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In OTL, there was no such opportunity, AFAICT. During OTL Operation TORCH, the Allies had all they could do to secure most of French North Africa. By the time that was done, the Axis had executed Operation Anton, occupying the Vichy zone of mainland France and also Corsica.

However...

Assuming that the Allies had first completely defeated the Axis in North Africa and occupied all of Libya...

(There were multiple opportunities for this in 1941 and 1942: in the wake of COMPASS, in early 1941; in the wake of CRUSADER, at the end of 1941; if the Allies had won at Gazala; or in the wake of a more decisive Second Alamein, similar to Cymraeg's excellent Splinters - Rommel Dies At Alam Halfa.)

The obvious next step for the Allies would be to move into French North Africa and take control.

My question is:

Could the Allies move into Corsica at the same time as French North Africa? French North Africa would be easier, with Allied forces moving in from the east as well as the west, overland as well as by sea, the Axis in no position to interfere, and Axis prestige in the area greatly diminished, pushing opportunists to the Allied side.

If there are still no Axis forces in Corsica (as in OTL till after TORCH), then...

Would it be possible for the Allies to rush some forces there, and gain control before the Axis could react significantly? (Some cooperation from local French commanders seems necessary, but that could perhaps be arranged.)

It seems possible for the Allies to move airpower there almost at once, and with Axis airpower neutralized, to control the surrounding waters with Allied naval power.

There would be no German forces in position to react, except perhaps from Sardinia; and it seems unlikely that Germany would post substantial forces there when the threat of invasion was minimal (with French North Africa neutral and Sicily untaken).

Any attempted Italian reaction would be relatively slow and weak.

OTOH - getting ships to Corsica would be tricky; they would have to come via Gibraltar (where they would be observed passing through the Strait), pass around the Balearic Islands, where they could be spotted by Spanish observers and reported to the Axis, and finally make a run in far outside Allied air cover. The total distance from Gibraltar would be about twice as far as the Allies dared attempt in TORCH.

Staging aircraft would be difficult until airfields in Algeria were operational (which should only take a few days).

A big question is: who were the major French players in Corsica, and could there be any chance of their cooperation with the Allies? I have no idea of their names or records. Could the Allies do what the Germans did in Tunisia OTL - just fly into French airfields and take over?

A second big question is: If the Allies did grab Corsica, could they keep it? Corsica would be under semi-blockade from Sardinia. Germany would occupy southern France and move forces into northern Italy, forming a second side to the gauntlet. Can the Allies fly in enough planes, and perhaps sustain by airlift, to win the air campaign that would be sure to follow? Can they fight convoys through to sustain forces in Corsica? They don't have to come as close to Axis bases as when the PEDESTAL convoy passed the Sicilian Narrows to reach Malta.

Another point is whether the Axis would respond to the fall of Libya with redeployments that could affect Corsica, before any Allied moves on French North Africa. Might they suspect that Something Is Up with the French?

Final point: Allied resources for such an operation. ISTM that the resources available would be very skimpy in 1941; minimal in early 1942; but probably adequate in later 1942.
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