By Lloyd Williams, Lt. Cdr., RCNVR
There were to be three sites in North Africa:
1. Casablanca would be entirely American and originated in the US with 31,000 men. Its escort included two battleships, five cruisers, four carriers and 29 destroyers.
2. Oran would be American troops based in the UK totalling 19,000 troops. Its escort included one battleship, three carriers, three cruisers and 12 destroyers with accompanying corvettes, sloops, sweepers and submarines - all RN. (see above map)
3. Algiers was of mixed forces; 9,000 US and 11,000 British. Its escort included four cruisers and 12 destroyers.
"Convoy carrying troops and supplies - invasion of North Africa" Photo Credit
"Allied troops landing on a beach near Algiers" Photo - Encyclopædia Britannica
All in all 340 ships passed through the Straits of Gibraltar in 33 hours beginning at 1930 on November 5, 1942 and ending at 0400 November 7, 1942 at 2230. All six landing groups were in position at their release points - two miles seaward off their beacon submarines. Canada's 16 Corvettes transferred for Torch are noted elsewhere... including the two which were unfortunately lost.**
All information regarding Operation Torch was a very guarded secret, so secret that only a handful of men in the highest planning circles knew its details. Along with a sketchy outline of the plan, some of the requirements and conditions were made known. Assault convoys and reinforcement convoys moving from the US and the UK to the Mediterranean were expected to come under heavy attack by submarine and from the air. The escort forces much larger than usual would be required and Canadian Corvettes particularly in these convoys.
At Oran, first the Walney, which charged the Boom at 15 knots, and then the Hartland which followed her, were fired upon, burst into flames and only Cpt. Peters and five of the landing party to go ashore survived. The crew of the Hartland were more fortunate. Although they suffered heavy losses they were able to abandon ship before she sank. Peters was awarded the VC but ironically was killed in an air crash on the way back to the UK.
At Algiers the two lead ships were the destroyers Broke and Malcolm. On their approach to the harbour the Malcolm was hit in the boiler room off the entrance and withdrew. Broke got in at 0530 on her fourth attempt. At each of these three landings at Oran something went wrong.
The westerly force encountered a small French convoy a few miles short of the beach in a fashion somewhat similar to Dieppe. This caused delay to the minesweepers which were leading the way in so that they were overtaken by the Personnel Ships. Captain Allen (SNOL) decided to take a chance and go ahead without them, but there was some confusion which was added to by a westerly current and the non-appearance of a motor launch which was supposed to pilot the landing craft to their allotted beach. As a result the second wave got ashore before the first but there was no opposition and it did not matter.
At Oran's Y Beach, Les Andalouses, there was a shelf of sand running the whole length of the sector, five or six yards off shore with five feet of water inside it. Air photos had not revealed the sand bar and it came as a complete surprise. Many landing craft damaged their rudders and propellors as they bumped over it and many broached to.
At Arzew, Z Beach had been selected for the biggest of the three landings. The assault craft lost cohesion and instead of touching down simultaneously, they arrived over a period of more than twenty minutes. The American commander insisted in sending so much gear ashore with his men that the landings from the LCM Flotilla were delayed by nearly two hours and the whole program fell more and more behind clock. The troops went ashore greatly overloaded and here again, any opposition would have been disastrous.
*The editor assumes the first landing (inferred) was at Dieppe, 3 months earlier
**Canadian Corvette Support: (In August, 1942, the Admiralty requested the loan of a number of Corvettes to support Operation TORCH. The RCN lent 16 of its own Corvettes and 1 RN Corvette) Alberni, Algoma, Baddeck, Calgary, Camrose, Kitchener, Louisburg (lost), Lunenburg, Moose Jaw, Port Arthur, Prescott, Regina, Summerside, Ville de Quebec, Weyburn (lost), Woodstock, Nasturtium (HMS)
The above story from St. Nazaire to Singapore: The Canadian Amphibious War, Vol. 1 is found on pages 115 - 116
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