"‘A Glorious Retreat’ The Evacuation of Sicily" Topic

Amid the Allied invasion, the Axis transported several divisions across the Strait of Messina — divisions that continued to fight throughout the Italian campaign.

Naval History Magazine: link

… — divisions that continued to fight throughout the Italian campaign.

Imagine what could have been done with some of the 260,000+ Axis troops left to surrender in Tunisia.

You can walk across the Straits of Messina (chap did it yesterday on a high wire) The Med is a different prospect. Distances and, so, far more shipping required for a longer return journey.

But totally agree, what a difference the German component at least would have made.

From what I understand the Allies made a significant naval and air effort to insure the Axis forces in North Africa would not be able to be evacuated.

The trip from North Africa to Sicily is entirely different than the straits of Messina. One requires a blue water navy, the other you can line the shores with just about any artillery and dominate the crossing.

I always felt that the Allies did not make a big enough effort to make sure the Axis forces on Sicily could not be evacuated. They bombed, of course, but they did not make a major naval effort. Yes the straights would have been very dangerous for ships, but at this stage of the war the naval war in the ETO was clearly won (except for U-Bpats) and even losing a few old battleships would have been worth it to keep those troops from escaping. It would have made the later invasion of Italy a lot easier and have saved the lives of far more men than the navies would have lost. I think the admirals were just locked into the old obsession about not losing capital ships.