What is Battle of Troina?
{{Infobox military conflict |conflict=Battle of Troina |image=Troina, sicily.jpg |caption=[[Troina]] during World War II |partof=[[Invasion of Sicily]], [[World War II]] |place=Troina, Sicily |date=July 31, 1943 – August 6, 1943 |result=Allied victory |combatant1={{flag|United States|1921}}<br/>{{flagicon|Free French|}} [[Free French]] |combatant2={{flagcountry|Nazi Germany}}<br>{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Italy}} |commander1=[[Omar Bradley]] |commander2=[[Hans-Valentin Hube]], [[Eberhard Rodt]], [[Giacomo Romano]] |strength1= |strength2 |casualties1= |casualties2= }} The '''Battle of Troina''' was a [[battle]] that happened between 31 July and 6 August 1943. It was part of the [[Allied invasion of Sicily]] during World War II. Forces of the [[United States II Corps]], part of the [[U.S. Seventh Army]], had violent battles around the town of [[Troina]]. It is in the central portion of [[Sicily]] along the [[Caronie Mountains]]. The battle was in the hills and mountains surrounding Troina. The [[Wehrmacht|Germans]] had fortified positions. They hid in these positions and fired weapons at the Allies ==Background== On 29 July 1943, after 20 days of fighting in Sicily, the Germans realized that the Allies would capture Sicily. The Germans also realized that 80,000-100,000 American and British troops would break through the Etna Line. The U.S. 7th Army commander, Lieutenant General [[George S. Patton Jr]], had ordered the U.S. 1st and 9th Infantry Divisions to attack the city of Troina. Troina was one of the main parts of the Etna Line. It was defended by the [[33rd Infantry Division (Germany)|15th Panzer Grenadier Division]] commanded by Generalleutnant Eberhard Rodt. It was also defended by four battalions of General di Divisione [[Giacomo Romano]]'s [[28 Infantry Division Aosta]].<ref>The Battle for Sicily: Stepping Stone to Victory, Ian Blackwell, p. 181, Pen & Sword Military, 24/07/2008</ref> The [[Axis powers of World War II|Axis]] forces were in deep trenches. ==The battle== The Battle of Troina began on 31