The Forgotten Battle of Casablanca (1942)
The United States versus France
Operation Torch is a well-known facet of World War II. Allied forces landed in North Africa and forced the Germans out of Tunisia before pivoting towards their eventual invasion of Sicily in Operation Husky. What is not as well known is the major naval battle that erupted off the coast of Morocco in 1942 between the United States and Vichy France, during the opening phases of the invasion.
Despite theoretically having a common enemy in Nazi Germany, the political situation in North Africa was muddled and tense. The loyal Vichy administrators did not want to antagonize their new German overlords. Technically, at the time of Operation Torch, Vichy France was an independent and neutral nation. Under the stipulations of the treaty, France signed with Germany in 1940 after the fall of Paris, Vichy France had an obligation to defend its remaining colonies from invasion.
As the rumors of an impending Allied invasion of North Africa became more rampant, a debate was occurring between loyalist French leaders, American military planners, and average soldiers on the ground. Some French had no intention of fighting against the Americans, while others agreed that an American invasion was equally appalling to a German one.
