Jump to Sicily

Author: Rugeruo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: A comprehensive record of classic World War II battle events. In 1943, General Eisenhower decided to land on Sicily. If they landed at sea, the Allies would have to engage in a fierce battle with the German forces guarding the Sicilian sea defenses. This strategically vital sea defense had been fiercely guarded by the Germans for four years, and in their eyes, Sicily was like an impregnable fortress. If the Allies fought head-on at sea, they would suffer heavy casualties and at least delay their victory in the European theater by a year. To preserve their strength, the Allies decided to deploy a new weapon—the U.S. paratroopers—to land in Sicily ahead of the main Allied force, tying down German troops and creating a precious opportunity for the Allied landing in Normandy. This batch of paratroopers, descending from the sky, completely reshaped American combat thinking. Yet, this chapter of history remains largely unknown. Sicily Airborne details the entire process—from the formation of the paratroopers, their training on U.S. soil and in North Africa, to their daring jump into the night, landing in heavily guarded Sicily. As the paratroopers infiltrated Sicily, the curtain of the decisive battle in the European theater had just begun to rise. However, due to the navigators' lack of experience, only about 100 paratroopers were accurately dropped near the target, while the remaining 80% or more were scattered far from the battlefield, ranging from one to sixty-five kilometers away. James Cowan, the U.S. Air Force commander, could not even confirm whether the land beneath his feet was Sicily. Equipped with only bayonets and hand grenades, the paratroopers faced German tank units almost defenseless. Yet, it was these scattered, nearly defenseless paratroopers who created a miracle in military history. The U.S. Air Force paid a heavy price for the Sicily airborne operation. However, its place in World War II history is irreplaceable. The "heavenly descent" marked the birth of a new strategy. It can be said that without this "heavenly descent" in Sicily, there might not have been the massive Allied air raid on France in 1944.