Operation Torch was a joint British-American invasion of Vichy French North Africa during World War 2. In 1942, over 125,000 Allied troops landed in Morocco and Algeria to capture the region from German and Italian forces. The goal was to seize control of North Africa from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. While the initial landings were successful, the Allied forces had difficulty pushing into Tunisia and encountered strong resistance from German troops.

2. General Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and his

Afrika Korps were in North Africa and allied
with Italy
They pushed the British out of their area and

captured Libya and Egypt
The British were still present in that area, but

they were definitely not in control – they were
defending their territory
Britain asked the United States to invade and

overtake Northen Africa from Rommel

3. Operation to gain complete control of North Africa

This control would be over land from French

Morocco to Tunisia
The plan was to take this land from the current

ruler and then control North Africa from the
Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea
First offensive operation that the United States did

against Germany during WWII
The United States came by boat and landed in

three different places: Casablanca, Morocco;
Oran, Algeria; Algiers, Algeria

4. United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt

British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill

Western Task Force: Patton and his Western Task

Force from Hampton Roads, VA
Center Task Force: Major-General Lloyd

Fredendall
Eastern Task Forces from Britain under Lt. General

Kenneth Anderson (from America)
French military forces defending Northwest Africa

– Vichy Troops
General Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and his

Afrika Korps

6. 1942 – Roosevelt and Churchill discussed the

invasion and reached agreement to send troops
November 8, 1942 – 125,000 invaded French

North Africa under Eisenhower
November 11, 1942 – Gen Mark Clark arranged

an armistice agreement with the French
November 12, 1942 – Operation Torch ended


8. Casablanca, Morocco

190 miles south of Gibraltar

Atlantic Coast

Western Task Force

Oran, Algeria

280 miles east of Gibraltar

Center Task Force

Algiers, Algeria

220 miles east of Oran

Easter Task Force


10. The operation was a success after Admiral Jean

Darlan, the French Leader , agreed to a cease-fire
Most of the North African Frenchman sided with

Darlan but others joined Hitler’s forces in Tunisia
Eisenhower appointed Darlan as the leader of

North Africa but he was soon killed by an assassin
They attempted to go into Tunisia to take that land

over but were unsuccessful and German troops
pushed

11. The Eastern Task Force (in the west) advanced towards

Tunisia under Lt. General Kenneth Anderson
Called the “British Eighth Army”

Moved East

In the Far East, L. General Bernard L. Montgomery led

British troops
Moved West

Tried to catch Rommel in Between Anderson and

Montgomery’s troops
By Nov. 16, troops had advanced into Tunisia 400 miles.

German counter offenses on November 27 and December 1

forced the troops to withdrawal from Tunisia
“Campaign in Tunisia” – extension of Operation Torch did

not end until May 1943

12. Gordon, John. Joint Power Point Projection: Operation Torch.

10 May 2009
<http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/jfq_pubs/optorch4.pdf>.
Morrison, Samuel E. Operation Torch (North Africa

Invasion). 10 May 2009 <http://www.internet-
esq.com/ussaugusta/torch/index.htm>.
Operation Torch November 8, 1942. 10 May 2009

<http://www.worldwar2database.com/html/torch.htm>.
Operation Torch. 10 May 2009

<http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWtorch.htm>.