Chapter 5 Summary and Analysis

Eisenhower moved his headquarters from Gibraltar to Algiers in late November 1942. This was meant to be a temporary HQ, until it could be moved closer to the front - some 400 miles to the southeast. Even so, the Allied Forces Headquarters (AFHQ) quickly grew to encompass 11 buildings housing a total of 400 officers. The total staff would eventually reach 16,000 personnel. This gave way to the cynical troop expression, "Never were so few commanded by so many from so far." The city of Algiers strained under the weight of the influx. Prices for everything from oranges to beer to prostitution skyrocketed. Troop discipline quickly became a major concern.

Eisenhower was frustrated by the continued lack of Allied air support even as far west as Algiers. German planes still controlled the skies. The "Darlan" issue also worried him. Still considered a traitor by many, he...