the heavy bombing of railways leading to
Messina, the Germans made it to the strait on August 11.
Over six days and seven nights, the Germans led 39,569 soldiers,
47 tanks, 94 heavy guns, 9,605 vehicles, and more than 2,000 tons
of ammunition onto the Italian mainland. (Not to mention the
60,000 Italian soldiers who were also evacuated, in order to
elude capture by the Allies.) Although the United States and
Britain had succeeded in conquering Sicily, the Germans were now
reinforced and heavily supplied, making the race for Rome more
problematic.
73, K.O. n0kfq
N0KFQ @ KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA
E-mail: n0kfq@winlink.org
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