Rocking the Kasbah

During Operation Goalpost, to get to Port Lyautey by road or vía the Sebou River, the Americans had to get past a Vichy French controlled 16th-century citadel in Mehdia, known to the Americans as the Kasbah. The Kashah was heavily …

1942-11-08

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During Operation Goalpost, to get to Port Lyautey by road or vía the Sebou River, the Americans had to get past a Vichy French controlled 16th-century citadel in Mehdia, known to the Americans as the Kasbah. The Kashah was heavily armed and heavily fortified, but initially was lightly manned. The green American troops failed in their assaults on the Kasbah time after time, and even succumbed to counterattacks. A prolonged battle was on. For the Americans, taking the Kasbah was truly a baptism by fire.

Mehdia, Morroco

Operation Torch was an Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. The French possessions in the area were ruled by the Vichy French, formally aligned with Germany but of mixed loyalties. Reports indicated that they might support the Allies. American General Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied forces in the European Theater, planned a three-pronged attack on Casablanca (Western), Oran (Center) and Algiers (Eastern), then a rapid move on Tunis. The goal of Operation Torch was to open a second front in Europe, as per request of Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union.

Wikipedia: Operation Torch

American

Vichy France