Operation Slapstick
Above: British soldiers on a ferry headed toward Taranto naval base. September 9, 1943
Operation Slapstick was an attack on Taranto, a largely used Italian port on the Italian mainland. It was launched by they British 1st Airborne Division on September 9, 1943, the day following the Italian military`s surrender to the Allied powers. However, German forces aimed to keep a strong hold of Italy. This attack was an idea quickly given by General Dwight David Eisenhower to distract the German military from the other Allied landing that day, codenamed "Operation Avalanche." This would take advantage of the fact that the Italian government, as a condition of surrender, had previously offered to simply give Taranto base to the Allies.
There was one obstacle, however: how the Allies were going to get to the port. Since this attack was planned on such short notice, the gliders and parachutes that were at the Allies` disposal were being used for the other two landings` air raids. There was only one option available: traveling by sea. Luckily for the Allied Powers, Great Britain still had ships from their Royal Navy.
The few Germans that came to resist this aggression were easily defeated by the Allies. This victory won the Taranto port for the Allies, which was the first of the several Allied supply points on the Italian coastline that they had planned to open. This strategy, however, ended up costing the Allies much more soldiers and money than they had originally expected.
Operation Slapstick was an attack on Taranto, a largely used Italian port on the Italian mainland. It was launched by they British 1st Airborne Division on September 9, 1943, the day following the Italian military`s surrender to the Allied powers. However, German forces aimed to keep a strong hold of Italy. This attack was an idea quickly given by General Dwight David Eisenhower to distract the German military from the other Allied landing that day, codenamed "Operation Avalanche." This would take advantage of the fact that the Italian government, as a condition of surrender, had previously offered to simply give Taranto base to the Allies.
There was one obstacle, however: how the Allies were going to get to the port. Since this attack was planned on such short notice, the gliders and parachutes that were at the Allies` disposal were being used for the other two landings` air raids. There was only one option available: traveling by sea. Luckily for the Allied Powers, Great Britain still had ships from their Royal Navy.
The few Germans that came to resist this aggression were easily defeated by the Allies. This victory won the Taranto port for the Allies, which was the first of the several Allied supply points on the Italian coastline that they had planned to open. This strategy, however, ended up costing the Allies much more soldiers and money than they had originally expected.