Invasion of Sicily: Allied Landings Trivia
What do you know about Invasion of Sicily:
Allied Landings?
Try this US World War 2 History Made Easy Quiz.
"Check Your Answers" at the end of the page.
 1)
Attacks by airborne forces are carried out just after midnight
on the night of the July 9-July 10. The American paratroopers
consists largely of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the
82nd Airborne, making their first combat drop. Who is the 505th
commander?
- Hank Stram
- Mark Reynolds
- Bob Marley
- James Gavin
2) The US parachutists are to drop east of
Ponte Olivo (some 5 miles inland from Gela) to block routes to
U.S. 1st Infantry Division's Gela bridgehead.
3) The British glider-borne troops are from
British 1st Air Landing Brigade. The British landings are
intended to seize the Ponte Grande, the bridge over the River
Anape just south of Syracuse and hold it until British forces
arrive from the beaches at Cassibile, some 7 miles to the south.
What is the British division?
- British 5th Infantry Division
- British 15th Infantry Division
- British 5th Armored Division
- British 25th Armored Division
4) Strong winds of up to 45 miles per hour
scatters aircraft widely off course and the US force is
scattered widely over south-east Sicily between Gela and
Syracuse. By July 14, about two thirds of the PIR have managed
to concentrate, and half the US paratroopers fail to reach their
rallying points.
True or False?
5) The British glider-landed troops fares
little better, with only 12 of the 147 gliders landing on
target. How many gliders crash at sea?
- 25 gliders
- 69 gliders
- 89 gliders
- 99 gliders
6) A platoon of the South Staffordshire
Regiment, who lands on target, captures Ponte Grande and fights
off counterattacks. More men rally to the sound of shooting and
by 6.30 a.m. 89 men are holding the bridge. By 11.30 a.m. a
battalion of 75th Infantry Regiment, 54 Infantry Division Napoli
arrived with some artillery. The British force holds out till
about 1530 hours until forced to surrender to Colonel Francesco
Ronco's 75th Infantry Regiment. From the surrender, how long
before the leading elements of 5th Infantry Division arrive?
- 15 minutes
- 45 minutes
- 1 hour 45 minutes
- 3 hours 45 minutes
7) Landings are made in the early hours of July
10 on twenty-six main beaches spread along 105 miles of the
southern and eastern coasts of the island between Licata in the
west and Cassibile in the east, with British and Canadian forces
in the east and Americans towards the west. This constitutes the
largest amphibious operation of World War II on terms of size of
the landing zone and number of divisions put ashore on the first
day.
8) By the evening of July 10, the seven Allied
assault divisions, three British, three American and one
Canadian, are well established ashore. What port has been
captured.
- Messina
- Syracuse
- Palermo
- Trapani
9) On July 11, Patton orders his reserve
parachute troops from the 504th PIR of the 82nd Airborne to drop
and reinforce the center. It seems that not every Allied unit
has received warning of the drop. Furthermore, the 144 C-47
transports arrive during an Axis air raid and are fired on by
the ships of the Allied landing fleet. There are 23 planes shot
down and 37 damaged. How many casualties result, from "friendly
fire."
- 29 casualties
- 129 casualties
- 229 casualties
- 329 casualties
10) Once the beachheads are secure, the 15th
Army Group Commander's plan is to split the island in half by
thrusting north through the Caltanissetta and Enna region to
deny the central Sicily east-west lateral road. A further push
north to Nicosia will cut the next lateral route and a final
push to San Stefano on the north coast will cut the coastal
route. Somewhat surprisingly to many, in new orders issued on
July 13, this task is given to Eighth Army, perhaps based on a
somewhat over-optimistic situation report by Montgomery on late
on July 12, while U.S. 7th Army is to continue their holding
role on Eighth Army's left flank despite what appears to be an
opportunity for them to make a bold offensive move. Who is the
15th Army Group Commander?
- General George Marshall
- General Sir Harold Alexander
- General Dwight Eisenhower
- General Mathew Ridgeway
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