Action in Morroco

Does anybody have any info/links on anything that happened in Morroco? From deployment to any skirmishes to battles. Looking for detailed info and coming up empty.

 

Have you watched the movie Casablanca ? No big battles but it is all I can think of off hand.

Casablanca (film - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

 

You might get some information here. I did not read it all but Patton wrote a nasty letter to the Sultan.

North Africa

 

Hey OTF,

If your looking for a ton of great information on the action in North Africa, I highly recommend the book "An Army At Dawn" by Rick Atkinson. He gets VERY detailed about the actions that took place in Morocco, North Africa.

Kind Regards,
MARNE

 

you may try by typing geographical and battle or army names in French such as "Maroc 1942" or "opération Torch Maroc 1942" or "bataille Casablanca" "france libre maroc" or "américains maroc 1942" Marocco was part of the French Empire and many articles about this period were written in French (hopefully with English versions ) . I'll be away for the day, but I'll see if I can find something tomorrow.

 

Yeah Skip, i did come up with some links from those phrases, some I was able to translate and extract some info.

Marne, I will definetly be picking up that book and diving into that after 2 books on my list. Appreciate it!

 

Glad I could help! If I come up with more key words, I will gladly add them.

 

I'll second the recomendation of 'Army At Dawn'.

In short: The ultra conservative military governor of Morroco, Gen Nogues, kept his soldiers fighting the US Army longer than any other Vichy leader in Africa. Pattons corps suffered over 300 casualties in three days of combat.

Ironically slightly over 300 US & British soldiers died in Morroco & Algeria in November at French hands. However the French military governor of Tunisia ordered his soldiers to stand back and allow the Germans to take over the airfields and ports. Not a single German soldier died in combat in that critical week of November in Tunisia.

Nogues remained in place as governor of Morroco after the cease fire. under his leadership pro Allied French officers were relived of their dutys and several 'disappeared' into the French military prison. Nogues chief of his Second Department (Intelegence) begain passing (through Spain) to Germany everything that could be collected on Pattons corps. Meanwhile Patton wined & dined Nogues and traded parades. Eventually US/BRitish intellegence made Ike aware of Nogues duplicity and the French were required to have the pro Allied officers released. After DeGaulle took control of the North African governance the pro German French leaders were finally removed.

 

Bah, this Casablanca was much better!

 

I'll drink to that ! :cheers:

 

Just ordered an army at dawn on half.com for $1.50. I'll be letting you know when I get into everyone, thank you again.

My parents live there now so I am wondering what to go see when I go to visit next.

 

OTF,

A couple of places to definitely see is the Fedela landing beaches, Fort Blondin, Casablanca(of course)....

Kind Regards,
MARNE