U.S. Army North

What is now called U.S. Army North started life as the Fifth Army on 1 December 1942 in Oujda, French Morocco. Originally constituted of Army units that participated in Operation TORCH, the invasion of North Africa, it was the first of the seven field armies the United States organized during World War II. On 12 December 1942, the new Fifth Army was assigned to the the multi-national Allied Force North Africa, and Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark wad designated its commanding general. At General Clark's direction, at one minute after midnight, Zulu Time, 5 January 1943, the Fifth Army became an active unit.