The Niscemi-Biscari Highway

During the initial invasion of Sicily, many American parachute units were given the task of blocking German movement towards the landing beaches. One such, the 3rd Battalion of the 504th Parachute Regiment, landed two miles northwest of Biscari. After gathering as many of the scattered troopers as possible, …

1943-07-10

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During the initial invasion of Sicily, many American parachute units were given the task of blocking German movement towards the landing beaches. One such, the 3rd Battalion of the 504th Parachute Regiment, landed two miles northwest of Biscari. After gathering as many of the scattered troopers as possible, the understrength battalion moved out towards the town of Niscemi. As they approached the Niscemi-Biscari highway, they encountered and captured two Italian anti-tank guns. With the newly acquired guns to bolster their defenses, the paratroopers dug in on positions covering the main highway. Not long after the Americans had finished laying mines, a German column approached, composed of mixed units of the Hermann Goring Division. Caught by surprise initially, the Germans soon recovered and pressed the attack.

Niscemi, Sicily

The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II, in which the Allies took the island of Sicily from the Axis powers. It began with a large amphibious and airborne operation, followed by a six-week land campaign, and initiated the Italian Campaign. To divert some of the Axis forces to other areas, the Allies engaged in several deception operations, the most famous and successful of which was Operation Mincemeat. Husky began on the night of 9–10 July 1943, and ended on 17 August. Strategically, Husky achieved the goals set out for it by Allied planners; the Allies drove Axis air, land and naval forces from the island and the Mediterranean sea lanes were opened for Allied merchant ships for the first time since 1941. The Italian leader, Benito Mussolini, was toppled from power in Italy and the way was opened for the Allied invasion of Italy. The German leader, Adolf Hitler, "canceled a major offensive at Kursk after only a week, in part to divert forces to Italy", resulting in a reduction of German strength on the Eastern Front. The collapse of Italy necessitated German troops replacing the Italians in Italy and to a lesser extent the Balkans, resulting in one fifth of the entire German army being diverted from the east to southern Europe, a proportion that would remain until near the end of the war.

German

American

Scenario Type = Standard