| Operation Corkscrew |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT OPERATION CORKSCREW | |
| world war ii operations and battles of the italian campaign | |
| corkscrew | |
| allied invasion of sicily | |
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The Allied focus returned to Pantellaria in early 1943. The radar installations and airfield on the island were seen as a real threat to the planned Invasion Of Sicily . In addition, there was an opportunity to assess the impact of preparatory bombardment upon heavily fortified defences. The intense ten-day air bombardment substantially reduced the defences and the Italian garrison surrendered when the British forces landed on the island. An assessment by Professor Sir Solly Zuckerman reported that the defences had been reduced to 47% effectiveness. The ease of the operation led to an optimistic assessment of the effectiveness of bombing, which was not always borne out in practice. The Italian garrisons on other nearby islands ( Linosa and Lampedusa ) quickly fell. This cleared the way for the invasion of Sicily a month later. EXTERNAL REFERENCES |
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