From Patton at Casablanca to Paratroopers over Oran
About This Footage
Reel 2 of Tunisian Victory (1944) follows the Allied fleet as Operation Torch begins in November 1942. Animated maps outline the three-pronged landings at Casablanca, Oran, and Algiers, designed to trap Rommel’s Afrika Korps between advancing Allied forces. As the armada sails through the Straits of Gibraltar, Major-General George Patton addresses his men before the battle. The landings meet mixed resistance: Vichy French shore batteries fire on Allied ships, prompting fierce naval retaliation at Oran, while Algiers surrenders after searchlights signal the ceasefire. The reel also features dramatic airborne footage of U.S. 2nd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment leaping over Oran to seize the Tafraoui and La Senia airfields. It concludes with intense fighting on Casablanca’s beaches as Patton’s forces battle ashore, marking the start of the Allied drive to liberate North Africa.
Part of this Complete Film
Tunisian Victory (1944): Allied Triumph in the North Africa Campaign