Bruce B.G. Clarke

Part 5: Art Gorham– Preparing in North Africa

The training in North Africa was intense and miserable.  The ground was extremely rocky and caused numerous injuries during parachute jumps and other training.  The heat, flies, and a shortage of water made conditions miserable.  In addition to the training and the conditions, the Regiment was visited by numerous dignitaries, including Generals Eisenhower, Patton, and Bradley, as well as French, Spanish, and Moroccan dignitaries.  Such visits required spit and polish and usually a parade.

The conditions in North Africa receded as a concern as the Regiment prepared to attack Sicily as part of Operation Husky.  The American parachute effort was limited to a Regimental Combat team in size by the number of aircraft available to make the jump.  General Ridgeway chose the 505^th to make the initial airborne assault (the 504^th Parachute Infantry Regiment was to follow the next day, designated as H+1) and attached the 3^rd Battalion of the 504^th to the 505^th for the assault.  Additionally, the initial assault was to include an artillery battalion, an engineer battalion, a medical company, and a signal detachment. 

The mission was simply described:

• Land during the night of D-1 in an area north and east of Gela and capture and secure the high ground there.
• Disrupt communication and movements of enemy reserves during the night.
• Be attached to the 1^st Infantry Division effective H+1 hours on D-day.
• Assist the 1^st Infantry Division in capturing and securing the landing field at Ponte Olivio.

The Regiment planned to land in four oval-shaped drop zones on and northeast of Ponte Dirillo.  This pattern of drop zones was to create a defense in depth.  Any enemy attacking from north-eastern Sicily would have to attack through all four battalions to reach the landing sites near Gela.  The critical area within the drop zone was a road intersection that formed a Y.  The Y was about seven miles east of Gela.  The Y was the critical regimental objective and that of the 1^st battalion.

The planned drop zones created a defense in depth to stop any attacks against the beach heads

On the first and second of July, the attack elements were airlifted to airfields of Kairouan in French Tunisia to stage for the upcoming attack.  The weather conditions were much improved compared to those they experienced in North Africa, thanks to a cool breeze from the Mediterranean.

The focus changed from training to planning as commanders studied aerial photos of Sicily.  On July 6, the men of the Regiment took time off to enjoy some barbecued beef prepared by their cooks and a canteen cup or so of beer, which some industrious supply sergeant had found.

Up to July 8^th, the departure date had been a closely held secret, but on that day, the chaplains offered communion to the troops.  Chaplain Wood noted that service attendance had been poor in the states, but on the 8^th, “attendance was high.”

The stage was now set for the parachute assault on fortress Europe that was to occur on the night of 9 July.