View source for Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army

{{Short description|Military unit}}
{{About|the [[United States Army]]'s Mediterranean Theater of Operations|details of campaigns in the theater |Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II}}
{{use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}

{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (1942–1944)<br/>Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (1944–1947)
| start_date = 4&nbsp;February&nbsp;1943
| end_date = 17&nbsp;September&nbsp;1947
| country = {{flagu|United States|1912}}
| battles = {{ubl | [[Operation Torch|French Algeria-French Morocco]] |  [[Tunisia Campaign|French Tunisia]] | [[Operation Husky|Sicily]] | [[Allied invasion of Italy|Naples-Foggia]] | [[Operation Shingle|Anzio]] | [[Trasimene Line|Rome-Arno]] | [[Operation Dragoon|Southern France]] | [[Gothic Line|Northern Apennines]] | [[Spring 1945 offensive in Italy|Po Valley]]}}
| notable_commanders = {{ubl|[[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] | [[Jacob L. Devers]] | [[Joseph T. McNarney]] | [[Matthew B. Ridgway]] | [[John C. H. Lee]]}}
| identification_symbol = [[File:NATOUSA shoulder sleeve insignia.svg|110px]]
| identification_symbol_label = Shoulder sleeve insignia
}}
The '''Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army''' ('''MTOUSA'''), originally called the '''North African Theater of Operations, United States Army''' ('''NATOUSA'''), was a [[military formation]] of the [[United States Army]] that supervised all U.S. Army forces which fought in [[North African campaign|North Africa]] and [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italy]] during [[World War II]].

United States Army operations in the theater began with [[Operation Torch]], when [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] forces landed on the beaches of northwest Africa on 8 November 1942, and concluded in the Italian Alps some 31 months later, with the [[Surrender of Caserta|German surrender in Italy]] on 2 May 1945. For administrative purposes, U.S. components were responsible to Headquarters North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (NATOUSA), which was created 14 February 1943. NATOUSA was redesignated Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA), on 26 October 1944.

== Origins ==
[[File:ETO Boundary changes 1942-1943.jpg|thumb|right|ETO Boundary changes 1942-1943]]
[[Allied Force Headquarters]] (AFHQ)  was created on 12 September 1942 to launch [[Operation Torch]], the Allied invasion of [[French North Africa]]. At the time, this was within the boundaries of the [[European Theater of Operations, United States Army]] (ETOUSA). The initial [[Commander-in-Chief]] (C-in-C) of the Allied (Expeditionary) Force, was [[Lieutenant general (United States)|Lieutenant General]] [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]. Lieutenant General [[Mark W. Clark]] was deputy commander-in-chief. As [[Supreme Allied Commander]], Eisenhower controlled the ground forces through [[Major general (United States)|Major General]] [[George S. Patton Jr]], Major General [[Lloyd R. Fredendall]], and British [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-General]] Sir [[Kenneth Anderson (British Army officer)|Kenneth Anderson]]. The naval forces were commanded by British [[Admiral (Royal Navy)|Admiral]] Sir [[Andrew Browne Cunningham]], and the air forces by [[Air Marshal]] Sir [[William Welsh (RAF officer)|William Welsh]] and [[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]] [[James H. Doolittle]].{{sfn|Howe|1977|pp=3, 32-37}}

== North African Theater of Operations ==
The North African Theater of Operations (NATO) included French Africa, Spain, Portugal and Italy.{{sfn|Ruppenthal|1953|p=112}} For administrative purposes, US forces were controlled by Headquarters North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (NATOUSA), which was activated in [[Algiers]] on 4 February 1943.{{sfn|Howe|1977|pp=495-496}} Eisenhower commanded both the Allied Force and NATOUSA.{{sfn|Blumenson|1969|p=9}} The boundaries of NATOUSA were not the same as those of the Allied theater, and included all of French North Africa, Spain, Portugal, Austria and Switzerland.{{sfn|Clarke|Smith|1993|p=24}}

Brigadier General [[Everett S. Hughes]], who had been responsible for the logistical planning of Operation Torch at ETOUSA, arrived in North Africa on 12 February 1943 to become the deputy theater commander and commanding general of the [[Communications Zone]]. The three base sections, the Atlantic Base Section at [[Casablanca]], the Mediterranean Base Section at [[Oran]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=United States Army |title=Mediterranean Base Section Part_02 |url=https://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p4013coll8/id/1672/ |access-date=2024-06-04 |website=cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org |language=en}}</ref> and the Eastern Base Section at [[Constantine, Algeria|Constantine]], became part of the [[Services of Supply]], North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (SOS NATOUSA), commanded by Major General [[Thomas B. Larkin]], which was responsible for the logistical support of U.S. Army forces in the Mediterranean.{{sfn|Howe|1977|pp=495-496}}

British [[General (United Kingdom)|General]] Sir [[Harold Alexander]] became commander of the British [[18th Army Group]], which was activated on 19 February 1943, and was responsible for the detailed planning and preparation, and the actual conduct, of combat operations. In effect, Alexander was the ground commander. Air forces were grouped under the Mediterranean Air Command under [[Air Chief Marshal]] Sir [[Arthur Tedder]], which became active the day before. This included the US [[Ninth Air Force|Ninth]] and [[Twelfth Air Force]]s.{{sfn|Howe|1977|pp=492-493}}
[[File:General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, the Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean Theatre, in Italy, 30 April 1944 TR1767.jpg|thumb|left|British [[General (United Kingdom)|General]] Sir [[Henry Maitland Wilson]] (right), the Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean Theatre, with his American deputy,  [[Lieutenant general (United States)|Lieutenant General]] [[Jacob L. Devers]], who also commanded the American NATOUSA. ]]

For the [[Allied invasion of Sicily]], Alexander was appointed Eisenhower's deputy commander in chief and responsible for ground warfare, while Cunningham and Tedder remained the naval and air commanders respectively.{{sfn|Garland|Smyth|1965|pp=10-11}} Having overseen the early stages of the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian Campaign]], Eisenhower left AFHQ on 8 January 1944 and returned to England to assume command of the forces assembling for [[Operation Overlord]], codename for the Allied [[Normandy landings|landings in Northwest Europe]]. He was succeeded as [[Supreme Allied Commander]] in the Mediterranean by British General Sir [[Henry Maitland Wilson]]. Lieutenant General [[Jacob L. Devers]] became Wilson's Deputy Supreme Commander and also the commanding general of NATOUSA.{{sfn|Blumenson|1969|pp=294-295}}

[[Operation Dragoon]], the Allied landings in Southern France, was conducted by the Mediterranean Theater. An advance echelon of SOS NATOUSA was organized in Italy and arrived at [[Dijon]] on 12 September to control the Delta Base Section and Continental Advance Section (CONAD).{{sfn|Bykofsky|Larson|1957|p=299}} SOS NATOUSA became Communications Zone (COMZONE) NATOUSA on 1 October,{{sfn|Dworak|2011|p=356}} Lieutenant General [[Joseph T. McNarney]] succeeded Devers as the Deputy Commander of NATOUSA on 22 October, allowing Devers to devote all his time and energy to running the [[Sixth United States Army Group|6th Army Group]] in France.{{sfn|Clarke|Smith|1993|p=323}} The 6th Army Group was activated on 1 August,{{sfn|Clarke|Smith|1993|p=30}} and it became operational in France on 15 September.{{sfn|Clarke|Smith|1993|p=224}}

NATOUSA was redesignated Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA), on 1 November 1944, and no longer had any responsibilities in Southern France. MTOUSA boundaries were considerably diminished (on the north) from those of NATOUSA, and U.S. Army forces in southern France passed to the administrative control of ETOUSA.{{sfn|Clarke|Smith|1993|p=24}} The forces in Southern France had their own line of communications from MTOUSA, but by February 1945 the integration of the Southern Line of Communications (SOLOC) with ETO Communications Zone had progressed to the point where the SOLOC headquarters was superfluous, and SOLOC was abolished on 6 February 1945.{{sfn|Ruppenthal|1959|p=45}}

Wilson remained Supreme Allied Commander for just under a year, until 21 November 1944, when he was sent to Washington to head of the [[British Defence Staff – US|British Joint Staff Mission]],{{sfn|Mead|2007|p=495}} a position rendered vacant by the death of [[Field marshal (United Kingdom)|Field Marshal]] Sir [[John Dill]] on 4 November 1944.{{sfn|Mead|2007|p=124}} Wilson was succeeded by Field Marshal Sir [[Harold Alexander]],{{sfn|Fisher|1977|p=399}} who remained until the end of the war.{{sfn|Mead|2007|pp=45-46}}

Headquarters MTOUSA and General Headquarters CMF formally separated from AFHQ on 1 October 1945,<ref name="nara" /> leaving AFHQ to consist of a small interallied staff responsible for combined command liquidation activities and commanded by British Lieutenant General  Sir [[William Duthie Morgan]] as Supreme Allied Commander Mediterranean.{{sfn|Mead|2007|p=520}} AFHQ was abolished, effective 17 September 1947, by General Order 24, AFHQ, 16 September  1947.<ref name="nara">{{cite web |title=Records of Allied Operational and Occupation Headquarters, World War II  |date= 15 August 2016 |publisher= National Archives |url=https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/331.html |access-date=14 January 2022}}</ref> McNarney was succeeded as Deputy Theater Commander and Ccommanding general MTOUSA by Lieutenant General [[Matthew B. Ridgway]], who in turned was succeeded in December 1945 by Lieutenant General [[John C. H. Lee]], who commanded through 1946 and 1947.{{sfn|Cox|2018|pp=213–215}}

The Africa-Middle East Theater of Operations was "established on March 1, 1945, was mainly concerned with the liquidation of the Army's property holdings and other interests in Africa, Palestine, and the Persian Gulf area. The North African installations of the Mediterranean Theater and its base commands at Casablanca were transferred to the new Theater in March 1945; the [[Liberia in World War II|United States Army Forces in Liberia]] were transferred to it in April 1945."<ref name="ibiblio2">{{Cite web|title=HyperWar: Federal Records of WWII--Military Agencies [Part IV--Theaters]|url=https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/ATO/FRWW2-II/FRWW2-4.html|access-date=2021-12-31|website=www.ibiblio.org}}</ref> "The United States Army Forces in Liberia were subsequently under the North African Service Command, which was the former Mediterranean Base Section, at Casablanca. By 1946 all [the Town Commands] except the agency at Casablanca were discontinued."<ref name=ibiblio2/>

==Campaigns==
{{See also|U.S. campaigns in WWII}}
* [[Operation Torch|Algeria-French Morocco]] (Allied invasion of French North Africa) 8–11 November 1942<ref name="campaigns">{{cite web |title=Listing of the Campaigns of the U.S. Army Displayed on the Army Flag  |publisher= U.S. Army Center of Military History |url=https://history.army.mil/html/reference/campaigns.html#CAMPwwii |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080530015853/http://www.history.army.mil/html/reference/campaigns.html#CAMPwwii |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 May 2008 |access-date=13 January 2022}}</ref>
* [[Tunisia Campaign|Tunisia]] 17 November 1942 – 13 May 1943<ref name="campaigns" />
* [[Operation Husky|Sicily]] 9 July-17 August 1943<ref name="campaigns" />
* [[Allied invasion of Italy|Naples-Foggia]] 18 August 1943 – 21 January 1944 (Air); 9 September 1943 – 21 January 1944 (Ground)<ref name="campaigns" />
* [[Operation Shingle|Anzio]] 22 January-24 May 1944<ref name="campaigns" />
* [[Trasimene Line|Rome-Arno]] 22 January-9 September 1944<ref name="campaigns" />
* [[Operation Dragoon|Southern France]] 15 August-14 September 1944<ref name="campaigns" />
* [[Gothic Line|Northern Apennines]] 10 September 1944 – 4 April 1945<ref name="campaigns" />
* [[Spring 1945 offensive in Italy|Po Valley]]  5 April-8 May 1945<ref name="campaigns" />

==A theater of operations==
[[Image:Theater of operations.gif|thumb|right|Chart 12.- Typical organization of a theater of operations as envisaged by War Department Doctrine, 1940]]
{{blockquote|The term "theater of operations" was defined in the [American] field manuals as the land and sea areas to be invaded or defended, including areas necessary for administrative activities incident to the military operations (chart 12). In accordance with the experience of World War I, it was usually conceived of as a large land mass over which continuous operations would take place and was divided into two chief areas-the combat zone, or the area of active fighting, and the communications zone, or area required for administration of the theater. As the armies advanced, both these zones and the areas into which they were divided would shift forward to new geographic areas of control.<ref>{{cite book | url=http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwii/orgadmin/org_admin_wwii_chpt7.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030609061535/http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwii/orgadmin/org_admin_wwii_chpt7.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=9 June 2003 | last1=Armfield, M.A. | first1=Blanche B. | chapter=VII: The Mediterranean Theater of Operations | editor=John Boyd Coates, Jr. | title=Medical Department, United States Army in World War II | series=Administrative Series  | volume=Organization and Administration in World War II | publisher=Office of Medical History, US Army Medical Department }}</ref>}}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last=Blumenson |first=Martin |authorlink=Martin Blumenson |title=Salerno to Cassino |series=[[United States Army in World War II]] – The Mediterranean Theater of Operations |year=1969 |publisher=Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army |location=Washington, DC |url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/006/6-3-1/CMH_Pub_6-3-1.pdf |access-date=19 October 2015 |oclc=22107 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924061250/http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/006/6-3-1/CMH_Pub_6-3-1.pdf |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite book |last1=Bykofsky |first1=Joseph |last2=Larson |first2=Harold |year=1957 |title=The Transportation Corps: Operations Overseas |series=[[United States Army in World War II]]: The Technical Services |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Center of Military History, United States Army |oclc=867377092 |url=https://history.army.mil/html/books/010/10-21/CMH_Pub_10-21.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927120810/http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/010/10-21/CMH_Pub_10-21.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 September 2012 |access-date=9 July 2020 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Clarke |first1=Jeffrey J. |last2=Smith |first2=Robert Ross |title=Riviera to the Rhine |series=[[United States Army in World War II]]: The European Theater of Operations |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army |year=1993 |url=https://history.army.mil/html/books/007/7-10-1/CMH_Pub_7-10-1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927105830/http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/007/7-10-1/CMH_Pub_7-10-1.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 September 2012 |access-date=25 October 2015 |oclc=935522306 }}
* {{cite book |last = Cox |first = Hank H. |title = The General Who Wore Six Stars: The Inside Story of John C. H. Lee |year = 2018 |publisher = Potomac Books |location = Lincoln, Nebraska |isbn=978-1-61234-963-3 |oclc = 989124130 }}
* {{cite thesis |last=Dworak |first=David D. |title=Victory's Foundation: US Logistical Support of the Allied Mediterranean Campaign, 1942–1945 |year=2011 |degree=PhD |publisher=Syracuse University |url=https://surface.syr.edu/hst_etd/95 |access-date=13 January 2021 |oclc=33130765 }}
* {{cite book |last=Howe |first=George F. |title=Northwest Africa: Seizing the Initiative in the West |series=[[United States Army in World War II]] – The Mediterranean Theater of Operations |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army |year=1977 |url=https://history.army.mil/html/books/006/6-1-1/CMH_Pub_6-1-1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927070247/http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/006/6-1-1/CMH_Pub_6-1-1.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 September 2012 |access-date=14 January 2022 }}
* {{cite book |last=Fisher |first=Ernest F. Jr. |title=Cassino to the Alps |series=[[United States Army in World War II]] – The Mediterranean Theater of Operations |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army |year=1977 |url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/006/6-4-1/CMH_Pub_6-4-1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927071348/http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/006/6-4-1/CMH_Pub_6-4-1.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 September 2012 |access-date=14 January 2022 |oclc=65398968 }}
* {{cite book |last1 = Garland |first1 = Albert N. |last2 = Smyth |first2 = Howard McGaw |title = Sicily and the Surrender of Italy |place = Washington, D.C. |series = [[United States Army in World War II]] – The Mediterranean Theater of Operations |publisher = [United States Army Center of Military History, U.S. Department of the Army |year = 1965 |url = https://history.army.mil/html/books/006/6-2-1/CMH_Pub_6-2-1.pdf |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120927072315/http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/006/6-2-1/CMH_Pub_6-2-1.pdf |url-status = dead |archive-date = 27 September 2012 |oclc = 396186 }}
* {{cite book |first=Richard |last=Mead |title=Churchill's Lions: A Biographical Guide to the Key British Generals of World War II |year=2007 |publisher=Spellmount |location=Stroud |isbn=978-1-86227-431-0 |oclc=907176723}}
* {{cite book |last=Ruppenthal |first=Roland G. |title=Logistical Support of the Armies |volume=I, May 1941 – September 1944 |series=United States Army in World War II – The European Theater of Operations |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Center of Military History, United States Army |year=1953 |url=https://history.army.mil/html/books/007/7-2-1/CMH_Pub_7-2-1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927110237/http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/007/7-2-1/CMH_Pub_7-2-1.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 September 2012 |oclc=640653201 }}
* {{cite book |last=Ruppenthal |first=Roland G |title=Logistical Support of the Armies |volume=II: September 1944 – May 1945 |series=[[United States Army in World War II]]: The European Theater of Operations |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army |year=1959 |url=http://history.army.mil/html/books/007/7-3-1/CMH_Pub_7-3-1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927114234/http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/007/7-3-1/CMH_Pub_7-3-1.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 September 2012 |oclc=78622941 }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
*[https://www.archives.gov/research_room/federal_records_guide/ww2_allied_occupation_headquarters_rg331.html#331.16 General Records of Allied Force Headquarters (AFHQ)]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mediterranean Theater Of Operations, United States Army}}
[[Category:Commands of the United States Army]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of the United States Army in World War II]]
[[Category:Mediterranean theatre of World War II]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1947]]