1.
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
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Victor Emmanuel III was the King of Italy from 29 July 1900 until his abdication on 9 May 1946. In addition, he claimed the thrones of Ethiopia and Albania as Emperor of Ethiopia and King of the Albanians, during his long reign, which began after the assassination of his father Umberto I, the Kingdom of Italy became involved in two World Wars. His reign also encompassed the birth, rise, and fall of Italian Fascism, Victor Emmanuel abdicated his throne in 1946 in favour of his son Umberto II, hoping to strengthen support for the monarchy against an ultimately successful referendum to abolish it. He then went in exile to Alexandria, Egypt, where he died and was buried the following year. He was called by the Italians Il Re soldato for having led his country during both the wars, and, after Italys victory in the First World War Il Re vittorioso. He was also nicknamed Sciaboletta due to his height of 1.53 m, Victor Emmanuel was born in Naples, Italy. He was the child of Umberto I, King of Italy. Margherita was the daughter of the Duke of Genoa, from birth until his accession, Victor Emmanuel was known by the title of the Prince of Naples. On 24 October 1896, Prince Victor Emmanuel married Princess Elena of Montenegro, on 29 July 1900, at the age of 30, Victor Emmanuel acceded to the throne upon his fathers assassination. The only advice that his father Umberto ever gave his heir was Remember, to be a king, all you need to know is how to sign your name, read a newspaper, and mount a horse. His early years showed evidence that, by the standards of the Savoy monarchy, indeed, even though his father was killed by an anarchist, the new King showed a commitment to constitutional freedoms. Though parliamentary rule had been established in Italy, the Statuto Albertino, or constitution. For instance, he had the right to appoint the Prime Minister even if the individual in question did not command majority support in the Chamber of Deputies, when World War I began, Italy at first remained neutral, despite being part of the Triple Alliance. However, in 1915, Italy signed several secret treaties committing her to enter the war on the side of the Triple Entente, most of the politicians opposed war, however, and the Italian Chamber of Deputies forced Prime Minister Antonio Salandra to resign. At this juncture, Victor Emmanuel declined Salandras resignation and personally made the decision for Italy to enter the war and he was well within his rights to do so under the Statuto. Popular demonstrations in favor of the war were staged in Rome, with 200,000 gathering on 16 May 1915 and it was at this time, the period of World War I, that the King enjoyed the genuine affection of the majority of his people. Still, during the war he received about 400 threatening letters from people of social background. The economic depression which followed World War I gave rise to much extremism among Italys sorely tried working classes and this caused the country as a whole to become politically unstable
2.
Italian Campaign (World War II)
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The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. It is estimated that between September 1943 and April 1945, some 60, 000–70,000 Allied and 60, overall Allied casualties during the campaign totaled about 320,000 and the corresponding German figure was well over 600,000. Fascist Italy, prior to its collapse, suffered about 200,000 casualties, mostly POWs taken in the Allied invasion of Sicily, including more than 40,000 killed or missing. Besides them, over 150,000 Italian civilians died, as did 15,197 anti-Fascist partisans and 13,021 troops of the Italian Social Republic. The campaign ended when Army Group C surrendered unconditionally to the Allies on May 2,1945, the independent states of San Marino and the Vatican, both surrounded by Italian territory, also suffered damage during the campaign. Even prior to victory in the North African Campaign in May 1943, the British, especially the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, advocated their traditional naval-based peripheral strategy. The United States, with a larger army, favoured a more direct method of fighting the main force of the German Army in Northern Europe. The ability to such a campaign depended on first winning the Battle of the Atlantic. There was even pressure from some Latin American countries to stage an invasion of Spain, the British argued that the presence of large numbers of troops trained for amphibious landings in the Mediterranean made a limited-scale invasion possible and useful. A contributing factor was Franklin D. Roosevelts desire to keep US troops active in the European theatre during 1943 and it was hoped that an invasion might knock Italy out of the conflict, or at least increase the pressure on them and weaken them further. A combined Allied invasion of Sicily began on 10 July 1943 with both amphibious and airborne landings at the Gulf of Gela, the land forces involved were the U. S. Seventh Army, under Lieutenant General George S. Patton, the original plan contemplated a strong advance by the British northwards along the east coast to Messina, with the Americans in a supporting role along their left flank. The defending German and Italian forces were unable to prevent the Allied capture of the island, but succeeded in evacuating most of their troops to the mainland, the Allied forces gained experience in opposed amphibious operations, coalition warfare and mass airborne drops. Forces of the British Eighth Army, still under Montgomery, landed in the toe of Italy on 3 September 1943 in Operation Baytown, the armistice was publicly announced on 8 September by two broadcasts, first by General Eisenhower and then by a proclamation by Marshal Badoglio. Although the German forces prepared to defend without Italian assistance, only two of their divisions opposite the Eighth Army and one at Salerno were not tied up disarming the Royal Italian Army, on 9 September, forces of the U. S. Fifth Army, under Lieutenant General Mark W, although none of the northern reserves were made available to the German 10th Army, it nevertheless came close to repelling the Salerno landing, due mainly to the cautious command of Clark. As the Allies advanced, they encountered increasingly difficult terrain, the Apennine Mountains form a spine along the Italian peninsula offset somewhat to the east, the rivers were subject to sudden and unexpected flooding, which constantly thwarted the Allied commanders plans. This would make the most of the natural geography of Central Italy, whilst denying the Allies the easy capture of a succession of airfields
3.
Allied invasion of Sicily
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The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II, in which the Allies took the island of Sicily from the Axis powers. It was an amphibious and airborne operation, followed by a six-week land campaign and was the beginning of the Italian Campaign. Husky began on the night of 9/10 July 1943, and ended on 17 August, the Italian leader, Benito Mussolini, was toppled from power in Italy and the way was opened for the Allied invasion of Italy. The German leader, Adolf Hitler, canceled a major offensive at Kursk after only a week, in part to divert forces to Italy, resulting in a reduction of German strength on the Eastern Front. The plan for Operation Husky called for the assault of Sicily by two Allied armies, one landing on the south-eastern and one on the central southern coast. The amphibious assaults were to be supported by gunfire, as well as tactical bombing, interdiction. As such, the operation required a complex structure, incorporating land, naval. The overall commander was American General Dwight D. Eisenhower, as Commander-in-Chief of all the Allied forces in North Africa, British General Sir Harold Alexander acted as his second-in-command and as the 15th Army Group commander. The American Major General Walter Bedell Smith was appointed as Eisenhowers Chief of Staff, the overall Naval Force Commander was the British Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham. The Allied land forces were from the American, British and Canadian armies, the Eastern Task Force was led by General Sir Bernard Montgomery and consisted of the British Eighth Army. The Western Task Force was commanded by Lieutenant General George S. Patton, the two task force commanders reported to Alexander as commander of the 15th Army Group. Seventh Army consisted initially of three divisions, organized under II Corps, commanded by Lieutenant General Omar Bradley. Middleton, sailed from the United States via Oran in Algeria, the 2nd Armored Division, under Major General Hugh Joseph Gaffey, also sailing from Oran, was to be a floating reserve and be fed into combat as required. On 15 July, Patton reorganized his command into two corps by creating a new Provisional Corps headquarters, commanded by his deputy army commander, Major General Geoffrey Keyes. The two divisions of XIII Corps, the 5th and 50th Infantry Divisions, commanded by Major-Generals Horatio Berney-Ficklin and Sidney Kirkman and this request was granted by the British, displacing the veteran British 3rd Infantry Division. The Red Patch Division was added to Leeses XXX Corps to become part of the British Eighth Army, in addition to the amphibious landings, airborne troops were to be flown in to support both the Western and Eastern Task Forces. To the east, the British 1st Airborne Division, commanded by Major-General George F. Hopkinson, was to seize vital bridges and high ground in support of the British Eighth Army. The initial plan dictated that the U. S. 82nd Airborne Division, Allied naval forces were also grouped into two task forces to transport and support the invading armies
4.
Operation Corkscrew
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Operation Corkscrew was the code name for the Allied invasion of the Italian island of Pantelleria on 11 June 1943, prior to the Allied invasion of Sicily during the Second World War. There had been a plan to occupy the island in late 1940. The Allied focus returned to Pantelleria in early 1943, the radar installations and airfield on the island were seen as a real threat to the planned invasion of Sicily. The Italian garrison on the island was 12,000 strong in well-entrenched pillboxes and 21 gun batteries of a variety of calibres, in addition, there was an opportunity to assess the impact of bombardment upon heavily fortified defences. It was decided to see if the island could be forced into submission by aerial and naval bombardment alone, failing this, an amphibious invasion was planned for 11 June. Starting in late May, the island was subjected to steadily increasing bombing attacks, in early June, the attacks intensified and 14,203 bombs amounting to 4,119 tons were dropped on 16 Italian batteries. On 8 June, a Royal Navy task force of five cruisers, eight destroyers, the engagement was observed by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean, and Admiral Andrew Cunningham from the flagship HMS Aurora. From 8 May to 11 June 5,285 bombing sorties were flown by fighter-bombers, medium and heavy bombers, two demands for the garrison to surrender went unanswered and, on 11 June, the amphibious assault went ahead. About an hour before the craft reached the beaches, the accompanying ships opened fire. Unknown to the attackers, the commander of the garrison on Pantelleria had sought permission to surrender from Rome the previous evening, when the first of the British Commandos landed, the Italians surrendered. The British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, was to later in his memoirs that the only British casualty of the operation was a man bitten by a mule. An assessment by British analyst Professor Sir Solly Zuckerman reported that the defences had been reduced to 47 percent effectiveness, the intense ten-day air bombardment had substantially reduced the defences. Out of 80 guns bombed,43 were damaged, all control communications were destroyed, along with many gun emplacements, ammunition stores and air-raid shelters. The ease of the led to an optimistic assessment of the effectiveness of bombing. The Italian garrisons on other nearby islands quickly fell and this cleared the way for the invasion of Sicily a month later. Detailed American description, 320th Bomb Group British Combined Operations description
5.
Operation Mincemeat
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Operation Mincemeat was a successful British disinformation strategy used during the Second World War. Correspondence between two British generals which suggested that the Allies planned to invade Greece and Sardinia, with Sicily as merely the target of a feint, was placed on the body. It was picked up the morning by a Spanish fisherman. The nominally neutral Spanish government shared copies of the documents with the Abwehr, forensic examination showed they had been read, and decrypts of German messages showed the Germans fell for the ruse. Reinforcements were shifted to Greece and Sardinia both before and during the invasion of Sicily, Sicily received none, the true impact of Operation Mincemeat is unknown, although the island was liberated more quickly than anticipated and losses were lower than predicted. Montagus work formed the basis for a 1956 film, the historian Ben Macintyre observes that although the paper was published under Godfreys name, it bore all the hallmarks of. Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming, Godfreys personal assistant, the memo contained a number of schemes to be considered for use against the Axis powers to lure U-boats and German surface ships towards minefields. Number 28 on the list was titled, A Suggestion, it was an idea to plant misleading papers on a corpse that would be found by the enemy. The following suggestion is used in a book by Basil Thomson, I understand there is no difficulty in obtaining corpses at the Naval Hospital, but, of course, it would have to be a fresh one. The deliberate planting of fake documents to be found by the enemy was not new, known as the Haversack Ruse, it had been practised by the British and others in the First and Second World Wars. In August 1942, before the Battle of Alam el Halfa, on the corpse was a map purportedly showing the locations of British minefields, the Germans used the map and their tanks were routed to areas of soft sand where they bogged down. In September 1942 an aircraft flying from Britain to Gibraltar crashed off Cádiz, all aboard were killed, including Paymaster-Lieutenant James Hadden Turner – a courier carrying top secret documents – and a French agent. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander, would arrive in Gibraltar on the eve of the target date of 4 November. Turners body washed up on the beach near Tarifa and was recovered by the Spanish authorities, when the body was returned to the British, the letter was still on it, and technicians determined that the letter had not been opened. Other Allied intelligence sources established that the notebook carried by the French agent had been copied by the Germans, to British planners it showed that some material that was obtained by the Spanish was being passed to the Germans. His plan was A body is obtained from one of the London hospitals, the lungs are filled with water and documents are disposed in an inside pocket. The body is dropped by a Coastal Command aircraft. On being found, the supposition in the mind may well be that one of our aircraft has either been shot or forced down
6.
Operation Fustian
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Operation Fustian was an airborne forces operation undertaken during the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943 in the Second World War. The operation was carried out by Brigadier Gerald Lathburys 1st Parachute Brigade and their objective was the Primosole Bridge across the Simeto River. The intention was for the brigade, with forces in support. They would then capture the bridge and secure the area until relieved by the advance of British XIII Corps. Many of the carrying the paratroopers from North Africa were shot down or were damaged and turned back by friendly fire. Evasive action taken by the pilots scattered the brigade over a large area, despite this and the defence by German and Italian forces, the British paratroops captured the bridge, repulsed attacks and held out against increasing odds until nightfall. The relief force led by the 50th Infantry Division, under Major-General Sidney C, Kirkman, which was short of transport, were still 1 mile away when they halted for the night. By this time, with mounting and supplies running short. The following day the British units joined forces and the 9th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, with tank support, the capture of Primosole Bridge did not lead to the expected rapid advance, as by this time the Germans had gathered their forces and established a defensive line. It was not until early the following month that the Eighth Army captured Catania, by this time the 1st Parachute Brigade had been withdrawn to Malta and took no further part in the conquest of Sicily. Lessons were learned from the operation and were put into practice in Allied airborne operations. After the Axis powers were defeated in North Africa, the Allied armies next logical objective was to cross the Mediterranean, landing in either the south of France, the objective chosen was Sicily, with the landing scheduled for 10 July 1943. In addition to the landings, there were also airborne landings during the invasion. The first British airborne landing was Operation Ladbroke, which was carried out by the 1st Airlanding Brigade, under Brigadier Philip Hicks and their objective was to seize and hold the Ponte Grande bridge just outside Syracuse. However circumstances changed and the operation was cancelled. The third British airborne mission planned was Operation Fustian, to be carried out by the 1st Parachute Brigade, under Brigadier Gerald Lathbury, the 1st Parachute Brigades objective was the Primosole bridge, crossing the Simeto River, south of Catania. The bridge was an objective, as it was the only crossing point over the Simeto. Its capture would give the Eighth Army access to the Catania plain, to them to continue their advance northwards
7.
Operation Ladbroke
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En route to Sicily, sixty-five gliders released too early by the American and British towing aircraft crashed into the sea, drowning approximately 252 men. Of the remainder, only eighty-seven men arrived at the Pont Grande Bridge, although they successfully captured the bridge, finally, with their ammunition expended and only fifteen soldiers remaining unwounded, the Allied troops surrendered to Italian forces. Other troops from the brigade, who had landed elsewhere in Sicily, aided further by destroying communications links, in January 1943 the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U. S. President Franklin D. The codename Operation Husky was decided upon for the Allied invasion of Sicily, initially the British Eighth Army, under the command of General Sir Bernard Montgomery, were to land on the south-eastern corner of the island and advance north to the port of Syracuse. Seventh Army, commanded by Lieutenant General George S. Patton, would land on the corner of the island. The commander of the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery, Brigadier General Maxwell D, when training began for the operation, difficulties immediately arose. His airborne advisor, Group Captain Cooper of the Royal Air Force, argued that a glider landing conducted at night with inexperienced aircrews was not practical, montgomerys orders raised several issues, the first with the transport aircraft of the Troop Carrier Wings assigned to the airborne operations. When they had arrived in North Africa, it had decided that the 52nd Troop Carrier Wing would operate with 1st Airborne Division and its counterpart. To switch both was impractical and would have led to a number of problems, which left 1st Airborne Division, further problems were encountered with the gliders to be used in the operation, and the glider pilots themselves. Until a few prior to the operation, there was a notable shortage of serviceable gliders in North Africa. In late March a small number of Wacos arrived at Accra on the Gold Coast, due to neglect and the deleterious effects of tropical weather, the pilots were able to assemble only a small number of Wacos and fly them back on 22 April. A small number of Horsa gliders were transported to North Africa for use by the brigade, thirty took off from England and undertook a trip of approximately 1,500 miles in Operation Turkey Buzzard. After attacks from Luftwaffe fighter patrols and experiencing often turbulent weather, given these problems and delays, 51st Troop Carrier Wing was not able to conduct a large-scale glider exercise until mid-June. The British glider pilots themselves also caused difficulties, although there were a sufficient number of them to conduct the operation, they were highly inexperienced. Detached from the Glider Pilot Regiment for the operation, they had no experience with the Waco gliders and night operations involving them, on average, the pilots had eight hours of flight experience in gliders. Few were rated as being ready and none had combat experience. Colonel George Chatterton, the commander of the Glider Pilot Regiment, had protested their participation as he believed they were unfit for any operation. The units of the 1st Airlanding Brigade were, the 1st Battalion, Border Regiment, 2nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, 181st Field Ambulance and 9th Field Company, Royal Engineers
8.
Battle of Gela (1943)
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The amphibious Battle of Gela was the opening engagement of the United States portion of the Allied Invasion of Sicily. The battle convinced United States Army officers of the value of artillery support. Ground forces under command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower were transported by naval forces under overall command of Admiral Andrew Cunningham. There were three wings of Supermarine Spitfires operating from airfields on Malta and two groups of Curtiss P-40 Warhawks from airfields on Pantelleria and Gozo, Allied ground forces had no idea when, where, in what numbers, or under what circumstances they might see Allied aircraft. Unlike the earlier invasion of North Africa and later invasion of Italy, carriers which had supported the American landings during Operation Torch had been reassigned without replacement. The fishing village of Gela was on a plateau at 150-foot elevation behind a beach with a 900-foot pier. Plains cultivated for grain extended inland behind the community of 32,000, the mouth of the Gela River was 1 mile east of the pier and the mouth of the Acate River was 5 miles east of the Gela River. The sand and stone beach between the rivers was from 10–30 yards wide and backed by 900 yards of dunes, the 52d Troop Carrier Wing of 222 Douglas C-47 Skytrains from North Africa carried the airborne 505th Infantry Regiment for a parachute drop over Piano Lupo. A western task force of 601 ships under the command of Vice Admiral Henry Kent Hewitt carried the Seventh United States Army under the command of Lieutenant General George S. Patton, both officers sailed aboard the flagship transport USS Monrovia. Patton commanded three times as many soldiers as Hewitt had landed eight months earlier at Morocco during Operation Torch, the invasion was the European combat premier of tank landing ships s only a week after the Pacific Operation Cartwheel. The reserve force of the 2nd Armored Division and 18th Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division was landed on the first day of fighting to support the 1st Infantry Division, the Gela invasion beaches were defended by the Italian XVIII Coastal Brigade. The town itself was defended by the Italian 429th Coastal Battalion using barbed wire, concrete pillboxes, junkers Ju 88A and Savoia-Marchetti SM79 medium bombers could reach Gela from bases in Italy. The LSTs, LCIs, LCTs and patrol craft sailed directly from Tunisia as convoys TJM1, the convoys were spotted and all German forces on Sicily were alerted at 18,40 on 9 July. Beaufort scale force 7 winds created 12 feet seas causing widespread seasickness among the embarked troops, winds moderated on the evening of 9 July as ships divided into task forces C, H, and K and proceeded to assigned anchorages off the Sicilian coast. As the ships anchored, airborne troops of the 505th Infantry Regiment were scattered by wind, fewer than 200 of the 3,400 paratroopers were able to reach the strategic Piano Lupo highland before the defending Livorno Division arrived. The transports Joseph T. Dickman, Prince Charles, Prince Leopold, Oberon, Barnett, Monrovia, Lyon, Samuel Chase, Betelgeuse, Thurston, the Army hoped for surprise, and declined Navy suggestions for pre-invasion bombardment. The transports started unloading shortly after midnight, and General Guzzoni declared an emergency at 01,00, the first assault wave from Barnett, Lyon, Thurston and Stanton landed about 02,45. Shubrick destroyed two XVIII Coastal Brigade searchlights illuminating the first wave and fired on several XVIII Coastal Brigade artillery positions, initial waves had landed on all beaches by 03,35
9.
Battle of Troina
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The Battle of Troina was an important battle that took place between 31 July and 6 August 1943, as part of the Allied invasion of Sicily during World War II. Forces of the U. S. II Corps, part of the U. S, seventh Army, under George S. Patton, engaged in fierce fighting around the town of Troina in the central portion of Sicily along the Caronie Mountains. The battle focused around the hills and mountains surrounding Troina which the Germans had heavily fortified and used as bases for direct and indirect fire. The US 7th Army commander, Lieutenant General George S. Patton Jr, had ordered the US 1st, generals Omar Bradley and Patton ordered the two divisions be pulled out of the line once Troina fell. Troina was considered one of the anchors of the Etna Line. It was defended by the 15th Panzer Grenadier Division commanded by Generalleutnant Eberhard Rodt, the Axis forces, in deep trenches, had a clear view of the oncoming Allied soldiers, who had little cover. This setback forced Bradley and Allen to orchestrate a massive assault, control of key hilltop positions changed hands often, with the Germans and Italians launching more than two dozen counterattacks during the week-long battle. During one Italian counterattack, Lieutenant-Colonel Giuseppe Gianquintos 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment of the Aosta managed to take 40 American prisoners, the experience of Colonel John Bowens 26th Infantry Regiment was fairly typical of the action around Troina. The 26ths assignment was to outflank Troina by seizing Monte Basilio two miles north of the town, from here, the regiment would be positioned to cut the Axis line of retreat. Bowen moved his soldiers forward on 2 August supported by the fire of 1 battalion of 155-mm howitzers,4 battalions of 105-mm howitzers and 4 Long Tom batteries, despite this weighty arsenal, German artillery fire and difficult terrain limited the regiments advance to half a mile. The next morning one of the battalions lost its bearings in the hilly terrain. A second battalion reached Monte Basilio with relatively little difficulty, only to be pounded by Axis artillery fire directed from neighboring hills, the 115th Panzergrenadier Regiment launched a failed offensive to retake the mountains, they were repelled by machine gun fire. For the next two days the men on Monte Basilio were pinned down by artillery fire, determined to hold Troina for as long as possible, the Germans reacted strongly to the threat the 26th Regiment posed to their line of communications. Axis pressure practically cut off the men on Monte Basilio from the rest of the 1st Division, by 5 August food and ammunition were low and casualties had greatly depleted the regiment, with one company mustering only seventeen men effective for duty. It was at point that the German infantry attacked again. James W. Reese moved his squad to a position from which he could effectively engage the advancing German infantry. The squad maintained a fire on the attackers until it began to run out of ammunition. With only three rounds left, Reese ordered his crew to the rear while he advanced to a new position
10.
Battle of Centuripe
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The Battle of Centuripe was fought from 2 to 4 August 1943, as part of the Allied invasion of Sicily during World War II. The battle focused around Centuripe which the German Wehrmacht had heavily fortified the town set on a very high rocky pinnacle and approached by only one steep. Centuripe itself was the key to the whole Adrano position and the capture of Adrano would in turn force the Germans to withdraw to new positions, the British troops captured the town after heavy fighting and as a result caused the Germans to start contemplating abandoning Sicily altogether. The lesser hills round it were well defended by the Germans, defending this position was the crack Hermann Göring Division, consisting mostly of the 3rd Fallschirmjäger Regiment as part of Kampfgruppe von Carnap under Ludwig Heilmann. As well as the regiment, the kampfgruppe consisted of an artillery regiment, Heilmann had replaced the commander Oberstleutenant Von Carnap after he had been killed by British artillery fire in late July. The 78th Battleaxe Infantry Division, under the command of Major-General Vyvyan Evelegh, assembled for a drive towards Catenanuova and to capture Centuripe as part of Operation Hardgate. Evelegh ordered Brigadier Nelson Russell, commander of the 38th Infantry Brigade, to take Centuripe, on the evening of August 1 the London Irish moved to a lying-up area in the wadis below the foothills of Centuripe. No transport was able to get forward and that meant that all ammunition, food, and other supplies had to be man-handled causing a delay. The job of the London Irish was to take three commanding hills, Points 704,611, and 703 behind Centuripe but it was not known in what strength they were held by the Germans. It was hoped that most of German attention would be to the main battle, throughout the night more men from 38th Brigade moved into the town to reinforce those already there. Finally the Germans launched another counterattack but this time it was weak, just before dawn on August 3 the whole of the environs including Centuripe fell to the Irish Brigade. The operation had been a one, in difficult country and chief credit for the success was due to the Inniskillings. The successful capture of Centuripe had caused the whole German line to Catania to crack and thus had to withdraw to a new position and this however had to be abandoned and soon plans were made to abandon the island of Sicily as a whole. The London Irish quickly reached high ground on the far side of the Salso, as dusk approached, two platoons of ‘G’ Company moved across the river with reserve ammunition, mortars, and machine-guns for the immediate support of the two other companies. That, however, was not an Irish Brigade task, for the two brigades of the 78th Division went through. From the afternoon of August 1 to nightfall on August 5 the Irish Brigade had advanced twenty-five miles fighting battles at Centuripe, Salso, the 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers, in the meantime, had captured Capella and Monte Maletto and cleared the village. The fall of Maletto and the subsequent rapid approach to Randazzo forced the Germans on their last hurried withdrawal to the sea. News of the capture of Centuripe was met with enthusiasm, General Bernard Montgomery, the British Eighth Army commander
11.
Allied invasion of Italy
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The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied amphibious landing on mainland Italy that took place on 3 September 1943 during the early stages of the Italian Campaign of World War II. The operation was undertaken by General Sir Harold Alexanders 15th Army Group, the main invasion force landed around Salerno on 9 September on the western coast in Operation Avalanche, while two supporting operations took place in Calabria and Taranto. Following the defeat of the Axis Powers in North Africa in May 1943, the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, in particular wanted to invade Italy, which in November 1942 he called the soft underbelly of the axis. Popular support in Italy for the war was declining, and he believed an invasion would remove Italy, in addition, it would tie down German forces. When it became clear that no cross-channel invasion of occupied France could be undertaken in 1943, it was agreed to invade Sicily, Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, to go ahead at the earliest possible date. The Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943, codenamed Operation Husky, was successful, although many of the Axis forces managed to avoid capture. The Axis viewed this as a success, more importantly, in late July, a coup deposed Mussolini as head of the Italian government, which then began approaching the Allies to make peace. It was believed an invasion of Italy might hasten an Italian surrender. However, Italian resistance proved relatively strong, and fighting in Italy continued even after the fall of Berlin in April 1945. In addition, the left the Allies in a position of supplying food and supplies to conquered territory. As well, Italy occupied by a hostile German army would have created problems for the German Commander-in-Chief. The short distance from Sicily meant landing craft could launch from there directly, montgomery was strongly opposed to Operation Baytown. He was proved correct, after Operation Baytown the British Eighth Army marched 300 miles north to the Salerno area against no other than engineering obstacles. Plans for the use of Allied airborne forces took several forms, the initial plan to land glider-borne troops in the mountain passes of the Sorrento Peninsula above Salerno was abandoned 12 August. Six days later it was replaced by Operation Giant, in two regiments of the U. S. 82nd Airborne Division would seize and hold crossings over the Volturno River. The main landings were scheduled to take place on 9 September and it would consist of the U. S. Its primary objectives were to seize the port of Naples to ensure resupply, the naval task force of warships, merchant ships and landing craft totaling 627 vessels came under the command of Vice Admiral Henry K. Hewitt. However, with the signing of the armistice with the Italians on 3 September the picture changed, the airborne division, which was undergoing training exercises in two locations 640 kilometres apart, was ordered on 4 September to embark on 8 September
12.
Operation Baytown
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The attack was made by Lieutenant-General Miles C. Dempseys British XIII Corps, which had under command the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, XIII Corps was part of the British Eighth Army, commanded by General Sir Bernard Montgomery. XIII Corps crossed the Straits of Messina from Sicily to Reggio di Calabria, the intent was to tie down German forces in the area and gain an Allied foothold at the toe of Italy. Montgomery had objected to Baytown as ineffective, but carried it out anyway, a single German regiment was left to defend 17 miles of coast. Montgomerys objections were proved correct, German troops refused battle and the Eighth Army tied down none of them, the main obstacle to the Allied advance was the terrain and German demolitions. Opposition to the landings was light, because the few German troops in the area rapidly withdrew northward. An exception was the 184th Airborne Division Nembo, which provided more determined resistance on the Aspromonte massif, but was eventually overcome on 8 September 1943. Operation Baytown was followed by Operation Slapstick, with the British 1st Airborne Division, and Operation Avalanche, both operations took place on 9 September, following the Italian surrender the day before. The surrender had been agreed on 3 September, but was not publicly announced until 8 September, Allied invasion of Italy Allied invasion of Italy order of battle Italian Campaign Royal Engineers Museum Royal Engineers and Second World War
13.
Operation Avalanche
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The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied amphibious landing on mainland Italy that took place on 3 September 1943 during the early stages of the Italian Campaign of World War II. The operation was undertaken by General Sir Harold Alexanders 15th Army Group, the main invasion force landed around Salerno on 9 September on the western coast in Operation Avalanche, while two supporting operations took place in Calabria and Taranto. Following the defeat of the Axis Powers in North Africa in May 1943, the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, in particular wanted to invade Italy, which in November 1942 he called the soft underbelly of the axis. Popular support in Italy for the war was declining, and he believed an invasion would remove Italy, in addition, it would tie down German forces. When it became clear that no cross-channel invasion of occupied France could be undertaken in 1943, it was agreed to invade Sicily, Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, to go ahead at the earliest possible date. The Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943, codenamed Operation Husky, was successful, although many of the Axis forces managed to avoid capture. The Axis viewed this as a success, more importantly, in late July, a coup deposed Mussolini as head of the Italian government, which then began approaching the Allies to make peace. It was believed an invasion of Italy might hasten an Italian surrender. However, Italian resistance proved relatively strong, and fighting in Italy continued even after the fall of Berlin in April 1945. In addition, the left the Allies in a position of supplying food and supplies to conquered territory. As well, Italy occupied by a hostile German army would have created problems for the German Commander-in-Chief. The short distance from Sicily meant landing craft could launch from there directly, montgomery was strongly opposed to Operation Baytown. He was proved correct, after Operation Baytown the British Eighth Army marched 300 miles north to the Salerno area against no other than engineering obstacles. Plans for the use of Allied airborne forces took several forms, the initial plan to land glider-borne troops in the mountain passes of the Sorrento Peninsula above Salerno was abandoned 12 August. Six days later it was replaced by Operation Giant, in two regiments of the U. S. 82nd Airborne Division would seize and hold crossings over the Volturno River. The main landings were scheduled to take place on 9 September and it would consist of the U. S. Its primary objectives were to seize the port of Naples to ensure resupply, the naval task force of warships, merchant ships and landing craft totaling 627 vessels came under the command of Vice Admiral Henry K. Hewitt. However, with the signing of the armistice with the Italians on 3 September the picture changed, the airborne division, which was undergoing training exercises in two locations 640 kilometres apart, was ordered on 4 September to embark on 8 September
14.
Operation Slapstick
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Operation Slapstick was the code name for a British landing from the sea at the Italian port of Taranto during the Second World War. Planned at short notice, the followed a offer by the Italian government to open the ports of Taranto. The airborne division was selected to undertake the mission, but at the time they were located in North Africa, instead, the division had to be transported across the Mediterranean by ships of the Royal Navy. The landing was unopposed and the division successfully captured the ports of Taranto. The only German forces in the area were elements of the 1st Parachute Division, eventually, by the end of September, the British 1st Airborne Division advanced 125 miles to Foggia. Reinforcements from two divisions had by then been landed behind them, which allowed the airborne troops to be withdrawn to Taranto. Soon after, the division, minus the 2nd Parachute Brigade, sailed for England in preparation for Operation Overlord, in May 1943, the Axis powers of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy were defeated in the North African Campaign. Two months later, the Allied powers of Great Britain and the United States, successfully launched their invasion of Sicily, the island being completely occupied by the end of August, the Allies next turned their attention to the invasion of Italy. The main invasion was planned for 9 September, with the U. S, fifth Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Mark Clark, landing at Salerno on the western coast in Operation Avalanche, with Naples as their immediate objective. The Allies hoped that the invasion would persuade the Italian forces to surrender, if they did, the five Italian divisions in France and the twenty-nine in the Balkans would have to be replaced by German formations. Also, if the Germans then decided to continue the fight in Italy, during secret surrender negotiations with the Allies in early September, the Italian government offered to open the ports of Taranto and Brindisi on the eastern coast. German forces in area were very weak and would be expected to withdraw rather than fight if the Allies landed there. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean, quickly planned a landing, codenamed Slapstick. Slapstick was in part an operation of deception, to divert German forces away from the main Allied landings at Salerno on the day, while also attempting to capture Taranto. The main value of Taranto was its large port and its seizure would, with the expected capture of Naples in the west by the Americans, give the Allies supply points on both Italian coasts. Taranto is the city of the Province of Taranto in the region of Apulia and has a large harbor. It includes the two islets of St. Peter and St. Paul, which protect the bay, called the Mar Grande, after the unification of Italy, Taranto became the main base of the Italian Navy. The military port was located in another bay, the Mar Piccolo, in November 1940, the Royal Navy attacked the naval base in Taranto, sinking some Italian battleships
15.
Operation Achse
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Operation Achse, originally called Operation Alaric, was the codename for the German plan to forcibly disarm the Italian armed forces after the armistice with the Allied forces in 1943. The Armistice of Cassibile was made public on 8 September, German forces moved rapidly to take over the Italian zones of occupation in the Balkans and southern France, and to disarm Italian forces in Italy. Additionally, individual soldiers or whole units, like the 24th Pinerolo Division in Thessaly, only in Sardinia, Corsica, Calabria and in the southern part of Apulia were Italian troops able to offer successful resistance and hold off the Germans until relieved by the arrival of Allied forces. The first German combat units were sent to Italy to bolster its defenses against a probable Allied attack on Italian soil while Germany and they would be the Sardinia Command, the Sicily Command, and a ready reserve. Adolf Hitler wrote to a dubious Benito Mussolini that since they were weak units that needed reinforcements, the Fallschirm-Panzer Division 1 Hermann Göring arrived mid-May 1943 and was sent to Sicily, and the 16th Panzer Division arrived in early June and was sent west of Bari. On 19 May also, the headquarters of general Hans Hubes 14th Panzerkorps was also sent from France to strengthen the structure of the Oberbefehlshaber Süd field marshal Albert Kesselring. On 20 May 1943, during a discussion at his headquarters, Hitler expressed his doubts about the politic stability of the Fascist government. On 21 May, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, the head of the OKW, meanwhile, German reserves kept being redeployed to face potential threats in the Mediterranean theater. On 17 June Mussolini, after a refusal, urgently asked for two German armoured divisions, as a reinforcement to confront the powerful Allied forces. The last of them was deployed at Salerno on 9 July, the 29th Panzergrenadier Division was sent to Foggia in mid-June and the 3rd Panzergrenadier Division was deployed north of Rome in the first days of July. Meanwhile, on 24 June, the Reichsführer-SS Brigade had been moved to Corsica, and in mid-July, the Allied invasion of Sicily began on 10 July 1943, and established solid beachheads, despite Italian and German counterattacks. The political and military leaders of the two countries reacted immediately to the worsening situation, in Rome, Ambrosio urged unrealistic demands for help from Germany on Mussolini. Among the German commanders in Italy, Eberhard von Mackensen and Albert Kesselring became increasingly skeptical about Italian defense capabilities, on 17 July, Hitler decided to meet with Mussolini and his collaborators, and assess their resolve to continue the war. The meeting was near Feltre on 19 July 1943, the Feltre meeting had little use. Moreover, Hitler gave a view of the situation and refused the sweeping Italian requests for more land and air support, mentioning technical. After the meeting, Hitler was convinced that he had lifted Mussolini’s morale, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel had been put in charge of forces being organized in Bavaria for intervention in case of Italys defection. Rommel was worried about the fate of German troops in Sicily and southern Italy, but Hitler ignored warnings from Rommel. On 21 July, Hitler decided to suspend the planning of Alaric, on 25 July, before he learned of the fall of Mussolini, Hitler sent six Heer divisions to Italy, including a panzer division, and three Waffen-SS divisions
16.
Four days of Naples
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The Four days of Naples refers to the popular uprising in the Italian city of Naples between 27 and 30 September 1943 against the German forces occupying the city during World War II. From 1940–43, Naples suffered heavy Allied bombing raids, which caused much damage, the citys artistic and cultural heritage also suffered damage, such as the partial destruction of the Chiesa di Santa Chiara on 4 December 1942. With the Allied advance in southern Italy, anti-Fascists in the Naples area began to establish contacts with the Allied commanders. From 8 September 1943, the day in which the Cassibile armistice came into force, things there were already difficult, thanks to the unceasing bombing raids and the imbalance in forces. The situation in Naples soon turned into chaos, with many higher officials deserting the city and those escaping included Riccardo Pentimalli and Ettore Del Tetto, the generals entrusted with military responsibility for Naples, who fled in civilian clothing. Del Tettos last actions before fleeing had been to hand the city over to the German army and to publish a decree banning assemblies and authorising the military to fire on those who flouted that ban. Even so, sporadic but bloody attempts at resistance arose throughout the Zanzur Barracks, as far as the Carabinieri barracks at Pastrengo, on 9 September, some citizens met with German troops at Palazzo dei Telefoni, managing to escape, and in Via Santa Brigida. This latter episode involved a Carabiniere, who opened fire to defend a shop from German soldiers attempting to loot it, the retaliation for the Piazza del Plebiscito clashes came quickly, the Germans set fire to the National Library and opened fire on the crowd that gathered there. On 12 September, numerous soldiers were killed on the streets of Naples, while about 4,000 Italian soldiers and civilians were deported for forced labor. An announcement of the prefect on 22 September decreed compulsory labor for all men from 18–33 years of age and set their forced deportation to camps in northern Italy. The population refused to collaborate and rose up, every single citizen who behaves calmly will enjoy my protection. On the other hand, anyone who openly or surreptitiously acts against the German armed forces will be executed, moreover, the home of the miscreant and its immediate surroundings will be destroyed and reduced to ruins. Every German soldier wounded or murdered will be avenged a hundred times, I order a curfew from 8 pm to 6 am. Only in case of alarm will it be allowed to use the road in order to reach the nearest shelter, a state of siege is proclaimed. Within 24 hours all weapons and ammunition of any kind, including shotguns, hand grenades, anyone who, after that period, is found in possession of a weapon will be immediately executed. The delivery of weapons and ammunition shall be made to the German military patrols, people must keep calm and act reasonably. A young sailor was executed on the stairs of the headquarters, on the same day,500 people were also forcibly deported to Teverola, near Caserta, and forced to watch the execution of 14 policemen, who had offered armed resistance to the occupying forces. Almost simultaneously, a manifesto from the citys prefect called for work from all males between the ages of 18 and 30, in practice a forced deportation to labor camps in Germany
17.
Bombing of the Vatican
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Bombing of Vatican City occurred twice during World War II. The first occasion was on the evening of 5 November 1943, the second bombing, which affected only the outer margin of the city, was at about the same hour on 1 March 1944, and caused the death of one person and the injury of another. Vatican City State was neutral throughout the war, both Allied and Axis aircraft crews were generally commanded to respect its neutrality even when bombing Rome. On 25 July 1943, after Allied forces had conquered the Italian possessions in Africa and had taken Sicily, the Fascist Grand Council removed Benito Mussolini from power. The Kingdom of Italy at first remained an ally of Nazi Germany, both bombings occurred while Rome was under German occupation. An undated eyewitness account written by Monsignor Domenico Tardini in 1944 states and it was a very clear and cloudless evening. For over half an hour an aeroplane was heard circling insistently over Rome, at about 8,10, while an Allied squadron passed over the Vatican, the aeroplane that until then had been circling over Rome dropped four bombs and flew away. If they had fallen a few metres off, they would have hit the Radio, the Government building, that of the Tribunals. They caused considerable damage, for all the windows were blown to pieces, the future cardinal Tardini continued, General opinion, and general indignation, blamed the Germans and, perhaps more, the Republican Fascists. The latter view was reinforced by notes about a conversation of Barracu that a telephone operator gave to the Holy Father. 5 November is for England, Father Hughes told me, an anti-Pope day, Monsignor Carroll did not know whether the delinquent had been punished. Perhaps we will know, when the war is over, what really happened, the message from Monsignor Walter S. Carroll that Monsignor Tardini spoke of as addressed to Monsignor Montini was in reality addressed to Cardinal Secretary of State Luigi Maglione. The German and British authorities gave similar assurances regarding aircraft of their countries, aware that the bombs used were British, the British pointed out that this proved nothing as they could have been taken from captured ordinance and used for precisely that purpose. Augusto Ferraras 2010 book 1943 Bombe sul Vaticano, declares that the attack was orchestrated by leading Italian Fascist politician, the aim was to knock out Vatican Radio, which was suspected of sending coded message to the Allies. The aircraft that delivered the bombs was a SIAI Marchetti S. M.79, a three-engined Italian medium bomber known as the Sparviero, which had taken off from Viterbo, some 80 kilometres north of Rome. One piece of evidence on which Ferrara bases his account of the responsibility of Farinacci was a call from a priest called Giuseppe to the Jesuit Pietro Tacchi Venturi. In Ferraras account, five bombs were dropped, of one did not explode. The 2007 book Venti angeli sopra Roma by Cesare De Simone speaks of an admission of responsibility by the RAF in the postwar period
18.
Volturno Line
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The Volturno Line was a German defensive position in Italy during the Italian Campaign of World War II. The line ran from Termoli in the east, along the Biferno River through the Apennine Mountains to the Volturno River in the west. Following the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943 the German forces set up a series of lines across Italy. The Volturno Line was the southernmost of these, by late morning, the two elements had linked up and that night 78th Divisions 36th Brigade were able to be landed by sea at Termoli. As more German armour arrived, the Allied troops across the Biferno were forced onto the defensive, by the afternoon of 5 October, they had been squeezed back to within.5 mi of Termoli. However, at the same time frantic round the clock efforts by engineers had resulted in a heavyweight Bailey bridge being completed allowing Canadian and that evening, 78th Divisions 38th Brigade arrived by sea at Termoli and the German attack the following morning was narrowly repulsed in desperate fighting. By late morning on 6 October, the Allies were on the attack and by afternoon the Germans had started to fall back to the next prepared defences on the River Trigno. On the other coast, the U. S, fifth Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, attacked across the Volturno on the night of 12 October. The Germans using rearguard tactics skillfully using the terrain which was favourable for defence, Italy and the Battle for Rome 1944. From the Volturno to the Winter Line 6 October-15 November 1943, washington, United States Army Center of Military History. Smith, Col. Kenneth V. Naples-Foggia 9 September 1943-21 January 1944, washington, United States Army Center of Military History. Allied invasion of Italy Gustav Line Barbara Line British Eighth Army U. S
19.
Barbara Line
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Near the eastern coast, it ran along the line of the Trigno river. The line mostly consisted of fortified hilltop positions, generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring—German commander-in-chief Italy- ordered his forces to retreat to the Barbara Line on 12 October 1943 after the U. S. Fifth Army crossed the Volturno River, breaching the Volturno defensive line, by early November the Barbara Line on the Tyrrhenian Sea side of the Apennine Mountains had been breached by the U. S. Fifth Army, and the German Forces fell back to the Bernhardt Line, on the Adriatic front east of the Apennine Mountain spine was the British Eighth Army under General Bernard Montgomery. In October Eighth Army had crossed the Bifurno river and the British Eighth Army had broken the Viktor/Volturno Line defences on 6 October, delayed by these logistical problems, the Allies were not able to attack the next line of defences behind the Trigno river immediately. It therefore was not until the hours of 2 November that the V Corps on the right of the front on the coast. On the V Corps front, British 78th Infantry Division attacked along the road while 8th Indian Infantry Division attacked some 10 mi inland. Forward elements of Eighth Army moved to contact with the forward defenses of the German Winter Line on the high ground north of the Sangro River. The Allies were able to move forward without opposition and the Allied advance reached the Sangro on 9 November, Allied invasion of Italy Italian Campaign British Eighth Army U. S. Fifth Army Volturno Line Bernhardt Line Battle of San Pietro Infine Gustav Line Gothic Line Carver, the Imperial War Museum Book of the War in Italy 1943–1945. From the Volturno to the Winter Line 6 October-15 November 1943, washington, United States Army Center of Military History. Smith, Col. Kenneth V. Naples-Foggia 9 September 1943-21 January 1944, washington, United States Army Center of Military History
20.
Air raid on Bari
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The air raid on Bari was an air attack by German bombers on Allied forces and shipping in Bari, Italy on 2 December 1943 during World War II. The attack lasted a little more than one hour and put the port out of action until February 1944, the release of mustard gas from one of the wrecked cargo ships added to the loss of life. The British and US governments covered up the presence of mustard gas, on 11 September 1943 the port of Bari in southern Italy was taken without resistance by the British 1st Airborne Division. The port then served as an important logistics hub for Allied forces, Bari had inadequate air defences, no Royal Air Force fighter aircraft squadrons were based there, and fighters within range were assigned to escort or offensive duties, not port defence. Little thought was given to the possibility of a German air raid on Bari and he said, I would consider it as a personal insult if the enemy should send so much as one plane over the city. This was despite the fact that German air raids, partially executed by KG54 and KG76, hit the Naples port area four times in the previous month, thirty ships of American, British, Polish, Norwegian and Dutch registry were in Bari Harbour on 2 December. The adjoining port city held a population of 250,000. The port was lit on the night of the raid to expedite the unloading of supplies supporting Allied forces engaged in the Battle of Monte Cassino and was working at full capacity. On the afternoon of 2 December, Luftwaffe pilot Werner Hahn made a flight over Bari in a Messerschmitt Me 210. His report resulted in Albert Kesselring ordering the raid, Kesselring and his planners had earlier considered Allied airfields at Foggia as targets, but the Luftwaffe lacked the resources to attack such a large complex of targets. Generalfeldmarschall Wolfram von Richthofen—who commanded Luftflotte 2—had suggested Bari as an alternative, richthofen believed that crippling the port might slow the advance of the British Eighth Army. The Ju 88 pilots were ordered to fly east to the Adriatic Sea, then swing south and west, the attack opened at 19,25, when two or three German aircraft circled the harbour at 10,000 ft dropping Düppel to confuse Allied radar. They also dropped flares, which were not needed due to the harbour being well illuminated, the German bomber force obtained complete surprise and was able to bomb the harbour and its contents with great accuracy. Hits on two ammunition ships caused explosions which shattered windows 7 mi away, a bulk petrol pipeline on a quay was severed and the gushing fuel ignited. A sheet of burning fuel spread over much of the harbor, twenty-eight merchant ships laden with more than 34,000 short tons of cargo were sunk or destroyed, three ships carrying a further 7,500 short tons were later salvaged. The port was closed for three weeks and was restored to full operation in February 1944. All Bari-based submarines were undamaged, their tough exteriors able to withstand the German attack, one of the destroyed vessels—the U. S. Liberty ship John Harvey—had been carrying a cargo of 2000 M47A1 mustard gas bombs
21.
Winter Line
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The Winter Line was a series of German military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt and commanded by Albert Kesselring. The series of 3 lines was designed to defend a western section of Italy, focused around the town of Monte Cassino, through which ran the important Highway 6 which led uninterrupted to Rome. The two subsidiary lines, the Bernhardt Line and the Hitler Line ran much shorter distances from the Tyrrehnian sea to just North East of Cassino where they would merge into the Gustav Line. Relative to the Gustav Line, the Hitler Line stood to the North-West, the Gustav Line, though ultimately broken, effectively slowed the Allied advance for months between December 1943 and June 1944. Major battles in the assault on the Winter Line at Monte Cassino, the center of the Gustav line crossed the main route north to Rome at strategically crucial Highway 6. It followed the Liri Valley and was anchored around the mountains behind the town of Cassino, a bloody and protracted battle was waged over the monastery, known as the Battle of Monte Cassino. The north end of the line was held by the town of Ortona. On the western side of the Apennines were two lines, the Bernhardt Line in front of the main Gustav positions, and the Hitler Line some 5 miles to the rear. The Winter Line was fortified with gun pits, concrete bunkers, turreted machine-gun emplacements, barbed-wire and it was the strongest of the German defensive lines south of Rome. About 15 German divisions were employed in the defence and it took the Allies from mid-November 1943 to June 1944 to fight through all the various elements of the Winter Line, including the well-known battles at Monte Cassino and Anzio. The offensive on the Bernhardt line was launched on December 1,1943 as part of Operation Raincoat. British and American troops took the terrain around Monte Camino and the Mingano Gap within a week, other authorities use the Winter Line name interchangeably with the Gustav Line as defined above. Washington, United States Army Center of Military History, from the Volturno to the Winter Line 6 October-15 November 1943. Washington, United States Army Center of Military History, smith, Col. Kenneth V. WWII Campaigns, Naples-Foggia 9 September 1943-21 January 1944. Washington, United States Army Center of Military History, German Tactics in the Italian Campaign. La Tattica tedesca nella Campagna dItalia, in Linea Gotica avanposto dei Balcani, roma, Amedeo Montemaggi - Edizioni Civitas. The Imperial War Museum Book of the War in Italy 1943-1945, hitler’s Fortresses, German Fortifications and Defences 1939-45. Winter Line Stories Original stories from the front lines of the Italian Campaign by US Army Liaison Officer Major Ralph R
22.
Bernhardt Line
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The Bernhardt Line was a German defensive line in Italy during the Italian Campaign of World War II. Having reached the Bernhardt Line at the start of December 1943, Fifth Army to fight their way to the next line of defences, the Gustav Line. The line was defended by XIV Panzer Corps, part of the German Tenth Army, however, the defences of the Gustav Line on the Adriatic are sometimes referred to as the Bernhardt Line and the battles for this part of the line are included in this entry. The Bernhardt line was not as strong as the Gustav Line and was intended only to delay the Allies arrival at the Gustav Line, together with the Gustav Line and the Hitler Line, it made up the German Winter Line defences. Following the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943, the Italian government had surrendered, Alexander had three possible alternatives to reach the Italian capital of Rome. On the Adriatic front he could advance to Pescara and then use Route 5 which traversed the country to Rome on the other coast. Alternatively, on the side of the Apennines, highway 7 followed along the west coast. Finally, highway 6 ran in the direction, but further inland. The German forces in Italy were commanded by Field Marshal Albert Kesselring, the defence of the Winter Line was the task of the German 10th Army under the temporary command of Lieutenant-General Joachim Lemelsen. The Allied Armies in Italy, formerly designated the 15th Army Group, were commanded by General Alexander, under his command were two field armies, to the left, on the western side of Italy, was the U. S. Fifth Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, the Fifth Army consisted of American, British and French units. On 3 October, a battalion of the British Eighth Armys 78th Infantry Division had crossed the Bifurno river to confront the German Volturno-Viktor Line defences, by 6 October, the Germans were withdrawing to new defensive positions behind the Trigno river, the Barbara Line. At the Trigno, Eighth Army were obliged to pause because it had outrun its supply chain which stretched back over poor roads to the ports of Bari. Port and transport capacity had also affected by the logistic requirements of the Allied air force. The Eighth Army attacked across the Trigno on 2 November, by the next day, the German position had been turned and the Germans commenced a fighting withdrawal to the forward Winter-Line positions they were preparing on the ridges behind the Sangro River. The Eighth Armys forward units had reached the Sangro on 9 November, Alexander had planned for Montgomery to strike across the river on its coastal plain on 20 November with the V Corps. In secrecy, Montgomery shifted the Indian division to the right to narrow the V Corps front and concentrate its power, bringing the newly arrived 2nd New Zealand Division into the gap. Eighth Army also devised a scheme involving false troop movements
23.
Battle for Monte la Difensa
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Monte La Difensa, was one of the peaks forming the Camino hill mass which formed the left-hand gatepost dominating the Mignano Gap, key to the U. S. Fifth Armys route to Cassino and the Liri valley and thence to Rome, the mountain itself had become a stalemate for American and British troops because of the defenses employed by the German troops, part of the Bernhardt Line. The action was the first combat in the Italian theatre for the US-Canadian commando unit 1st Special Service Force and they were attached to the U. S. 36th Infantry Division. The 1st SSF used the training that they had received in winter and mountain warfare to scale the mountain. The cost for both sides was high though, the 1st Special Service Forces suffered a 77% casualty rate, but distinguished themselves by doing the seemingly impossible. After a pause to regroup the U. S, the successful assault on Difensa was the climax for the 1968 motion picture The Devils Brigade. Part 2 of the series WW2 Greatest Raids called Mountain Massacre was broadcast by National Geographic, Bernhardt Line Winter Line Fifth Army at the Winter Line 15 November 1943 -15 January 1944. Washington, United States Army Center of Military History
24.
Battle of San Pietro Infine
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The eventual Allied victory in the battle was crucial in the ultimate drive to the north to liberate Rome. The battle is remembered as the first in which the troops of the Royal Italian Army fought as co-belligerents of the Allies following the armistice with Italy. The original town of San Pietro Infine was destroyed in the battle, the Allied invasion of Italy from the south followed the Allied successes in North Africa. The invasion was launched by the American Seventh Army, under Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr. both armies were under the command of the 15th Army Group, commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander. Over the next five weeks,500,000 Allied soldiers, sailors, although the Allied powers were victorious, the Axis managed to evacuate over 100,000 men and 10,000 vehicles from Sicily across the Straits of Messina during the first seventeen days in August. The Allies then invaded the Italian mainland in early September 1943 at Salerno, in Calabria, on 8 September, before the main invasion at Salerno by Lieutenant General Mark W. Clarks U. S. Fifth Army, the surrender of Italy to the Allies was announced, Italian units ceased combat, and the Royal Italian Navy sailed to Allied ports to surrender. This changed the German defensive strategy greatly, and the Germans now regarded their former allies as enemies and moved to disarm Italian units, the invasion at Salerno was ultimately successful, although the Allies sustained heavy casualties, and subsequently captured nearby Naples on 1 October. German forces then withdrew to the north, towards Rome, by late 1943 the fighting had reached the Winter Line. The German Commander-in-Chief Albert Kesselring—had marked out the Winter Line as three parallel defensive systems to the south of Rome, the Reinhard was actually a southern bulge in the stronger Gustav line to the north. The Germans occupied San Pietro in September 1943 to prepare the defenses and they set up a defensive apparatus in the whole territory, in particular on Mount Sambúcaro and Mount Lungo, which overlooked the Mignano Gap. These were strategically important positions because they allowed the control of the stretch of Route 6. The Fifth Army began to attack the Reinhard/Bernhardt Line on 5 November, the Battle of San Pietro was preceded by Allied attacks on the Camino hill mass at the entrance to the Mignano Gap. The entire hill mass is about 10 km long and 6 kilometres wide, after that, the main Allied effort was against the German defenses on Mount Sambúcaro and Mount Lungo, which dominated the narrow valley on the northeast and southwest respectively. The direct attack on the German positions in and around San Pietro began on 8 December by Major General Geoffrey Keyes II Corps of the Fifth Army. The positions were defended by two battalion sized elements of the 15th Panzer Grenadier Division and a battalion of the 71st Infantrie Division, the U. S. 36th Division, then planned a further effort for 15 December. In the center, the 141st Infantry would attack San Pietro itself, the main attack of the 36th Division started at 12,00 on 15 December. In an effort to break the German defenses in the town, the armored attack failed due to mines and anti-tank fire
25.
Moro River Campaign
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The Moro River Campaign was an important battle of the Italian Campaign during the Second World War, fought between elements of the British Eighth Army and LXXVI Panzer Corps of the German 10th Army. Lasting from 4–26 December 1943, the campaign occurred primarily in the vicinity of the Moro River in eastern Italy, after being held at the Gully for 10 days, the Canadians succeeded in outflanking German defences, and forcing a German withdrawal to the Ortona–Orsogna Line. On 20 December, the line was attacked by both corps, by 26 December, strong German defences had stalled Canadian forces in Ortona and British and New Zealand forces in Orsogna. Although both Ortona and Villa Grande were captured by the end of December, general exhaustion among the Allied forces prevented the capture of Orsogna and an advance to Pescara. When harsh winter weather set in, it clear to the Allied commanders that no further progress would be made. East of the Apennine Mountain spine was the British Eighth Army, in October, the Eighth Army had crossed the Bifurno river and pushed the German defenders from the Volturno-Viktor Line defences. Delayed by logistical problems, they were not able to attack the line of defences behind the Trigno river until 2 November. However, by 9 November forward elements of the Eighth Army were in contact with the defences of the German Winter Line. After several days of fighting, the Germans withdrew to the defences they had prepared on the high ground to the north of the Moro river. The Moro River runs from the central spine of Italy to the Adriatic coast south of Ortona. The German defences on the Moro were a centerpiece of the Winter Line, Montgomery hoped to punch through the Winter Line, capture Ortona and Pescara and advance to Rome. The 78th Infantry Division was sent into the mountains on the relatively quiet left wing of the army, montgomerys plan was for the 1st Canadian Division to attack across the Moro in the coastal lowlands to take Ortona first and then Pescara. Together, these units formed Traugott Herr′s LXXVI Panzer Corps, the part of Joachim Lemelsens 10th Army responsible for the front line to the east of the Apennines. On 6 December 1943, Canadian forces began a series of assaults on major crossing points along the Moro River with the objective of securing a large bridgehead along the defensive line. Three primary points of attack were chosen, Villa Rogatti, along the edge of the Canadian sector, San Leonardo,5 km south of Ortona, and San Donato. Five primary infantry battalions were selected to assault these positions with the objective of crossing the Moro River, the offensives were scheduled to start on the morning of 6 December. The task of taking Villa Rogatti, the westernmost crossing point, was given to Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry, elements of three German regiments—the 200th and 361st Panzergrenadier, and 26th Panzer—maintained strong defences within the town. At 00,00 on 5 December, two companies of the PPCLI crossed the Moro River, moving towards Villa Rogatti, within an hour, vicious fighting had erupted throughout the town as the two companies of Canadian infantry struggled to break the German defensive lines
26.
Battle of Ortona
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The battle took place in the small Adriatic Sea town of Ortona, with a peacetime population of 10,000. The British Eighth Armys offensive on the Winter Line defences east of the Apennine mountains had commenced on 23 November with the crossing of the river Sangro. Allied forces were ordered to maintain the offensive, and going through the built up areas in, Ortona was part of the Winter Line defence system and the Germans had constructed a series of skilfully designed interlocking defensive positions in the town. This—together with the fact that the Germans had been ordered to fight for every last house, the Canadians faced elements of the renowned German 1st Parachute Division. These soldiers were battle-hardened after many years of war, and were ordered by Adolf Hitler to defend Ortona at any cost. The initial Canadian attack on the town was made on 20 December by Canadian 2nd Brigades Loyal Edmonton Regiment with elements of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada under command. The Germans also concealed various machine guns and anti-tank emplacements throughout the town, making movement by armour, the house to house fighting was vicious and the Canadians made use of a new tactic, mouse-holing. This tactic involved using weapons such as the PIAT to breach the walls of a building, the soldiers would then throw in grenades and assault through the mouse holes, clearing the top floors and making their way down, where both adversaries struggled in repeated close-quarters combat. Mouse-holing was also used to pierce through walls into adjoining rooms, the tactic would be used repeatedly as assaulting through the streets inflicted heavy casualties on both Canadian and German troops. Later, in a deadly incident, German Fallschirmjäger engineer Karl Bayerlein demolished an entire house packed with Canadian soldiers. After six days of combat, 2nd Brigades third battalion, Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry, on 28 December, after eight days of fighting, the depleted German troops—who lacked reinforcements—finally withdrew from the town. The Canadians suffered 1,375 dead during the Moro River battles of which Ortona was a part and this represented almost a quarter of all Canadians killed during the entire Italian Campaign. Ortona, Canadas epic World War II battle
27.
Battle of Rapido River
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The Battle of Rapido River was fought from 20 to 22 January 1944 in the course of the Battle of Monte Cassino, part of the Italian Campaign of World War II. Despite its name, the battle occurred on the Gari river. S, 36th Infantry Division, commanded by Major General Fred Walker. The Americans suffered very high losses and after two days of fighting the survivors retreated back across the river, two regiments were wiped out in the failed attack. He hoped to destroy the German armies there and build on the success in the direction of Southeast Europe to anticipate the arrival of the Soviet Red Army. The Allied advance through Italy bogged down around Monte Cassino, which was a point in the Axis defensive positions known as the Winter Line. As a result, Allied commanders planned to outflank the Germans with Operation Shingle, to assist in the landing, Allied forces to the South were to launch attacks in the days leading up to Operation Shingle by seizing German positions across the Garigliano and Rapido rivers. It was hoped that German forces would be away from Anzio to counter these attacks. After the barrage, the 141st and 143rd Infantry Regiments were ordered to cross the river, two rifle companies of the 143rd successfully crossed the river, but German return fire resulted in the loss of too many men and landing boats, and their foothold was abandoned. The 141st fared even worse, being forced to withdraw with heavy casualties after landing in a minefield, on the next day, both regiments were ordered to perform another attack at 16,00. Without the bridges, armor could not assist in the attack, after more than 20 hours of fruitless combat, both were ordered to withdraw. The 143rd was able to withdraw intact, but much of the 141st was not so lucky as, being stranded, their boats. The German defenders mounted a counterattack against the trapped Americans, capturing many hundreds, the Commanding General of the 36th Division, Major General Walker, decided against committing the divisions last regiment, the 142nd Infantry, and the battle concluded at 21,40 on January 22. No significant gains had been made in either assault, and the objective of luring away German forces was entirely unsuccessful. Battle of Monte Cassino Battle of Anzio Fred L. Walker Mark W. Clark citations Sources Schultz, Winter Line Stories Original stories from the front lines of the Italian Campaign by US Army Liaison Officer Major Ralph R. Hotchkiss
28.
Battle of Monte Cassino
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The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four assaults by the Allies against the Winter Line in Italy held by Axis forces during the Italian Campaign of World War II. The intention was a breakthrough to Rome, at the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans holding the Rapido-Gari, Liri and Garigliano valleys and some of the surrounding peaks and ridges. Together, these formed the Gustav Line. Monte Cassino, a historic hilltop abbey founded in AD529 by Benedict of Nursia, dominated the town of Cassino. Lying in a historic zone, it had been left unoccupied by the Germans. They had manned some positions set into the slopes below the abbeys walls. Repeated pinpoint artillery attacks on Allied assault troops caused their leaders to conclude the abbey was being used by the Germans as an observation post, fears escalated along with casualties and in spite of a lack of clear evidence, it was marked for destruction. On 15 February American bombers dropped 1,400 tons of high explosives, the raid failed to achieve its objective, as German paratroopers occupied the rubble and established excellent defensive positions amid the ruins. Between 17 January and 18 May, Monte Cassino and the Gustav defences were assaulted four times by Allied troops, the German defenders were finally driven from their positions, but at a high cost. The capture of Monte Cassino resulted in 55,000 Allied casualties, with German losses being far fewer, estimated at around 20,000 killed and wounded. On the western front, the American Fifth Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Mark W. Clarks Fifth Army made slow progress in the face of difficult terrain, wet weather, the original estimates that Rome would fall by October 1943 proved far too optimistic. Highway 6 ran through the Liri valley, dominated at its entrance by the rugged mass of Monte Cassino above the town of Cassino. Excellent observation from the peaks of several hills allowed the German defenders to detect Allied movement and direct highly accurate artillery fire, preventing any northward advance. Running across the Allied line was the fast flowing Rapido River, there the Liri river joined the Gari to form the Garigliano River, which continued on to the sea. Nevertheless, some Allied reconnaissance aircraft maintained they observed German troops inside the monastery. The main central thrust by the U. S. II Corps would commence on 20 January with the U. S. 36th Infantry Division making an assault across the swollen Gari river five miles downstream of Cassino. Simultaneously the French Expeditionary Corps, under General Alphonse Juin would continue its right hook move towards Monte Cairo, VI Corps, under Major General John P. Lucas, was due to make an amphibious landing on 22 January. The intelligence assessment of Allied prospects was therefore over-optimistic and they hardly had time to prepare the new assault, let alone take the rest and reorganization they really needed after three months of attritional fighting north from Naples
29.
Battle of Anzio
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The operation was opposed by German forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno. Any delay could result in the occupation of the mountains by the defenders, Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, commander of the U. S. Fifth Army, understood that risk, but Clark did not pass on his appreciation of the situation to his subordinate, Lucas, the initial landing achieved complete surprise with no opposition and a jeep patrol even made it as far as the outskirts of Rome. While Lucas consolidated, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring, the German commander in the Italian theatre and his artillery units had a clear view of every Allied position. The Germans also stopped the pumps and flooded the reclaimed marsh with salt water, planning to entrap the Allies. For weeks a rain of shells fell on the beach, the marsh, the harbour, after a month of heavy but inconclusive fighting, Lucas was relieved and sent home. His replacement was Major General Lucian K. Truscott, who had commanded the U. S. 3rd Infantry Division. The Allies broke out in May, at the end of 1943, following the Allied invasion of Italy, Allied forces were bogged down at the Gustav Line, a defensive line across Italy south of the strategic objective of Rome. The terrain of central Italy had proved ideally suited to defense, Operation Shingle was originally conceived by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in December 1943, as he lay recovering from pneumonia in Marrakesh. His concept was to two divisions at Anzio, bypassing German forces in central Italy, and take Rome, the strategic objective of the current Battle of Rome. By January he had recovered and was badgering his commanders for a plan of attack, accusing them of not wanting to fight but of being interested only in drawing pay and eating rations. General Harold Alexander, commander of the Allied Armies in Italy, had considered such a plan since October using five divisions. However, the 5th Army did not have the troops nor the means to transport them, Clark proposed landing a reinforced division to divert German troops from Monte Cassino. This second landing, however, instead of failing similarly, would hold the shingle for a week in expectation of a breakthrough at Cassino, the Anzio beachhead is at the northwestern end of a tract of reclaimed marshland, formerly the Pontine Marshes, now the Pontine Fields. Previously uninhabitable due to mosquitoes carrying malaria, in Roman times armies marched as quickly as possible across it on the military road, the Via Appia. The marsh was bounded on one side by the sea and on others by mountains, the Monti Albani, the Monti Lepini, overall these mountains are referenced by the name Monti Laziali, the mountains of Lazio, the ancient Latium. Invading armies from the south had the choice of crossing the marsh or taking the other road to Rome. The marshes were turned into land in the 1930s under Benito Mussolini
30.
Battle of Cisterna
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The Battle of Cisterna took place during World War II, on 30 January–2 February 1944, near Cisterna, Italy, as part of the Battle of Anzio, part of the Italian Campaign. The battle was a clear German victory which also had repercussions on the employment of U. S. Army Rangers that went beyond the immediate tactical and strategic results of the battle. On 22 January 1944, the Allies launched Operation Shingle, the landing by the U. S. and British divisions of U. S. VI Corps in the area of Anzio. Following the landings, which had been unopposed, John P. By 29 January, there were 69,000 men in the beachhead but the Germans had also had time to react, on 31 January, Lucas launched a two-pronged attack. The main attack, by British 1st Infantry Division, was to advance northeast up the Via Anziate toward Campoleone, 7th Infantry was to cut Route 7, the main supply line to the German Tenth Army on the Gustav Line, at Cassino. However the plan had been based on the misinterpretation of reconnaissance intelligence, however the Wehrmacht had designated Cisterna as an assembly area for its reserve divisions and had begun moving units into the area. The Rangers, who expected to encounter a line of thinly-held outposts advanced unknowingly towards an enemy force. Contrary to their function as an elite raiding force, the Rangers had been involved in much of the front line fighting around the Anzio beachhead. Ranger casualties meant many replacements were recruits who lacked the experience, the growing presence of green troops in an otherwise skilled force degraded its ability to conduct successful infiltration and night operations. Their objective was to seize the town in a surprise attack, the two battalions—totaling 767 men and supported by a platoon of 43 men of the 3rd Reconnaissance Troop—moved out at 01,30 and moved in the darkness along a drainage ditch in column formation. Although they were able to bypass numerous German positions, at first light they were short of their objective. At this point the Rangers were attacked by strong German forces of the 715th Infantry Division and Herman Göring Panzer Division, according to the Army history of the operation, the infiltration movement had apparently been discovered and an ambush prepared. The 1st Battalion commander—Major Dobson—personally knocked out one tank by shooting the commander with his pistol, climbing atop the tank, two other tanks were captured by Rangers, but then knocked out by other Rangers who did not know they had been captured. Despite fierce fighting, there was chance of success once the Rangers were attacked on the open ground. German units put Ranger prisoners in front of their tanks and commanded other Rangers to surrender, after the approximately seven-hour battle, only six of the 767 Rangers and one member of the 3rd Recon troop returned to Allied lines, resulting in an overall loss of 803 men. The exact number of killed, wounded and captured is unknown, US Army records indicate over 700 Ranger prisoners. The main assault also jumped off, now attempting to rescue the trapped battalions, led by the 4th Ranger Battalion, it encountered serious opposition and failed to break through
31.
Operation Diadem
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Operation Diadem, also referred to as the Fourth Battle of Monte Cassino or, in Canada, the Battle of the Liri Valley, was an offensive operation undertaken by the Allies of World War II (U. S. Fifth Army and British Eighth Army in May 1944, as part of the Italian Campaign of World War II, Diadem was supported by air attacks called Operation Strangle. The opposing force was the German 10th Army, the object of Diadem was to break the German defenses on the Gustav Line and open up the Liri Valley, the main route to Rome. Four corps were employed in the attack, from right to left these were Polish II Corps and British XIII Corps, of Eighth Army, and the Free French Corps and U. S. II Corps, of Fifth Army. Fifth Army also controlled U. S. VI Corps in the Anzio beachhead, Diadem was launched at 23, 00pm on 11 May 1944 by elements, composed of the British 4th Infantry Division and 8th Indian Infantry Division with supporting fire from the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade. They made a successful strongly opposed night crossing of the Garigliano and this broke into the heart of the German defenses in the Liri valley against strong opposition and drew German theater reserves reducing pressure on the Anzio beachhead. The Free French Corps pushed through the mountains to the left on 14 May, on 17 May, Polish II Corps on the right attacked Monte Cassino. The German position collapsed, and the Germans fell back from the Gustav Line to the Hitler Line some 10 miles to their rear, on 23 May, the four corps attacked the Hitler Line. On the same day, the U. S. VI Corps attacked out of the Anzio beachhead, the Hitler Line was breached by 1st Canadian Infantry Divisions 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards at Pontecorvo on 23 May. German Tenth Army was forced to retire northwestward, U. S. VI Corps, moving northeast from Anzio, was on the point of cutting the German line of retreat, when Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, commander of the U. S. Fifth Army, inexplicably ordered them to turn northwest and advance on Rome instead, there is much speculation that he did this so that his Fifth Army would capture Rome ahead of the Eighth Army advancing up the Liri Valley. The German 10th Army thus avoided being surrounded, the Germans fought a series of delaying actions, retired to the Trasimene Line, and then to the Gothic Line, north of the Arno River. Operation Diadem order of battle Battle of Monte Cassino, Operation Diadem Anzio, Operation Diadem
32.
Trasimene Line
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The Trasimene Line was a German defensive line during the Italian Campaign of World War II. It was sometimes known as the Albert Line, there was a huge gap between the armies and with the Allies advancing some 10 km per day, the flanks of both armies were exposed and encirclement was threatened. Two days after Rome fell, General Sir Harold R. L. G, on Lieutenant General Mark W. Clarks U. S. Remarkable though this was, he was helped by the confusion caused in the Allied advance by the relieving of the U. S. II. By the last week of June the Allies were facing the Trasimene positions, heinrich von Vietinghoffs 10th Army had Traugott Herrs LXXVI Panzer Corps facing XIII and X Corps and Valentin Feursteins LI Mountain Corps facing the Polish II Corps on the Adriatic. The toughest defenses were around the lake itself with XIII Corps British 78th Infantry Division experiencing fierce fighting on 17 June at Città della Pieve and 21 June at San Fatucchio. By 24 June they had worked their way round to the north shore, the U. S. IV Corps also found progress slow but by 1 July had crossed the river Cecina and were within 20 miles of Livorno. Meanwhile, the French Corps had been held up on the river Orcia west of Lake Trasimene until the parachutist defenders withdrew on 27 June allowing them to enter Siena on 3 July, the Imperial War Museum Book of the War in Italy 1943-1945. Washington, United States Army Center of Military History, German Tactics in the Italian Campaign. An account of the Irish Brigade attack on Sanfatucchio Ridge on 21-25 June 1944
33.
Battle of Ancona
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The Polish 2nd Corps was tasked with capture of the city on 16 June 1944, accomplishing the task a month later on 18 July 1944. The Allied advance north meant that the line was in need of a port closer to the front lines than the ports of Pescara. As such, two new targets were designated, Ancona on the Adriatic coast, and Leghorn on the Tyrrhenian Sea, on 17 June, Anders was given command of the Adriatic sector of the Italian theatre. The first obstacle to cross was the Chienti river, Polish troops reached it on 21 June, and heavy fighting lasted in that region until 30 June. The main offensive on Ancona began on 17 July, Polish armored troops took Monte della Crescia and outflanked German troops defending Ancona. Next, Polish troops secured Casenuove, and neighbouring British and Canadian troops took Montecchio, by the evening of 17 July, Polish troops were near Agugliano, and the following morning they took Offagna. Later that day, Polish troops took Chiaravalle, and armored troops reached the sea, the Germans were falling back towards the sea, and Polish troops encountered little resistance entering Ancona at 14,30 on 18 July. Taking Ancona was the independent operation of the Polish II Corps. Afterward, the Corps took part in the breaking of the Gothic Line, for their action in the battle while seconded to the Polish corps, the British 7th Queens Own Hussars received the battle honour Ancona. Zbigniew Wawer, Zdobycie Bolonii, Chwała Oręża Polskiego 32, Rzeczpospolita,3 March 2007
34.
Invasion of Elba
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The invasion of Elba, codenamed Operation Brassard, was part of the Italian campaign during the Second World War. The invasion was carried out by Free French Forces supported by British and American ships and it came as a complete surprise to the German garrison although it had been reinforced for just such a possibility. The defenders resisted for two days before being given permission to withdraw to the mainland, the Allied 15th Army Group—under the command of General Sir Harold Alexander—captured Rome on 4 June 1944 and forced the German 14th and 10th Armies to withdraw into Northern Italy. This success was followed by orders for the invasion of southern France, the 15th Army Group were asked to supply the majority of the troops for the landings. This reduced the U. S. 5th Army to five divisions, the whole of the 15th Army Group now only consisted of 18 divisions, and the reduction in strength put on hold any plans Alexander had of reaching the Gothic Line by August 1944. One operation they could carry out was the invasion of Elba. The landings had then been postponed because of the shortage of support aircraft, the objectives of the invasion were to prevent the Germans using the island as a forward outpost and to provide a gun position for Allied artillery to interdict traffic on the Piombino canal. It is not known if the Germans were aware of the Allied plans, on 12 June, the German commander in Italy—Field Marshal Albert Kesselring—was informed that Elba must be defended to the last man and the last cartridge. On 14 June, German reinforcements started to arrive on Elba from Pianosa, the decision to reinforce Elba was not known to the Allies who believed the naval activity between the island and the mainland was in fact an evacuation. The naval commander for the operation was Rear-Admiral Thomas Hope Troubridge of the Royal Navy and he was in command of Force N, which would be responsible for landing the assault division. Because of the shallow waters large naval and transport ships could not be used, the only naval gunfire support would be provided by Landing Craft Hedgehogs and the Insect-class gunboats HMS Aphis and Cockchafer. The naval force would be formed into three groups, Group 1 comprised Motor Torpedo Boats and PT boats and they would initially create diversions and land the French Commandos on the northern side of the island. Their objective would be the gun batteries located there, Group 2 would comprise five Landing Craft Infantry and eight motor launches each towing a Landing Craft Assault. Their objective was four beaches on the south coast, Group 3 comprised the main force, in nine LCIs, four Landing Ships Tank, and three motor launches towing Landing Craft Support. The main landings would be on two beaches codenamed Kodak Amber and Kodak Green at 04,00 and they would be followed at 04,30 by another 28 LCIs and after dawn by 40 LCTs, bringing in heavier equipment. In the briefing immediately prior to the landing, Troubridge said he expected the shore batteries to have taken out by aerial bombardment. He also said the garrison consisted of about 800 men. On 16 June, the day before the invasion, German reconnaissance aircraft spotted two flotillas of ships, but thought they were just the normal naval convoys between Naples and Bastia
35.
Gothic Line
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The Gothic Line was a German defensive line of the Italian Campaign of World War II. Adolf Hitler had concerns about the state of preparation of the Gothic Line, in response to this order, Kesselring renamed it the Green Line in June 1944. Initially this line was breached during Operation Olive, but Kesselrings forces were able to retire in good order. Operation Olive has been described as the biggest battle of materials ever fought in Italy, over 1,200,000 men participated in the battle. The battle took the form of a manoeuvre, carried out by the British Eighth Army. Fifth Army against the German 10th Army and German 14th Army, Rimini, a city which had been hit by previous air raids, had 1,470,000 rounds fired against it by allied land forces. This would have required the U. S and this last redoubt proved the Germans determination to continue fighting. Nevertheless, it was fortunate for the Allies that at this stage of the war the Italian partisan forces had become effective in disrupting the German preparations in the high mountains. By September 1944, German generals were no longer able to move freely in the area behind their lines because of partisan activity. One of his colleagues who ignored this caution—Wilhelm Crisolli —was caught, Fifth Army to take part in the landings in southern France, Operation Dragoon. Whilst this would threaten Germany from the rear, Churchill was more concerned to forestall the Russians advancing into central Europe, Chiefs of Staff had strongly opposed this strategy as diluting the Allied focus in France. However, following the Allied successes in France during the summer, Chiefs relented, and there was complete agreement amongst the Combined Chiefs of Staff at the Second Quebec Conference on 12 September. It was the shortest route to his objective, the plains of Lombardy and he mounted a deception operation to convince the Germans that the main blow would come on the Adriatic front. On 4 August, Alexander met Lieutenant-General Leese, the British Eighth Army commander and he suggested a surprise attack along the Adriatic coast. On the coast, Lieutenant-General Sir Oliver Leese, the British Eighth Army commander, had Polish II Corps with 5th Kresowa Division in the front line and the 3rd Carpathian Division in reserve. To the left of the Poles was Canadian I Corps which had the Canadian 1st Infantry Division in the front line, for the opening phase the corps artillery was strengthened with the addition of the British 4th Infantry Divisions artillery. West of the Canadians was British V Corps with the British 46th Infantry Division manning the right of the front line. In reserve were the British 56th Infantry and 1st Armoured Divisions, further to the rear was the British 4th Division, waiting to be called forward to join the corps
36.
Battle of Rimini (1944)
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Rimini, a town on the Adriatic coast of Italy, anchored the Rimini Line, a German defensive line which was the third such line forming the Gothic Line defenses. Rimini, which had been hit previously by air raids, had 1,470,000 rounds fired against it by allied land forces. According to Lieutenant-General Sir Oliver Leese, commander of the 8th Army, the fighting was comparable to El Alamein, Mareth and the Gustav Line. On 23 August 1944 Eighth Army launched Operation Olive, attacking on a three Corps front up the flank of Italy into the Gothic Line defenses. A new attack to clear the Green II positions in the hills, near the village of Cattolica they pushed back two strong German attacks on 8 and 10 September. Also supporting the brigade were infantry, mortars and machine guns from the Canadian Saskatoon Light Infantry, the initial attack on 13 September saw the Greeks attacking two small farm settlements on the Marano road. The two settlements were defended by 1st Parachute Regiment and some Osttruppen described as Turkomen, the Germans were well prepared and held off the Greeks. By 2000 hours the Monaldini farm had taken, with only light casualties. The focus then turned to Monticelli, where the Greeks and New Zealanders once again attacked, the German defenders cleared out of the position as soon as the attackers approached and the farm was in Allied hands a short time later. On 15 September the Greeks launched an assault on the Rimini airfield, the 1st Greek Battalion crossed the Marano River at 1000 hours, and immediately came under intense fire from German positions around the airfield. The Greeks halted to re-organise themselves for an attack, C Squadron, 18th New Zealand Armoured Regiment relieved B Squadron 20th Armoured Regiment in the line supporting the Greeks. Air support was called in and Allied fighter/bombers attacked the western side of the airfield, the 1st Greek Battalion attacked the airfield itself, the 2nd Greek Battalion then attacked up the Route 16 road and the 3rd Battalion attacked the small village of Casalecchio. The 1st Greek Battalion once more ran into resistance from the airfield defenders. Fire from airfield inflicted heavy casualties on the advancing Greeks, however support from the New Zealand tanks, the tanks were able to fire on each house lining the south of the airfield to ensure they weren’t occupied. As the Greeks and New Zealanders approached the defensive positions they came under fire from infantry, anti-tank rockets, self-propelled guns, the heavy fire pinned the advance just short of the airfield. Meanwhile, the tanks edged around a hedgerow to avoid the anti-tank fire, the crew of a Panther turret abandoned it during the night. The 2nd Greek Battalion, on the right of the brigade, attacked up the Route 16 road, the Greeks were halted by mines and heavy defensive fire from the east side of the airfield and nearby houses. The 3rd Greek Battalion attacked the village of Casalecchio on the flank, supported by New Zealand tanks
37.
Battle of San Marino
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It is also sometimes known as the Battle of Monte Pulito. Whilst San Marino was southwest of Rimini, the plan was for it to be bypassed entirely, in response to the Allied movements, the Germans sent a small force into San Marino to guard their lines of communication and act as artillery observers. On 17 September the 4th Indian Infantry Division attacked forces of the 278, the city was captured by the afternoon of 20 September, and the 4th Indian Division left the country on the 21st, leaving it under the control of the local defence forces. The microstate of San Marino, in the northern Italian peninsula and it had a fascist government, closely aligned with Benito Mussolinis regime, but remained neutral. It was reported to have declared war against the United Kingdom in September 1940, in early 1942, the Sammarinese government reiterated it was not at war with the United States, a position that was confirmed by the US State Department. The country was bombed by the Allies on 27 June 1944, the Sammarinese government declared the same day that no military installations or equipment were located on its territory, and that no belligerent forces had been allowed to enter. By the late summer of 1944, German forces in Italy had withdrawn toward the Gothic Line, the Allies formulated a plan to break through the defences, pushing north toward Rimini and the plains of Northern Italy. Once through the Gap, the force would deploy outward onto the Romagna Plain, meanwhile, the American Fifth Army would push north along the centre of the peninsula, hopefully converging on Bologna and trapping a large German force in a pincer movement. The main Allied assault began on 25 August, reaching the Foglia valley—the Gothic Line proper—on 29 August, the Allied offensive reached the river on 3 September, but ground to a halt due to mechanical difficulties with its tanks, strengthening German resistance, and heavy rain. The Allied forces halted, and brought up reinforcements whilst waiting for a chance to resume the offensive along the coast, on the left flank of the assault, the attack had been halted in the Battle of Gemmano, to the south of the Conca river. At this point, the forces on the Allied left wing were strung out in a line running due south from the Coriano ridge, facing westward toward San Marino, the 56th Infantry Division was opposite Croce, with the 46th Infantry Division opposite the heavily defended position at Gemmano. The 4th Indian Infantry Division was to the south of the 46th and it was finally captured by the 46th and 4th Indian Divisions on the morning of the 15th, and the British forces prepared to move toward Montescudo and exploit the German confusion. The 46th Division took Montescudo on the 15th, and on the day the 56th Division entered the town of Mulazzano, directly north of Montescudo. The fighting pressed westward from here, with the 56th Division on the northern flank, the defending force was drawn from the 278. Infanterie-Division, whilst the 4th Indian Division was assigned to attack it on the 17th and these small hills—just behind the river—were held by two battalions of the 993rd Grenadier Regiment. The first—Point 343—was taken at 05,00, but the force occupying Point 366 had to back after running low on ammunition. Point 343 was held through the 18th, however, though with the loss of 63 men, by the evening, a force of tanks had managed to come up and stabilise the position with the aid of artillery support. The 4th/11th Sikh Regiment moved around the Gurkhas to the north, covering the flank of the San Marino heights
38.
Battle of Garfagnana
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It took place in December 1944 in the north Tuscan Apennines, near Massa and Lucca. S. Fifth Army in the Serchio valley in front of Lucca to pin units there which might otherwise be switched to the central front. Anticipating some operation of this sort, the Allies had ordered two brigades from Indian 8th Infantry Division to be switched across the Apennines to reinforce the US 92nd Infantry Division. By the time they had arrived the Germans and Italians had broken through to capture Barga, reports from captured US soldiers indicated that they had intended to retreat to Lucca and beyond, but decisive action by the Indian Divisions Major-General Dudley Russell stabilised the situation. With their objectives achieved, the German / Italian force broke off the attack, Barga was recaptured one week later by the New Year, and the front in the western Gothic Line remained nearly stable until late March 1945. Benito Mussolini and his Defense Minister, Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, wanted to create for their Italian Social Republic an Italian Army, furthermore, they wanted some of the newly created Italian divisions to participate in a major offensive against the Allies in the Italian peninsula. But the Italians lacked armaments, tanks and airplanes, furthermore only the Monterosa Division was ready in December 1944 for the offensive, however, an attempt to capture Castelnuovo di Garfagnana did not succeed. American patrol activity continued until after mid-December, on 21 December 1944, Marshal Graziani and general Carloni visited the battalions of the Monte Rosa Division in the Garfagnana, in order to prepare the offensive. Following the Ardennes Offensive on the Western Front in mid-December, Allied intelligence had considered the possibility of a similar Axis operation in Northern Italy. S, Fifth Armys left flank in front of Lucca. The 21st Indian Brigade arrived two days later, as further insurance, Lieutenant General Lucian Truscott, the Fifth Army commander, placed two infantry regiments from the U. S. 85th Infantry Division, under Major General John B. Coulter, under Crittenbergers command and moved additional artillery into range, the surprise factor was fundamental in the attack, together with a cloudy winter front that was hoped to prevent the Allied aircraft from flying. XXII TAC P-47s were in the air throughout the day on the 26th, XXII TAC retasked all missions on the 27th to support the Fifth Army front and these were key in dislodging the Axis thrust. The attack against the Buffalo Soldiers was made in three columns, two by Italians and one by Germans, while German General Fretter-Pico would be the overall commander, Italian General Carloni would lead the attack operationally. All the offensive was under leadership of Italian Marshall Rodolfo Graziani and their objective, conquest of the small towns of Barga, Sommocolonia, Vergemoli, Treppignana, Coreglia, Fornaci di Barga, Promiana, Castelvecchio and Calomini located north-west of Lucca. Some authors state that the resistance there was tough but quickly overwhelmed, in the morning,200 men of the Mittenwald battalion seized the American positions south of Sommocolonia at Bebbio and Scarpello held by the 92nd Recon Troop, which withdrew to Coreglia. West of the river, the other Brescia companies overcame an initial resistance, but their opponents were already falling back. Fornaci itself fell quickly, although the two German battalions were heavily criticized for their sluggishness and lack of aggressiveness, the first column, however, faced more vigorous opposition on the right of the front. The Cadelo Group, supported by the Intra battalion which made small attacks, occupied Calomini
39.
Spring 1945 offensive in Italy
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The Spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the final Allied attack during the Italian Campaign in the final stages of the Second World War. The attack into the Lombardy Plain by the 15th Allied Army Group started on 6 April 1945, Fifth Army, led by Lieutenant General Mark Clark, attacking through the central Apennine Mountains. Although they managed to breach the formidable Gothic Line defences, they failed to break out into the Po Valley before the winter weather closed in. Their forward formations spent the rest of the winter in highly inhospitable conditions while preparations were made to renew the campaign when better conditions returned in the spring. When Field Marshal Sir John Dill, the head of the British Mission in Washington, died on 5 November, General Harold Alexander, having been promoted to Field Marshal, was in turn appointed to replace Wilson as Allied Supreme Commander Mediterranean on 12 December. Lieutenant General Mark Clark succeeded Alexander as commander of the Allied forces in Italy and he returned to Italy to assume command of U. S. Command changes also took place in the German army before the spring campaign, on 23 March Albert Kesselring was appointed Commander-in-Chief Army Group West, replacing General-Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt. Heinrich von Vietinghoff returned from the Baltic to take over from Kesselring while Traugott Herr, joachim Lemelsen, who had had temporary command of the 10th Army, returned to the command of the 14th Army. Looking ahead to the spring, the problems of manning continued, in early January 1945 the British 1st British Division was sent to Palestine. At the end of January 1945, I Canadian Corps and British 5th Infantry Division were ordered to North West Europe, two other divisions, both British, were to follow them to Europe, but Alexander argued for these to instead remain in Italy. S. Allied strength amounted to 17 divisions plus 8 independent brigades, an equivalent of just under 20 divisions. 15th Army Groups total headcount amounted to 1,334,000 men with Eighth Armys effective fighting strength totalling 632,980 men, against them were ranged 21 much weaker German divisions and 4 Italian ENR divisions, a total of 25. Clark set out his plan on 18 March. Its objective was. to destroy the maximum number of forces south of the Po, force crossings of the Po. An amphibious operation across the lake and parachute drop would bring pressure to bear on the flank, depending on the relative success of these actions a decision would be made on whether Eighth Armys prime objective would become Ferrara, on the Via Adriatica, or remain Budrio. Meanwhile, it was intended for U. S, Fifth Army to launch the Army Groups main effort at 24 hours notice from two days after Eighth Armys attack and break into the Po valley. The capture of Bologna was given as a secondary task, in Phase II, the Eighth Army was to drive north west to capture Ferrara and Bondeno, blocking routes of potential retreat across the Po. Fifth Army was to push past Bologna north to link with Eighth Army in the Bondeno region to complete an encirclement of German forces south of the Po
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Operation Bowler
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Operation Bowler was an air attack on Venice harbour by Allied aircraft on 21 March 1945, as part of the Italian campaign of the Second World War. It was led by Acting Wing Commander, later Group Captain, by early 1945, northern Italys rail and road network had undergone severe damage, forcing the Germans to resort to shipping goods into Venice and then moving them from there along rivers and canals. Medals of wartime air ace who led Venice attack up for sale
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Operation Roast
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This was the first major action in the Allied 15th Army Groups big spring offensive to push the German Army back to and across the River Po and out of Italy. S. Fifth Army completing the encirclement of the German divisions defending Bologna, on 1 April 1945 the whole of 2nd Commando Brigade was engaged in the operation. 9, No.40 Royal Marine Commando and No.43 Commando under the command of Brigadier Ronnie Tod. The Comacchio lagoon is a vast area of brackish water stretching from the River Reno, in the south, to over the town of Comacchio, in the north. This lagoon is separated from the Adriatic Sea, to the east, the Germans had approximately 1,200 men entrenched there. The Commandos were to clear the spit, securing the flank of the Eighth Army, No.40 Commando conducted a feint attack to the south, crossing the River Reno and clearing and holding its north bank. No.40 was supported by the 28th Garibaldi Brigade, Royal Artillery, No.2 and No.9 Commando were to cross the lagoon from the southwest, to points around the middle of the spit. No.2 was to land above the Bellocchio Canal and thereafter head south and capture the two bridges across it and prevent German reinforcements crossing. No.9 Commando were to land south of the then head south along the lagoon’s shore. The operation started on the evening of 1 April with engagement to start shortly after midnight, the lagoon crossing, took far longer than planned due to the exceptionally low water level and exceptionally muddy lagoon bottom, which was as deep as chest high. The Commandos struggled through the muddy waste all night, manhandling their boats, exhausted and covered in glutinous slime they pressed home their attacks. Nos.2,40 and 43 Commandos all made their objectives relatively as expected although the Germans succeeded in one bridge before it was captured by No.2 Commando. No.9 Commando initially made good progress until No.5 and No.6 Troops,1 and 2 Troops made good progress down the centre of the Spit and when advised of the situation of 5 and 6 Troops, bypassed Leviticus in order to turn about. They laid smoke, and conducted a charge, from the southeast. The German position was overrun despite the smoke clearing too quickly exposing the Commandos during the last 150 metres, routed German defenders who had fled north, fell into the waiting Bren guns of 6 Troop. The bayonet charge was accompanied by 1 Troop’s piper playing ’The Road to the Isles’, No.2 Commando captured 115 German prisoners and No.9 Commando captured 232. No.9 Commando lost 9 men killed and a further 39 wounded, of which 8 dead and 27 wounded came from No.5 Troop, the operation carried the frontline forward seven miles. That evening No.9 and No.43 Commandos moved up to the bridges on the Bellocchio Canal, the following day,3 April, Royal Engineers made serviceable the blown bridge and the Commandos moved over the canal, supported by tanks of the North Irish Horse
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Battle of Bologna
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The Battle of Bologna was fought in Bologna, Italy from 9–21 April 1945 during the Second World War, as part of the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy. The Allied forces were victorious, with the Polish II Corps, in March 1945 the Allies were preparing a new offensive, Operation Buckland, in Northern Italy. The capture of Bologna, an important regional hub, was set as a part of that offensive. The Allied forces tasked with this were composed of the US 5th Army, the German units defending the area were composed of the German 26th Panzer Division of the XIV Panzer Corps, the 1st Parachute Division and the 4th Parachute Division of the I Parachute Corps. German defenses in that region were part of the Army Group C, one of the three Polish divisions, the Polish 5th Kresowa Infantry Division, was named after the Kresy region, which was now given to the Soviets in its entirety. Anders eventually decided to keep the Polish units engaged, friendly fire caused casualties as American bombers killed 38 advancing Polish troops on that day. The American and British units engaged the German flanks, while the Polish units broke through to the city, on 10 April, Polish forces pushed the Germans away from the Senio River. From 12–14 April Polish forces fought the Germans at the Santerno River, from 15–16 April, the Poles fought at the Sillaro River and the Medicina Canal. On 17 April, the commander of the Eighth Army ordered the Polish forces to continue their push towards Bologna from the east, the town was to be taken initially by the American troops of the Fifth Army advancing from the south. On 21 April the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Brigade of the Polish 3rd Carpathian Infantry Division entered the city, by 6,15 am the Poles had secured the city, displaying Polish flags from the town hall and the Torre Asinelli tower, the highest tower in the city. The local Italian population welcomed the Poles as their liberators, at 8,00 am, American tanks arrived in the city, followed by Italian partisans. The Battle of Bologna was the last battle of the Polish II Corps, the Polish II Corps, commanded by General Zygmunt Bohusz-Szyszko, suffered 234 dead and 1,228 wounded out of 55,780 front line personnel. Zbigniew Wawer, Zdobycie Bolonii, Chwała Oręża Polskiego 32, Rzeczpospolita,3 March 2007
