Operation Torch: Allied Strategy and Center of Gravity in North Africa

Allied End State, Critical Requirements, and Vulnerabilities

The desired end state for the Allies is complete control of North Africa from the Atlantic in the west to the Red Sea in the east. The primary obstacle to achieving this end state is readily described: the Axis controls the Mediterranean Sea, with only small exceptions on the far eastern and western ends. The British hold Alexandria and the Suez Canal on the eastern Mediterranean, and hold the island of Malta and the Straits of Gibraltar in the western Mediterranean. Due to Axis control of southern Europe — including, crucially, the Italian peninsula and Sicily — the Axis has reliable sea lines of communication (SLOC) and air lines of communication (ALOC) into the central portion of North Africa, where their troops are presently stationed in the Western Desert. Neither the Allies nor the Axis has reliable or useful land lines of communication (LLOC) in this theater.

The critical requirements for the Allies to achieve this end state are therefore to establish reliable bases on the north and northwest coasts in the regions of Casablanca, Oran, Algiers, and Tunis. This area is controlled by Vichy France, which is technically not part of the Axis and may offer less resistance to an Allied incursion. Gibraltar remains under Allied control but is surrounded by Spain, which is neutral but politically fascist and therefore potentially liable to join the Axis if threatened or if its neutrality is impinged upon. The establishment of bases must therefore be followed by a second critical requirement: taking control of French North Africa entirely — that is, the countries of French Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. This would have to be accomplished with an awareness of the ongoing Axis force buildup to the east, in the desert between Libya and western Egypt. If the Allies take too long in seizing French North Africa, the Axis could very well advance from what is presently its rearward flank.

The critical vulnerabilities of the Allies in establishing themselves are the potential reaction of the Vichy French and, to a lesser degree, of neutral Spain. Allied defense of Gibraltar and Malta would therefore be a necessary component of any invasion strategy, especially given the possibility that Spain might enter the conflict and greatly complicate Allied goals. The other critical vulnerability is the presence of a substantial Axis force presently fighting British Allied forces in the Western Desert. The threat of these forces moving westward in the event of an Allied invasion that meets little French resistance is estimated as a greater problem than potential French resistance itself. If Rommel reaches Tunis before the Allies do, this represents a potentially insurmountable obstacle. However, given the Axis's primary focus on fighting the Russians at this time, it is unlikely that their overall strategy could shift quickly enough to establish more substantial ALOC and SLOC to provide the necessary logistical support. Speed — in establishing bases and taking French North Africa — appears to be the most crucial factor for the Allies.