The Battle of Gela was the first battle fought by American forces during the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily, at the start of the Italian campaign of World War II.
Under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's plan, the American invasion force would land in Sicily at Gela and protect the flank of the British forces that landed at Syracuse. Shortly after midnight on 10 July 1943, the American transport ships began to unload their landing craft and soldiers at the beaches of Gela. The Americans lacked air support, enabling Axis aircraft to attack the Americans around the clock as they landed and attempted to establish a beachhead.
Italian artillery fire and naval mines obstructed the advance of the American landing craft in the early morning, but, on 11 July, the Americans landed tanks to support their infantry. Aided by naval artillery support, the Americans were able to hold off a major counterattack by German panzers against the beachhead, and more than half of the Italian infantry advancing on Gela were killed by American naval bombardments, while the US Army Rangers took 400 prisoners from the dazed Italian survivors.
By dawn on 12 July, 90% of the invasion convoy had been unloaded, and the Americans were finally able to secure the Ponte Olivo airfield, albeit 27 hours behind schedule. The airfield's capture enabled the Allies to receive air support and prevent German and Italian armored counterattacks, while also halving the number of Axis air raids on the American forces.