World of Tanks Blitz, the popular tank combat sim from developer Wargaming, hit iOS platforms recently, and brought the whole World of Tanks experience to a whole new audience. What many of you newcomers may not realize is the historical inspirations that the folks at Wargaming strive for. You're not just playing at war, you may also be learning a little about it.
Road To Ninja - Naruto The Movie Gets English Dub Release In August
The current weekend event is dubbed 'Operation Husky'. It begins July 11 at 7 PM EST and runs until 7PM EST on Monday. All players will receive 2x Crew experience, discounted vehicles and a 50% increase in XP conversion. 1 gold will now net you 38, as opposed to 19 Free experience points, which can be spent on any upgrade on any tank of any level.
Operation Husky was the Allied codename for the Invasion of Sicily. After successfully driving back Hitler and his Axis forces from North Africa, the Allied troops were looking to make inroads into Europe but cutting off and eliminating Mussolini from the equation. The invasion, which began 71 years ago on July 10 was dubbed 'the first European D-Day'. All told, the campaign lasted 38 days, ending in an Allied victory on August 17 which led the way to the mainland invasion and the toppling of Benito Mussolini as leader of the Italian forces.
Middle-Earth Shadow of Mordor New Trailer Goes BTS Of Story Process
The Allies would pump about 160,000 men into the initial battle, including then Lieutenant General George S. Patton's famous 2nd Armored Division 'The Hell On Wheels', now under the command of Hugh Gaffey, against the 230,000 built in Axis forces. The full strength of the Allied force swelled to nearly half a million by battle's end. Patton's forces would engage the enemy almost immediately at the Battle of Gela, in which they would battle roughly 100 Axis armored tanks, including the Panzerkampfwagon III and IV (which you can find lovingly rendered in World of Tanks!). In charge of the Western Task Force, Patton would be the first general to reach Messina.
A hard man, Patton was not known for his bedside manner. He repeatedly belittled men he found behaving like cowards and his actions after Operation Husky, in which he slapped two men undergoing the effects of 'shell shock', now known as PTSD, got him temporarily removed from command. The incidents were recreated for the 1970 classic Patton, starring George C. Scott.
Much like what the Allies did with the Normandy Invasion, the Invasion of Sicily had to be kept under wraps. British Intelligence officers devised a decoy plan, Operation Mincemeat that would leak secret documents to German officers stating that the eventual invasion would take place in Greece and Sardinia. The intelligence operation was retold in a 1953 book, and was later made into a BAFTA award-winning film of the same name in 1956.
Some 5,000 Allied soldiers were killed in the campaign, with another 15,000 wounded or captured. Contrast that with the German and Italians, who suffered approximately 140,000 killed, wounded or captured. Historians generally agree that 100,000 Italians were taken as POWs.
So, when you fire up World of Tanks Blitz this weekend and enjoy the spoils of Operation Husky, remember a little bit about the truth, however small a bit it is, that inspired this in-game event.
