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James Holland
SICILY ’43
The First Assault on Fortress Europe
Atlantic Monthly Press
New York
About the Author
James Holland is a historian, writer and broadcaster. The author of a number of bestselling histories including Battle of Britain, Dam Busters and, most recently, Normandy ’44, he has also written nine works of historical fiction, including the Jack Tanner novels.
He is currently writing the final volume of an acclaimed new history of the Second World War, The War in the West. He has presented – and written – a large number of television programmes and series for the BBC, Channel 4, National Geographic, and the History and Discovery channels.
James is co-founder of the Chalke Valley History Festival and of WarGen.org, an online Second World War resource site, and presents the Chalke Valley History Hit podcast. He also presents We Have Ways of Making You Talk, a podcast with Al Murray in which they discuss the Second World War. A fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he can be found on Twitter and Instagram as @James1940.
A three-part documentary series based on his bestselling book Normandy ’44 can be found on Normandy44.info and Amazon Prime under the same title.
Also by James Holland
Non-fiction
FORTRESS MALTA
TOGETHER WE STAND
HEROES
ITALY’S SORROW
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN
DAM BUSTERS
AN ENGLISHMAN AT WAR
THE RISE OF GERMANY
THE ALLIES STRIKE BACK
BIG WEEK
NORMANDY ’44
Fiction
THE BURNING BLUE
A PAIR OF SILVER WINGS
THE ODIN MISSION
DARKEST HOUR
BLOOD OF HONOUR
HELLFIRE
DEVIL’S PACT
For my oldest friend and best man, Giles Bourne
Picture Acknowledgements
All photographs have been kindly supplied by the author except those listed below. Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders; those overlooked are invited to get in touch with the publishers.
1 Pantelleria under attack: © Imperial War Museum CNA 902.
2 All other images on page 1: Courtesy National Archives and Records Administration, USA
3 Me109 partially hidden beneath olive trees: Büschgens/Bundesarchiv, bild: 101I-421-2070-21
4 One of JG77’s Me109s at Trapani: Büschgens/Bundesarchiv, bild 101I-421-2070-10
5 American P-38 Lightning: Courtesy US Air Force Historical Research Agency
6 Two destroyed Me109s: Supplied by author
7 Abandoned and captured Luftwaffe Messerschmitts and Regia Aeronautica Macchis: Courtesy National Archives and Records Administration, USA
8 The allied commanders for HUSKY: © Imperial War Museum CNA 1075
9 Mussolini: AP/Shutterstock
10 Kesselring and von Senger: Supplied by author
11 RAF operations room in underground Lascaris bunker complex on Malta: Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna (The Malta Heritage Trust)
12 British troops loading LSTs for Operation HUSKY: National Army Museum
13 Rows of LSTs line up at Bizerte as US troops march aboard: Courtesy National Archives and Records Administration, USA
14 The invasion fleet under sail: National Army Museum
15 British glider-borne troops load up in Tunisia: © Imperial War Museum CNA 1002
16 US paratroopers aboard a C-47: Courtesy National Archives and Records Administration, USA
17 A Horsa glider en route to Sicily: Malta Aviation Museum
18 Very rough seas off Licata on D-Day: Courtesy National Archives and Records Administration, USA
19 The British XIII Corps invasion, with the high escarpment looking down on the invasion beaches: National Army Museum
20 British Tommies coming ashore: Supplied by author
21 A near miss sends a fountain of water high into the air near Avola: National Army Museum
22 The 231st Malta Brigade coming ashore on D-Day: National Army Museum
23 LST 313 destroyed at Gela: Courtesy National Archives and Records Administration, USA
24 Destruction of Liberty ship Robert Rowan: Courtesy National Archives and Records Administration, USA
25 Jam-packed transport vessels: Courtesy National Archives and Records Administration, USA
26 Light cruiser USS Brooklyn: Naval History Heritage Command
27 British troops move through Cassibile: National Army Museum
28 The destroyer HMS Tetcott firing on Augusta: National Army Museum
29 Canadian infantry push inland: © Imperial War Museum NA 4491
30 All other images on page 7: Courtesy National Archives and Records Administration, USA
31 The landscape around Mount Etna: National Army Museum
32 All other images on page 8, with the exception of middle left (Don Calogero Vizzini): Courtesy National Archives and Records Administration, USA
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