The invasion began with an airborne assault at midnight 10 July 1943. Two bridges were attacked by a mix of British glider and parachute troops as well as American paratroopers dropped to secure the area behind the American beachhead.

Beach landings were made on 26 main beaches spread along 105 miles (169 km) of the southern and eastern coasts of Sicily.

The Americans (3^rd Infantry Division) landed on the Southern Coast and the combined British and Canadian units landed on the east coast.  

The Italian defence was practically non-existent and there was no serious opposition as the Allied forces quickly moved inland.

The Canadian’s first objective was Pachino Airfield and it was quickly taken.

Beach landings were made on 26 main beaches spread along 105 miles (169 km) of the southern and eastern coasts of Sicily.

The Americans (3rd Infantry Division) landed on the Southern Coast and the combined British and Canadian units landed on the east coast.  

The Italian defense was practically non-existent and there was no serious opposition so the Allied forces quickly moved inland.

The Canadian's first objective was Pachino Airfield and was quickly taken.  

The assault landings had been successful all along the front. The British XIII Corps captured Syracuse late on D-Day and then Augusta by 13 July 1943. The US forces also saw little opposition on landing. On 11 July, the Germans counterattacked with heavy armour near Gela, which held the centre of the German line. This counter attack was defeated largely by naval gunnery.

At the time of the landing, German forces consisted of the Hermann Göring Panzer Division and the 15^th Panzer Grenadier Division. They were widely dispersed across a line that stretched from Catania to Marsala. Once the Allied axis of attack was known (British forces north to Catania and US forces west), they regrouped on their eastern flank to support counter attacks. Over the next few days, the Germans withdrew from the western and central parts of Sicily primarily to defend their line of withdrawal to mainland Italy at Messina. German reinforcements (1^st Parachute Division, 29^th Panzer Grenadier Division) started moving down Italy towards Sicily. 

This pause of three days gave the Allies a chance to move inland, practically unhindered by enemy action, except the large number of Italian prisoners of war.

On 12 July, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry captured Italian General d'Havet and the next day, the Royal Canadian Regiment made contact with the Americans (45^th Infantry Division). By 13 July, the Canadians had advanced almost 50 km from the beachhead. Montgomery gave them the next day off.

On 13 July 1943, the British army group commander, General Alexander, ordered the British 8^th Army to advance on Catania and the Canadians to support this by taking the road network around Leonforte.

On 14 July, the Canadians were in the town of Vizzini.

With Leonforte and Assoro captured, the 1^st Canadian Infantry Division could turn its sights onto Agira. Military intelligence had noticed a change in enemy behaviour. In earlier battles, the German forces fought delaying actions but in the last two battles, they fought a “resolute defence” where they contested each metre of ground.

Strategically, German forces were concentrated on the north eastern side of Mount Etna. German forces had successfully counterattacked the 51^st (Highland) Division and driven them back. US Forces were attacking the port at Palermo and having multiple successes against the Italian troops on the western half of the island.  By the 25 July, the American sector was secure and the Americans had taken in over 11,500 prisoners of war.

German reinforcements were moving into Sicily. Two parachute regiments and the 29^th Panzer Grenadier Regiment were committed. Two batteries of heavy artillery were emplaced to guard the strategic ferry route.

It took five days of intense combat to take Agira. The Germans fell back to the Etna line.

(Picture - Germans using a ferry to cross the Straits of Messina) Four days after the Allies invaded Sicily the Germans determined that they did not have the strength to stop the allied attack. Plans for a withdrawal to Italy were laid.

The first component of the plan was to secure the Straits of Messina to protect the vital ferry routes from Allied air and sea attacks. When the Germans began the evacuation Allied air power was repulsed without doing major damage. A fleet of civilian and military ferries and other vessels was collected and prepared.

On 1 August 1943, the evacuation plan was submitted to German High Command and approved. German commanders in Sicily did not believe that they would have to begin the evacuation for at least a week. By 4 August 1943, they started moving non-essential personnel, equipment, and materials off the island. The Italians refused to publicly acknowledge that defeat was inevitable and did not start planning until too late.

Between 4 and 11 August 1943, non-essential and non combat troops were ferried to Italy. During this time, German forces on Sicily fought a steady withdrawal action by holding strong points during the day, moving back at night, and leaving mines and cratered roads to delay the advancing Allies.

Starting on 12 August 1943, the evacuation began in earnest. German units were given directions to one of four embarkation points. Hermann Göring Panzer Division left first followed by the 15^th Panzer Grenadier Division. The 29^th Panzer Grenadier Division were the last formations out of Sicily on 17 August 1943. The Germans were able to evacuate not just soldiers but all of their tanks, vehicles, ammunition, and artillery. Anecdotally, many German units left Sicily with more vehicles than they had when they arrived. German units would confiscate trucks and other vehicles from Italian units and take them with them to the mainland.

The Italian army was not as fortunate. Italian troops were considered less important to the German evacuation than their own supplies. Italian evacuation plans were chaotic and panic driven.

By the time that the last Germans left Sicily, they were able to evacuate 60,000 troops, almost 50 tanks. They were even able to remove 75,000 Italian troops. However, 100,000 Italians were abandoned and captured by the Allies.