During World War II the Italian city of Palermo, the regional capital and largest city of Sicily, was heavily bombed by both the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Force.

The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as the Battle of Sicily and Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis forces (Kingdom of Italy and Nazi Germany).

Palermo is the first city liberated by US forces in World War II. Many inhabitants of Palermo wave white flags and welcome the Americans. Montgomery’s mission to seize Messina, on the northeastern tip of Sicily, is slowed by stiff resistance from the German Hermann Göring Parachute Panzer Division.

Nov 18, 2009 · After defeating Italy and Germany in the North African Campaign (November 8, 1942-May 13, 1943) of World War II (1939-45), the United States and Great Britain, the leading Allied powers, looked...

The first German convoy, carrying German troops and with one Italian destroyer and three torpedo boats in escort, departed Palermo, Sicily, Italy for Tripoli, Libya.

Jul 10, 2020 · The U.S. drive to capture Palermo and western Sicily led to the capture of 53,000 Italian troops and 400 vehicles, while costing only 272 men. The fall of Palermo coincided with two important...

Aug 17, 2011 · The fall of Palermo on 22 Jul damaged the Italian morale tremendously, giving those in Italy who opposed Mussolini's pursue of war an opportunity to seek an armistice.

Officially, the "carpet bombing" of cities such as Palermo and Messina (so-called because it was to "lay the carpet" for Allied landings), like subsequent bombings in mainland Italy, was intended to destroy port facilities, anti-aircraft batteries, air fields, military bases, railway stations and certain factories.

Bombing raids on the cities of Sicily began at the same time as Italy's entry into the war. Palermo, for example, was reached for the first time on 23 June 1940, when French bombers - coming from Tunisia - hit the capital.

Within two weeks, Patton's forces had made it to the northern coast and had also captured the Sicilian capital of Palermo. Canadian forces made their way inland and could lay claim to taking Enna in the center of the island.