On the Road from Rabat

The objective of Operation Goa/post, part of the Western Task Force of Operation Torch, was to capture the coastal town of Mehdia, secure the Sebou River and, most importantly, take control of the airfield at Port Lyautey. The …

1942-11-09

Comp11

The objective of Operation Goa/post, part of the Western Task Force of Operation Torch, was to capture the coastal town of Mehdia, secure the Sebou River and, most importantly, take control of the airfield at Port Lyautey. The assualt began on November 8th, and did not go as planned. Of particular concern was the Americans' exposed southern flank. Thus, on the morning of November 9th, the limited number of light tanks that had made it a shore the day before were sent to protect the flank from Vichy French armored reinforcements that were known to be moving northeast out of Rabat toward Port Lyautey on the Rabat-Tangier Highway. The Americans immediately made contact with enemy infantry and then took on the approaching enemy armor. Though they were outnumbered, the Americans soon had NGFS from the USS Savannah on their side.

Sw Of Port Lyautey, 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