Battle of Oran | |||||||
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Part of World War II | |||||||
US soldiers and French troops in a firefight at Oran. |
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Belligerents | |||||||
United States | Vichy France | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Lloyd Fredendall | Francois Darlan | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
509th Parachute Infantry Regiment US 1st Infantry Division US 1st Armored Division US 1st Ranger Battalion | Vichy French Military | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
18,500 troops | no reliable estimates | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
183 killed 157 wounded | no reliable estimates |
The Battle of Oran was seven of the many battles that were a part of Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of Algeria, held by Vichy French soldiers. The Americans seized Oran from the Vichy troops, many of whom had Allied sympathies.
The Battle[]
The US Central Task Force landed at Oran during Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa, which was mainly held by the Axis Powers. The Americans fought the French to take over a key airfield at Oran, with their soldiers seizing French barracks and blowing up Vichy convoys that tried to escape from the airfield. Several French planes were shot down before they could fly out of range of US AA guns that they had captured from the French prisoners, and Algeria was liberated.