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Hello, my name is Matt, host of the Pirate History podcast.

Pirates rank among the most mythologized and romanticized of all historical figures.

It can become easy to forget that pirates were real people that had real-world concerns.

If you like tales of high seas adventure, Daring Do, and also want to learn more about who Blackbeard supported to be

king, you can learn more about all of that at the Pirate History podcast.

Hello, and thank you for listening to the history of World War II podcast, episode

601, Operation Hardgate.

Last time, as Hitler ordered for his German troops to be evacuated from Sicily,

measures were taken and men selected to make sure their escape route was as shielded as possible.

All transport vessels were now under one command. Supplies were waiting for the troops when they

reached Messina and enough AA guns were on both Sicily and Italy to give the Allied attacking

planes pause. At least that was the hope.

Meanwhile, FDR and Prime Minister Churchill had planned for the next phase of the war.

Italy would be invaded, but Messina had to be conquered first.

Of course, the first step was getting through the Axis defensive line,

so Messina could be reached, and this would be achieved by Operation Hardgate, hopefully. The idea

was to pick a part or section of the Axis defensive line and hit it with overwhelming numbers.

That section was centered around the city

of Adrano, located to the southwest corner or the eight o'clock position of Mount Etna.

...