The 1st Infantry Division in Sicily: A Case Study in Tactical Intelligence
Abstract:
This case study examines how, and to what effect, the 1st Infantry Division used tactical intelligence to support its amphibious assault during the first phase of the Sicily Campaign in 1943. Close scrutiny of field orders, intelligence estimates, and message traffic reveals that the units tactical intelligence effort, led by the G-2, shaped military decision-making by the division commander and other leaders during this critical initial operation of the invasion. This study concludes that these decisions directly impacted the divisions successful five-day fight to secure and break out from its expeditionary beachhead. Moreover, the analysis attached to this detailed examination of the 1st Infantry Divisions experience in Sicily adds insight into some of the more enduring challenges and opportunities associated with the art and science of expeditionary tactical intelligence operations. In particular, it highlights both the beneficial capabilities of the overarching Allied intelligence enterprise as well as its limitations and susceptibility to disruption amid the fog, friction, and chaos of ground combat.