Operation Vandal: The Invasion of Italy
Atlantic Theater Briefing: June 1942
Until this classification is altered by the President of the United States or the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the contents of this briefing are classified Top Secret. Under the Espionage Act of 1917, the transmission of this briefing in any format to unauthorized parties constitutes an act of treason, and will be prosecuted accordingly.
Situation Report
Despite initial difficulties in our landing operations, Northern Command has successfully liberated Norway from German occupation; enemy forces in that theater have been severed from resupply and reinforcement, and lack the capacity to conduct operations of any significant size. Accordingly, I will conclude Operation Fortitude as soon as we crush the final German probe at Narvik, withdrawing Northern Command for operations elsewhere; accordingly,
CTF Yorktown is to be returned to the Pacific Theater ASAP. Though the return of the Norwegian government to Oslo is outside my purview, I recommend that
we officially liberate Norway as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Southern Command’s successful liberation of North Africa has secured a stable supply route for our invasion of the Italian mainland. The significant fraction of the
Regio Esercito trapped on the eastern side of the Suez Canal lacks the supply to mount significant offensive operations, neutralizing roughly one-third of the Italian army. Consequently,
I am recalling our Second Army from British service; the 11th Corps will guard the west bank of the Suez Canal, while the 6th and 9th Corps return to active duty elsewhere.
Formation Changes
Northern Command will return to England, where it will prepare for other offensive operations: depending on the progress of the Italian campaign, its elements may be deployed to northern Italy as part of Operation
Ostrogoth, or may open another front in Europe.
Additionally, Second Army will be recalled from British service, as a successful invasion of Italy will obviate the need for a campaign in the Middle East. Second Army’s 6th and 9th Corps will return to Libya in preparation for other operations; meanwhile, 11th Corps will remain in Egypt, guarding the western bank of the Suez Canal from a potential Italian counterattack.
Operation Vandal: Italian Invasion Plan
Strategic Objectives
Operation
Vandal is our first foray onto the European continent, and the first major land offensive that we have conducted in this war. Encompassing nineteen divisions, three major fleets, and nine wings of aircraft, this campaign has a single primary objective:
to force the surrender of the Kingdom of Italy.
Pre-Operational Deployments
Prior to the operation, Southern Command’s land forces will gather in Bengasi. During this accumulation, we will redeploy TRG
Buffalo from Bergen to Bengasi; simultaneously, TRG
Hippo will transport our AA brigades from Gibraltar to Bengasi, while TRG
Pelican will transport our four armored divisions and four artillery brigades still in the United States to Bengasi.
Once all of our transports in the Atlantic Theater have combined in Bengasi, and the majority of Fourth Army’s forces have arrived in the port, we will commence Operation
Vandal.
Landing Operations
Under the supporting fire of SAG
Texas, the U.S. Marine Corps will storm and capture the Italian fleet base at Taranto; once the city is captured, the Marines will form a defensive perimeter around the port until Southern Command’s forces relieve them. With Taranto under our control, we will transport Southern Command’s forces to the Italian mainland, prioritizing our armored forces.
Once all Southern Command forces arrive in Taranto, General Devers will assume local command of the invasion. Southern Command will advance steadily, with full support from our naval and air forces; its objectives encompass a line stretching from Rome through Perugia to Ancona, as well as capturing the port of Palermo in Sicily.
Naval and Air Operations
Throughout the operation, SAGs
Tennessee and
New York will be at the disposal of Southern Command; SSQs
Bobcat and
Raccoon will also be present to interdict hostile commercial and transport vessels. After its initial escort role, SAG
Texas – along with our Atlantic transports – will be redeployed to Bergen to transport Northern Command back to England for future operations.
Southern Command’s air forces, including seven fighter wings and two bomber wings, should be sufficient to dominate the skies above Italy and interdict the movement of Italian forces.
Post-Operation Deployments
Once we have secured a foothold in southern Italy, we should be able to break through the Italian lines and press northward through the Apennine mountains. Genova, Bologna, Milano, and Venezia will all be objectives of this second phase; capturing these four cities should force Mussolini’s fascist regime to surrender.
Follow-up Deployments: Operation Ostrogoth
Despite Italy’s commitment to the Eastern Front, we expect that the Italian army will rush back to defend its heartland once the scale of our invasion becomes apparent; we estimate that we have roughly two months before we encounter significant resistance. Accordingly, we may need to launch a second amphibious invasion of Italy, ensuring a swift conclusion to our Italian campaign.
If
Ostrogoth becomes necessary, the Marine Corps will invade and capture Genova; once the city is secure, we will deploy Second Army to begin pressing the Italian lines from the west, wedging the
Regio Esercito between Southern Command’s western and southern spearheads. This concentration of force should enable us to flank the Italian defenses; we can then advance to our second-stage objectives as previously described, forcing the surrender of Mussolini’s regime.
Conclusion
This offensive offers the potential to force the surrender of the Kingdom of Italy, potentially opening the path for an assault on Germany itself through former Austria. Additionally, capturing Italy would grant us an ideal position from which to strike at Hungary, Slovakia, or occupied Yugoslavia, granting us influence in these regions in our postwar negotiations with the advancing Soviet Union.
However, since Italy will have withdrawn its forces from the Eastern Front in response to our assault, the ongoing Soviet advance into Eastern Europe will likely accelerate as a result of our campaign; in light of the USSR’s historical behavior regarding “liberated” nations, this could result in the installation of anti-American regimes in Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia, and eastern Germany.
In light of these political issues, I request that Congress consider the following questions:
- The terms of surrender that we will offer to the Italian government: should we demand total surrender, or simply settle for the installation of a democratic government?
- The direction of any follow-up offensive after the conclusion of this campaign: should we immediately march northward to attack Germany, or launch offensives into the Balkan states?
- The relative importance of Italy vs. other fronts: should we focus on knocking Italy out of the war, even if that requires ignoring other potential opportunities? Or should we open another front in Europe, and risk the failure of both offensives?
- Post-war settlement with the Soviet Union: should we make an agreement to divide Europe between ourselves and the communists? If so, which countries should fall into our respective spheres of influence – and what will we do if they violate such an agreement?
Proposed: General Douglas A. MacArthur, C-in-C Atlantic
Approved: Wendell Willikie, President of the United States
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