Braving both language barrier and trigger-happy sentries, Wilbur covered the sixteen-mile distance to Casablanca in total darkness and delivered a letter to the French command suggesting a cease-fire. Returning to American lines hours later, the colonel came upon the stalemate at Cap de Fedala. In an extraordinary demonstration of improvisation and leadership, Colonel Wilbur combined Company A, 1–7 Battalion Landing Team, with four tanks of the 756th Tank Battalion and mounted an assault on the cape at 1140. Twenty minutes later the battery surrendered, and Western Task Force had a Medal of Honor recipient.
Aboard the USS Augusta, General Patton impatiently awaited a launch to the beach. He had planned to be ashore by 0800 but was delayed when a major naval battle developed. About 0700 a French cruiser, seven destroyers, and two submarines had sortied out of the harbor at Casablanca, and French aircraft drove American spotting planes away from the landing beaches. A few minutes later the Jean Bart began firing on the Augusta and the Brooklyn. U.S. Navy planes soon drove off most enemy aircraft, but the naval battle raged. For over four hours American cruisers and destroyers swerved and darted in tight patterns to avoid torpedoes and bracketing salvos while returning fire. By 1130 the French ships were driven off, and Patton's landing craft could be lowered over the side. Finally, at 1320, the general stepped ashore, distinctive white-handled pistols at his waist, and prepared his headquarters for the push south.
While the naval action offshore and the two battles against coastal batteries at the ends of the landing site continued, several battalion landing teams pushed inland in the middle. The rest of the 7th and 30th Regimental Landing Groups came ashore late in the morning of D-day, and the 15th Regimental Landing Group landed that afternoon. The D-day objective was a beachhead eleven miles wide and five miles deep. By nightfall the troops had pushed far enough inland but were still three miles short of the desired position to the south. The next morning General Anderson deployed his troops in a four-battalion front and began moving south along the coast to assembly areas for the attack on Casablanca, scheduled for the third day ashore. The American command hoped the French would not mount an all-out defense of the city, for with a population of over two hundred thousand, Casablanca was more than ten times larger than any other urban area encountered by Western Task Force. If the French chose to defend every sizable building and narrow street, casualties would be high and the battle long.
During their move south the Americans made good progress
17
