The Triumph of the Allied Air Power. The Capitulation of Pantelleria in 1943

Abstract

Pantelleria Island situated in the Strait of Sicily was strongly fortified by Mussolini before the Second World War. In 1943 the strategically important island was bombed intensively by the allied air forces for three weeks. The defenders of the island capitulated without serious resistance. According to the American point of view the capitulation was forced exclusively by the air power, but the effective naval blockade, the lack of potable water, the gunfire of the British fleet, and the appearance of the invasion troops also contributed to the victory. The real significance of the occupation of Pantelleria is, that it made Operation Husky carried out more easily, and the free use of the island’s airfield helped to support the Sicilian landings. Pantelleria and Sicily were occupied relatively easily, which finally led to the collapse of the Italian fascist regime.