US Fifth Army

The US Fifth Army was one of the principal formations of the U.S. Army in the Mediterranean during World War II.

1. It was responsible for the defense of Algeria and Morocco. It was also given the responsibility for planning the American part of the invasion of mainland Italy. When was the unit activated?

• January 4, 1943
• February 6, 1943
• March 6, 1943

2. Who was the first commander of the Fifth Army?

• Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark
• Lieutenant General Michael McWeeny
• Lieutenant General Mark Reynolds

3. It first saw action during the assault landings at Salerno in September 1943. What was the operation name?

• Operation Quicksilver
• Operation Avalanche
• Operation Chuckwagon

4. Due to the low numbers of American troops available in theatre it was made up of one American and one British corps. What was the American corps?

• US VI Corps
• US X Corps
• US XX Corps

5. On January 22, 1944, VI Corps made a landing in Operation Shingle. Where did they land?

• Anzio
• Rome
• Florence

6. The US Fifth Army made numerous attacks on Monte Cassino. What was Monte Cassino?

• Benedictine monastery
• Gambling Casino
• Lutheran seminary

7. In the 2nd half of 1944, the Allied force on Italian Front within the US 5th Army and 8th British Army resembled more a multi-national force being constituted by: Americans (including segregated African/and/Japanese-Americans), British, French, members of French and British colonies (New Zealanders, Canadians, Indians, Gurkhas, Black Africans, Morrocans, Algerians, Jews and Arabs from the British Mandate in Palestine, South Africans), as well as Brazilians and exiled forces from Poland, Greece, former Czeckoslovakia and anti-fascist Italians.

• True or False?

8. In December 1944, who became the US Fifth Army commander?

• Lucian Truscott
• Abraham Sutton
• George Patton

9. In the final operations against the German Army Group C, the Eighth Army initiated the main offensive on the Adriatic coast, and then the Fifth Army also broke through the German defenses. The Fifth Army's break through was around what Italian city?

• Bologna
• Naples
• Palermo

10. Its role in Italy cost Fifth Army dearly. It suffered 109,642 casualties in 602 days of combat. 19,475 were killed in action. October 1945 saw Fifth Army deactivated in Italy. It was reactivated in Chicago under the command of Major-General John P. Lucas. When was it reactivated?

• June 1946
• December 1946
• February 1946

US Fifth Army Answers

1. January 4, 1943
2. Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark
3. Operation Avalanche
4. US VI Corps
5. Anzio
6. Benedictine monastery
7. True
8. Lucian Truscott
9. Bologna
10. June 1946

  Page 1 of 1