The Importance of the Invasion of Sicily

On July 10, 1943, the Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, commenced, landing more assault troops on its first day than the Normandy landings would 11 months later. The campaign is often associated with the 1970 film "Patton," which depicts U.S. Lt. Gen. George S. Patton racing to Messina and waiting for British Lt. Gen. Bernard Montgomery’s column, a scene that simplifies the campaign to a rivalry between the two generals.