It's a very neatly conceived and executed documentary, as are most of the episodes in this series. "Operation Torch" was the code name for the British and American landings on the Vichy-held North African coast in 1942.
I don't think I'll try to explain all the anfractuous details of diplomacy, rivalry, allegiances, skullduggery, and so forth. It's enough to point out that, at this time, France had been beaten by Germany but allowed to continue as a friendly government in Vichy. She was also allowed to keep her colonies, including those in North Africa.
In Eastern North Africa, Rommel was withdrawing his troops towards Tunisia. The idea behind Operation Torch was to land Allied troops to Rommel's west and pin him between both Allied armies.
However, before any Allied landings could be launched, someone had to take the measure of the French troops and their leaders in Africa. The Vichy government in France was tied to Nazi Germany, after all. I don't think anyone succeeded. I'm not sure anyone could.
There were rivalries, not always friendly ones, between the British and Americans, and within each group, but they were nothing compared to the French, who seemed to be trying to elbow each other out of the way in order to be in command. DeGaulle was one of the more recedent figures, if you can believe it.
The "secret mission" of the title refers to a trip made on a British submarine (carrying a neutral American flag) by a team of Americans and commandos to meet with the French generals in North Africa in order to find a diplomatic solution to the problem. How would French troops, nominally loyal to the Nazi-dominated Vichy government, respond when thousands of British and American soldiers began landing on their shores. Would they be welcomed with bullets or flowers?
The American team was led by General Mark Clark. They were unable to come to any agreement and in fact barely escaped with their lives. But specialists on the team had uncovered enough information of tactical value that the landings were accomplished with less difficulty than would have been possible otherwise. If there's a hero, it's a British submarine called "Seraph."
I don't think I'll try to explain all the anfractuous details of diplomacy, rivalry, allegiances, skullduggery, and so forth. It's enough to point out that, at this time, France had been beaten by Germany but allowed to continue as a friendly government in Vichy. She was also allowed to keep her colonies, including those in North Africa.
In Eastern North Africa, Rommel was withdrawing his troops towards Tunisia. The idea behind Operation Torch was to land Allied troops to Rommel's west and pin him between both Allied armies.
However, before any Allied landings could be launched, someone had to take the measure of the French troops and their leaders in Africa. The Vichy government in France was tied to Nazi Germany, after all. I don't think anyone succeeded. I'm not sure anyone could.
There were rivalries, not always friendly ones, between the British and Americans, and within each group, but they were nothing compared to the French, who seemed to be trying to elbow each other out of the way in order to be in command. DeGaulle was one of the more recedent figures, if you can believe it.
The "secret mission" of the title refers to a trip made on a British submarine (carrying a neutral American flag) by a team of Americans and commandos to meet with the French generals in North Africa in order to find a diplomatic solution to the problem. How would French troops, nominally loyal to the Nazi-dominated Vichy government, respond when thousands of British and American soldiers began landing on their shores. Would they be welcomed with bullets or flowers?
The American team was led by General Mark Clark. They were unable to come to any agreement and in fact barely escaped with their lives. But specialists on the team had uncovered enough information of tactical value that the landings were accomplished with less difficulty than would have been possible otherwise. If there's a hero, it's a British submarine called "Seraph."
