In the dark of midnight, November 8, 1942, an Anglo-American naval force, at that time,

one of the largest armadas ever assembled, was slipping through the Mediterranean waves

toward French North Africa. Abboard the ships, soldiers prepared for action.

In Germany, Adolf Hitler fumed at his inability to stop them.

In Algiers, the U.S. consul was mobilizing an unlikely alliance of Jewish resistance fighters

and disgruntled French army officers, whom he hoped could

clear the way for the coming invasion.

Welcome to the history of the 20th century.

Music The

The Episode 379. How Green is my ally.

When we left off last time, just after midnight on November 8, 1942, the U.S.

consul in Algiers, Robert Murphy, had just heard a code message broadcast over the BBC

overseas service that was directed at him.

Hello, Robert.

Franklin is coming.

That meant Operation Torch was a go,

and the landings would begin at dawn.

Murphy reached out to the network he had built,

and about 400 Jewish resistance fighters moved across Algiers,

quickly securing the local French Army headquarters,

the radio station, the telephone exchange, and the Villa de Olivier, the residence of General

Alphonse Joins, commander of the French Army forces in North Africa.

...