What was the significance of Sicily during World War 2?

Answer 1

After the German forces in North Africa surrendered, the Allies had to find a location to advance towards Germany. There were several possibile areas they could launch an amphibious attack. 1: Southern France, 2; Corsica or Sardena, 3 Sicily, or 4; Greece or other regions further to the East. Sicily was choosen. They used several diversionary plans to mislead the Germans. However, Germany re-inforced Sicily with Italian forces and the Herman Goring Division, all under the command of the Italian Commando Supremo. The HG Division was placed basically in the center of the island so they could strike where the landing site. They expected the landings to be on the North side of the island but it was on the South. The invasion of Sicily was the first major amphibious landing with massed troops at one place and one time in the European Theater. The fighting was rough and there were a lot of mistakes; American paratrooper aircraft where shot down by friendly fire and British paratrooper aircraft crashed into the sea. Sicily was unique in the British and American paratroopers were dropped there and also German paratroopers were dropped to re-inforce their positions. The fighting in Sicily lasted only 2 months; July and August. The terrible fighting in Sicily and the Allied bombing of Rome, convinced the Italian civilians and their government that they were tired of the war and did not want to subject their country to the destruction of war. The Italian leaders secretly began negotiations for terms of surrender but they did not announce it until 8 September 1943, on the eve of the landings at Salerno, just south of Naples.