The Insane Move Germany Never Expected America to Make

By 1942, everything seemed to be going according to plan for the Wehrmacht. The German troops were dashing across Eastern Europe and Russia towards Stalingrad and the Caucasus, and the Soviets were desperately reeling before the onslaught.

Meanwhile, in Northern Africa, General Erwin Rommel had pushed the commonwealth forces back to Egypt, demonstrating the remarkable capabilities of German armed tactics.

Because of these victories, Hitler felt confident that the United States would mainly focus their efforts on the Pacific Theater, giving the Germans enough time to capture the Soviet oil fields that would supply their eventual confrontation against each other.

However, something unexpected happened.

In November, German and Italian intelligence detected a significant build-up of Allied ships near Gibraltar, but Germany disregarded the warning as simply another supply convoy to reinforce Malta.

The Italians, however, were not so sure, and they pleaded with Germany to investigate the anomaly. Still, Hitler had lost all faith in the Italians by then, and he refused their request.

The decision would prove costly for Germany, as what they believed to be a supply convoy was actually a transport fleet carrying 65,000 US servicemen, commanded by Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Operation Torch, the first American incursion on the Mediterranean, was about to begin…


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