Why We Fight ~ 1944

In this episode, I'm joined by Matthew Fraas, the US Army Transportation Museum's Education Specialist, and Matthew tells us about Army Transportation in 1943. This includes going into North Africa for Operation Torch, going into Sicily for Operation Husky, and then the invasion of mainland Italy beginning in September 1943. We talk lessons learned, lessons not learn, integrating capabilities, the importance of centralized control in military operations, and what the more modern fore calls Logistics Over the Shore (LOTS).

This is one of about 30 episodes that help tell the story of the Sicily Campaign in 1943.

Links

With the help of Dr. Greg Hospodor and Dr. Lee Windsor, here is part two of two episodes that tell the story of the Sicily Campaign, beginning with Operation Husky. This second part includes the Battle of Troina and the Axis escape from Sicily.

This is one of about 30 episodes discussing Sicily in 1943.

Links

Dr. Lee Windsor (⁠https://www.unb.ca/faculty-staff/directory/arts-fr-history/windsor-lee.html⁠)

Dr. Greg Hospodor - Bitter Victory? The Allied Campaign for Sicily Revisited (⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f060mKeIWIw⁠)

With the help of Dr. Greg Hospodor and Dr. Lee Windsor, here is part one of two episodes that tell the story of the Sicily Campaign, beginning with Operation Husky. The second part will include the Battle of Troina and the Axis escape from Sicily.

This is one of about 30 episodes discussing Sicily in 1943.

Links

Dr. Lee Windsor (https://www.unb.ca/faculty-staff/directory/arts-fr-history/windsor-lee.html)

Dr. Greg Hospodor - Bitter Victory? The Allied Campaign for Sicily Revisited (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f060mKeIWIw)

Andrew Woods from the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park joins me again to talk more Army History, this time he shares the story of Captain Joseph Berry, and his unfortunate experiences on 11 July 1943 which marked the end of the war for him.

First Division Museum at Cantigny Park (https://www.fdmuseum.org/) 

In this episode, retired US Army Colonel Greg Fontenot shares the third of three episodes on First Infantry Division history for this 1943 series, helping to show how the division formed and evolved into what we had in 1943 going into Sicily, and how 1ID sustained tactical excellence despite heavy casualties and turnover. This three-part episode can also be considered a representation of the typical development experienced throughout the US Army.

Links

The First Infantry Division and the US Army Transformed: Road to Victory in Desert Storm, 1970-1991 (Amazon Affiliate Link ⁠https://amzn.to/43mvJ2e⁠)

In this episode, on the 80th anniversary of the start of Operation Husky, Dr. John Curatola, US Marine Corps veteran and Military Historian at the National WWII Museum, joins me to talk about the components of amphibious assaults, how the Marine Corps ultimately made Operation Husky and all of these amphibious operations possible, and how the Allies in general, but the American Forces specifically are learning organizations and, at this time, 10 July 1943, they were learning organizations under fire. John also shares some quotes he included when writing his most recent book, which will hopefully be available before too long. In the meantime, I'll link to some of his other work below.

Links

In this episode, Dr. Greg Hospodor, US Army TRADOC Chief of Military History Education and Curriculum, and Dr. Lee Windsor, Fredrik Eaton Chair in Canadian Army Studies at the University of New Brunswick and co-Director of The Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society, join me to talk about the planning and prep for Operation Husky and part of the evolution in Joint Coalition Warfare that the Allies would have to undergo in order to make Normandy a success. But a year before Operation Overlord, the Allies had to succeed in Sicily.