On 8 November 1942, three Anglo-American task forces landed in Morocco, North Africa, as part of "Operation Torch." Task Force One, commanded by Major-General George S. Patton, included 35,000 troops in 39 ships. Major-General Lloyd R. Fredenall commanded Task Force Two, a contingent consisting of 39,000 men transported by 47 vessels. Major-General Charles W. Ryder led Task Force Three, a group of 33,000 men in 34 ships. The American task forces had embarked directly from ports in the United States. Operation Torch was a combined Allied operation, and the Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) provided the majority of the ships and escorts.
The RCN supplied the LCM (Landing Craft Mechanized-armoured landing craft that could carry vehicles, light tanks, and troops) and provided 17 corvettes for naval support. The RCN corvettes supported the first wave of the landings for Task Force One. RCN landing craft ferried to shore over 15,000 American troops, who met little opposition when they landed on the coast. Within a week, the Allied task forces had occupied Morocco.
