Allied invasion of Italy the Mediterranean theatre, and it was they who planned and commanded the invasion of Sicily and the Italian mainland. The Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943, codenamed Operation Husky, was highly successful, although many of the Axis forces managed to avoid capture and escape to the mainland. The Axis viewed this as a success. More importantly, in late July, "a coup" deposed Mussolini as head of the Italian government, which then began approaching the Allies to make peace. It was believed a quick invasion of Italy might hasten an Italian surrender and produce quick military victories over the German
Operation Avalanche (Afghanistan) operation involved 2,000 U.S. soldiers supported by Afghan troops, but failed to engage any Taliban or allied militants. Patrols were conducted and caves searched over a 40 square mile (100 km²) area. Little of note was discovered in the caves. Operation Avalanche (Afghanistan) Operation Avalanche was a four-week U.S.-led offensive in December 2003 designed to disrupt a resurgence in militant activity in the southeastern territory of Afghanistan and to establish conditions for the provision of humanitarian aid. Described by the U.S. government as the biggest ground operation in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001, the offensive