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Operation Shingle
Part of World War II
Date January 22, 1944-June 5, 1944
Location Anzio and Nettuno, Italy
Result Operation successful; VI Corps established beachhead; Battle of Anzio followed. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This article is about the Italian town near Rome "Nettuno" is also Italian for Neptune. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The VI Corps took part in some of the most high profile operations in World War II. Beachhead is a Military term used to describe the line created when a unit (by sea reaches a beach and begins to defend that area of beach while other reinforcements (it
Belligerents
Flag of the United States United States
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Flag of Canada Canada		 Flag of Nazi Germany Germany
Commanders
Flag of the United Kingdom Harold Alexander
Flag of the United States Mark W. Clark
Flag of the United States John P. Lucas
Flag of the United States Lucian Truscott		 Flag of Nazi Germany Albert Kesselring
Flag of Nazi Germany Eberhard von Mackensen
Strength
22 Jan 1944: 36,000 soldiers and 2,300 vehicles
End May:150,000 soldiers and 1,500 guns		 22 Jan 1944: 20,000 soldiers
End May: 135,000 soldiers
Casualties and losses
Up to May 22: 29,200 combat casualties (4,400 killed, 18,000 wounded, 6,800 prisoners or missing)[1] Up to May 22: 27,500 (5,500 killed, 17,500 wounded, and 4,500 prisoners or missing)[1]

Operation Shingle (January 22, 1944), during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis KG OM GCB GCMG CSI DSO Mark Wayne Clark ( May 1, 1896 – April 17, 1984) was an American general during World War II and the Korean War John Porter "Old Luke" Lucas ( January 14, 1890 - December 24, 1949) was a General and the commander of VI Corps Lucian King Truscott Jr ( January 9, 1895 &ndash September 12, 1965) was a US Army General, who successively commanded Albert Kesselring (30 November 1885 - 16 July 1960 was a Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall during World War II. Eberhard von Mackensen ( September 24, 1889 &ndash May 19, 1969) was a German General who served in World War Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 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. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries This article is about the Italian town near Rome "Nettuno" is also Italian for Neptune. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an attack on Rome. John Porter "Old Luke" Lucas ( January 14, 1890 - December 24, 1949) was a General and the commander of VI Corps Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The Winter Line was a series of German Military Fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 The resulting combat is commonly called the Battle of Anzio.

Contents

Background

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 process Allied invasion of Italy, was the Allied landing on mainland Italy in September 1943 by General Harold Alexander 's 15th Army Group The Winter Line was a series of German Military Fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 The terrain of central Italy had proved ideally suited to defence, and Field Marshal Albert Kesselring took full advantage. Italy is located in southern Europe and comprises the long boot-shaped Italian Peninsula, the land between the peninsula and the Alps, Field Marshal General, in German Generalfeldmarschall ( (usually translated simply as Field marshal, and sometimes written only as Feldmarschall Albert Kesselring (30 November 1885 - 16 July 1960 was a Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall during World War II. Several Allied proposals were made to break the stalemate, but Winston Churchill's idea for "Operation Shingle" was initially looked upon with disdain by General George Marshall, who was more concerned with planning a massive Normandy invasion than listening to Churchill's ideas about amphibious operations. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 George Catlett Marshall Jr (December 31 1880 &ndash October 16 1959 was an American military leader Chief of Staff of the Army, Secretary of Operation Overlord was the code name for the invasion of northwest Europe during World War II by Allied forces Only after Churchill made a personal plea was the idea accepted by Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin, who welcomed any major Allied offensive that would take pressure off the Eastern Front. Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party The Eastern Front of World War II (die Ostfront 1941-1945, der Rußlandfeldzug 1941-1945 (Russian campaign or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign A major attack in the south by the U.S. Fifth Army, commanded by Lieutenant-General Mark W. Clark, would draw Germany's depleted forces away from the area around Rome and from the hills between Rome and the coast. The United States Army North, formerly known as the Fifth United States Army was a field army of the United States Army. This article is about a United States military rank For other countries that use a similar rank see Lieutenant General. Mark Wayne Clark ( May 1, 1896 – April 17, 1984) was an American general during World War II and the Korean War This would make possible a surprise landing by Fifth Army's U.S. VI Corps under the command of Maj. The VI Corps took part in some of the most high profile operations in World War II. Gen. John P. Lucas in the Anzio/Nettuno area, and a rapid advance into the Alban Hills to cut German communications and "threaten the rear of the German XIV Panzer Corps" under General Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin. John Porter "Old Luke" Lucas ( January 14, 1890 - December 24, 1949) was a General and the commander of VI Corps The Alban Hills are the site of a quiescent volcanic complex in Italy, located 20 km southeast of Rome and about 24 km north of Frido von Senger und Etterlin ( 4 September 1891 &ndash 9 January 1963) was a German General during World War

Plan

Planners argued that if Kesselring (in charge of German forces in Italy) pulled troops out of the Gustav Line to defend against the Allied assault, then Allied forces would be able to break through the line; if Kesselring did not pull troops out of the Gustav Line, then Operation Shingle would threaten to capture Rome and cut off the German units defending the Gustav Line. The Winter Line was a series of German Military Fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt Should Germany have adequate reinforcements available to defend both Rome and the Gustav Line, the Allies felt that the operation would nevertheless be useful in engaging forces which could otherwise be committed on another front. The operation was officially cancelled on December 18, 1943. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. However, it was later reselected.

General Clark did not feel he had the numbers on the southern front to exploit any breakthrough. His plan therefore was relying on the southern offensive drawing Kesselring's reserves in and providing the Anzio force the opportunity to break inland quickly. However, his written orders to Lucas did not really reflect this: Lucas was to "seize and secure a beachhead in the vicinity of Anzio. Beachhead is a Military term used to describe the line created when a unit (by sea reaches a beach and begins to defend that area of beach while other reinforcements (it . . . " when he was "to advance to the Alban Hills". It is likely that the caution displayed by both Clark and Lucas was to some extent a product of Clark's experiences at the tough battle for the Salerno beach head and Lucas' natural caution stemming from his lack of experience in battle.

Lucas did not have full confidence in either his superiors or the operational plan. A few days prior to the attack, he wrote in his diary, "Unless we can get what we want, the operation becomes such a desperate undertaking that it should not, in my opinion, be attempted. " and "[The operation] had a strong odour of Gallipoli and apparently the same amateur was still on the coach's bench. " The "amateur" can only have referred to Winston Churchill, architect of the disastrous Gallipoli landings of World War I and personal advocate of Shingle. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All

Availability of naval forces

One of the problems with the plan was the availability of landing ships. The American commanders in particular were determined that nothing should delay the Normandy invasion and the supporting landings in southern France. Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France, on 15 August, 1944, as part of World War II. Operation Shingle would require the use of landing ships necessary for these operations. Initially Shingle was to release these assets by January 15. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign However, this being deemed problematic, President Roosevelt granted permission for the craft to remain until February 5. Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France.

Only enough tank landing ships (LSTs) to land a single division were initially available to Shingle. Landing Ship Tank ( LST) was the military designation for naval vessels created during World War II to support Amphibious operations by carrying significant Later, at Churchill's personal insistence, enough were made available to land two divisions. Allied intelligence thought that five or six German divisions were in the area, although U. S. 5th Army intelligence severely underestimated the German 10th Army's fighting capacity at the time, believing many of their units would be worn out after the defensive battles fought since September.

Order of battle

Further information: Anzio order of battle

Allied forces in this attack consisted of 5 cruisers, 24 destroyers, 238 landing craft, 62+ other ships, 40,000 soldiers, and 5,000+ vehicles. Anzio order of battle is a listing of the significant formations that were involved in the fighting for the Anzio bridgehead south of Rome, January 1944 – June 1944 A cruiser is a large type of Warship, which had its prime period from the late 19th century to the end of the Cold War. In naval terminology a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance Warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, Convoy Landing craft are Boats and seagoing vehicles used to convey a Landing force ( Infantry and Vehicles) from the sea to the shore during an A ship /ʃɪp/ is a large vessel that floats on water Ships are generally distinguished from Boats based on size A soldier is a general English term that refers to a member of a land component of National Armed forces. Vehicles, derived from the Latin word vehiculum, are non-living Means of transport.

The attack consisted of three groups:

1. The British force ("Peter Beach"). This force attacked the coast 6 miles (10 km) north of Anzio.

2. The northwestern U. S. Force ("Yellow Beach"). This force attacked the port of Anzio. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo There had been plans to use the 504th Parachute Infantry Battalion in an airborne attack north of Anzio, however these plans were scrapped. The 504th Infantry Regiment known during World War II, as the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment ( 504th PIR) was and still is a Regiment of the 82nd Paratroopers are Soldiers trained in Parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.

3. The southwestern U. S. Force ("X-Ray Beach"). This force attacked the coast 6 miles (10 km) east of Anzio.

Southern attack

Main article: Battle of Monte Cassino

The Fifth Army's attack on the Gustav Line began on January 16, 1944, at Monte Cassino. The 3rd Infantry Division &mdashnicknamed the Rock of the Marne &mdash is a United States Army infantry division based at Fort Stewart, The United States Army 's 7th Infantry Regiment, known as "The Cottonbalers" from an incident that occurred during the Battle of New Orleans, while under The 30th Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment The 1st Battalion 30th Infantry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army, notable for service in both World War II and most recently during Operation Iraqi The 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion was a Battalion of the United States Army active during the Second World War. Monte Cassino has made it the repeated scene of battles and Sieges from antiquity. Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Monte Cassino has made it the repeated scene of battles and Sieges from antiquity. Although the operation failed to break through, it did succeed in part in its primary objective. General Heinrich von Vietinghoff, commanding the Gustav Line, called for reinforcements, and Kesselring transferred the 29th and 90th Panzergrenadier Divisions from Rome. Heinrich Gottfried von Vietinghoff genannt Scheel) ( December 6 1887 - February 23 1952) was a German Colonel-General

Battle

Initial Landings

Force dispositions at Anzio and Cassino January / February 1944
Force dispositions at Anzio and Cassino January / February 1944

The landings began on January 22, 1944. Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Although resistance had been expected, as seen at Salerno during 1943, the initial landings were essentially unopposed, with the exception of desultory Luftwaffe strafing runs. Salerno is a town in southern Italy, capital of the province of the same name in the region of Campania. ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. Strafing is the practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft

By midnight, 36,000 soldiers and 3,200 vehicles had landed on the beaches. Thirteen Allied troops were killed, and 97 wounded; about 200 Germans had been taken as POWs. [2] The 1st Division penetrated 2 miles (3 km) inland, the Rangers captured Anzio's port, the 509th PIB captured Nettuno, and the 3rd Division penetrated 3 miles (5 km) inland.

In the first days of operations, the command of the Italian resistance movement had a meeting with the Allied General Headquarters: it offered to guide the Allied Force in the Alban Hills territory, but the Allied Command refused the proposal. The Italian Resistance movement was a partisan force during World War II. The Alban Hills are the site of a quiescent volcanic complex in Italy, located 20 km southeast of Rome and about 24 km north of

After the landings

It is clear that Lucas's superiors expected some kind of offensive action from him. The point of the landing was to turn the German defences on the Winter Line taking advantage of their exposed rear and hopefully panicking them into retreating northwards past Rome. However, Lucas instead poured more men and materiel into his tiny bridgehead, and strengthened his defences.

Winston Churchill was clearly displeased with this action. "I had hoped we were hurling a wildcat into the shore, but all we got was a stranded whale," he said.

Lucas's decision remains a controversial one. Noted military historian John Keegan wrote, "Had Lucas risked rushing at Rome the first day, his spearheads would probably have arrived, though they would have soon been crushed. Sir John Desmond Patrick Keegan OBE (born 15 May, 1934) is a British Military historian, lecturer and journalist Nevertheless he might have 'staked out claims well inland. '" However, Lucas did not have confidence in the strategic planning of the operation. Also, he could certainly argue that his interpretation of his orders from Gen. Clark was not an unreasonable one. With two divisions landed, and facing two or three times that many Germans, it would not have been unreasonable for Lucas to consider the beachhead insecure. But according to Keegan, Lucas's actions "achieved the worst of both worlds, exposing his forces to risk without imposing any on the enemy. " Lucas was relieved of his command on February 23 and was replaced by General Lucian Truscott. Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Lucian King Truscott Jr ( January 9, 1895 &ndash September 12, 1965) was a US Army General, who successively commanded

Response of Axis forces

Kesselring was informed of the landings at 03:00 on January 22. Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. Although the landings came as a surprise, Kesselring had made contingency plans to deal with possible landings at all the likely locations. All the plans relied on his divisions each having previously organised a motorised rapid reaction unit (kampfgruppe) which could move speedily to meet the threat and buy time for the rest of the defenses to get in place. [3] At 05:00 he ordered the kampfgruppe of 4th Parachute Division and the Hermann Göring Division to defend the roads leading from Anzio to the Alban Hills via Campoleone and Cisterna whilst his plans expected some 20,000 defending troops to have arrived by the end of the first day. The Fallschirm-Panzer-Division1 Hermann Göring ( 1st Paratroop Panzer Division Hermann Goering - abbreviated Fallschirm-Panzer-Div 1 HG The Alban Hills are the site of a quiescent volcanic complex in Italy, located 20 km southeast of Rome and about 24 km north of A cisterna (plural cisternae) comprises a flattened membrane disk that makes up the Golgi apparatus. In addition, he requested that OKW send reinforcements, and in response to this they ordered the equivalent of more than three divisions from France, Yugoslavia, and Germany whilst at the same time releasing to Kesselring a further three divisions in Italy which had been under OKW's direct command. For other uses of OKW see OKW (disambiguation. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ( OKW) ( English: "High Command This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. [4] Later that morning, he ordered Generaloberst Eberhard von Mackensen (Fourteenth Army) and Gen. Colonel General is a senior Military rank which is used in some of the world’s militaries Eberhard von Mackensen ( September 24, 1889 &ndash May 19, 1969) was a German General who served in World War von Vietinghoff (Tenth Army - Gustav Line) to send him additional reinforcements.

The German units in the immediate vicinity had in fact been dispatched to reinforce the Gustav Line only a few days earlier. All available reserves from the southern front or on their way to it were rushed toward Anzio; these included the 3rd Panzer Grenadier and 71st Infantry Divisions, and the bulk of the Luftwaffe's Hermann Göring Panzer Division. The Fallschirm-Panzer-Division1 Hermann Göring ( 1st Paratroop Panzer Division Hermann Goering - abbreviated Fallschirm-Panzer-Div 1 HG Kesselring initially considered that a successful defence could not be made if the Allies launched a major attack on January 23 or January 24. Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled However, by the end of January 22, the lack of aggressive action convinced him that a defence could be made. Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. Nevertheless, few additional defenders arrived on January 23 although the arrival on the evening of January 22 of General Alfred Schlemm and his 1st Parachute Corps headquarters brought greater organisation and purpose to the German defensive preparations. Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. Alfred Schlemm ( December 8, 1894 &ndash January 24, 1986) was a German General der Fallschirmtruppe By January 24, however, the Germans had over 40,000 troops in prepared defensive positions. Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled [5]

Three days after the landings, the beachhead was surrounded by a defence line consisting of three divisions: The 4th Parachute Division to the west, the 3rd Panzer Grenadier Division to the center in front of Alban Hills, the Hermann Göring Panzer Division to the east.

The Wehrmacht's 14th Army, commanded by Gen. Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 von Mackensen, assumed control of the defence on January 25. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate Elements of eight German divisions were employed in the defence line around the beachhead, and five more divisions were on their way to the Anzio area. Kesselring ordered an attack on the beachhead for January 28, though it was postponed to February 1. Events 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The Excommunication of Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor is lifted Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen

Allied offensive

Allied force dispositions on 1 February 1944
Allied force dispositions on 1 February 1944
Further information: Battle of Cisterna

Further troop movements including the arrival of U.S. 45th Infantry Division and U.S. 1st Armored Division, brought Allied forces total on the beachhead to 69,000 men, 508 guns and 208 tanks by January 29, whilst the total defending Germans had risen to 71,500. Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Battle of Cisterna took place during World War II, on January 30 to February 2, 1944, near Cisterna, Italy, as The 45th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War II and the Korean War. The 1st Armored Division &mdashnicknamed “ Old Ironsides ”&mdash is a standing armored division of the United States Army with base of operations Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher. [6] Lucas initiated a two-pronged attack on January 30. Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain While one force was to cut Highway 7 at Cisterna before moving east into the Alban Hills, a second was to advance northeast up the Via Anziate towards Campoleone. The Battle of Cisterna took place during World War II, on January 30 to February 2, 1944, near Cisterna, Italy, as In heavy fighting British 1st Division made ground but failed to take Campoleone and ended the battle in an exposed salient stretching up the Via Anzinate. On the right, two Ranger battalions made a daring covert advance towards Cisterna in advance of the main assault, but when daylight arrived they were engaged and cut off. Of the 767 men in the 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalions, 6 returned to the Allied lines and 743 were captured. [7] The attack of the 3rd Division captured ground up to three miles deep on a seven-mile wide front, but failed to break through or capture Cisterna.

German counterattacks

On February 3, the German forces counterattacked the Campoleone salient. Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states They numbered some 100,000 troops organised into two Army Corps, the 1st Parachute Corps under Schlemm and the LXXVI Panzer Corps under Lieutenant-General Traugot Herr. [8] Once more the fighting was fierce and the Allied forces, totalling 76,400 (including the recently arrived British 56th Infantry Division), gave ground and by February 10 had been pushed out of the salient. The British 56th (London Infantry Division was a Territorial Army division of the First and Second World War. Events 1355 - The St Scholastica's Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead

On February 16 the Germans launched a new offensive (Operation Fischfang) down the line of the Via Anziate. Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols By February 18, after desperate fighting, the Allies' Final Beachhead Line (prepared defenses more or less on the line of the original beachhead) was under attack. Events 3102 BC - Epoch (origin of the Kali Yuga. 1229 - The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II Holy However, a counterattack using VI Corps' reserves halted the German advance, and Fischfang petered out with both sides exhausted. During Fischfang the Germans had sustained 5,400 casualties, the Allies 3,500. Both had suffered 20,000 casualties each since the first landings. [9]

Despite the exhausted state of the troops, Hitler insisted that 14th Army should continue to attack. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Consequently a further assault was mounted on February 29, this time on LXXVI Panzer Corps' front around Cisterna. Leap years Although the modern calendar counts a year as 365 days a complete revolution around the sun takes approximately 365 days and 6 hours This push achieved little except to generate a further 2,500 casualties for the 14th Army. [10]

Stalemate: planning for Operation Diadem

Further information: Operation Diadem order of battle

Both sides had realised that no decisive result could be achieved until the spring and reverted to a defensive posture involving aggressive patrolling and artillery duels whilst they worked to rebuild their fighting capabilities. Operation Diadem order of battle is a listing of the significant formations that were involved in the fighting on the Winter Line and at the Anzio bridgehead south of Rome In anticipation of events in the following spring, Kesselring ordered the preparation of a new defence line, the Caesar C line, behind the line of beachhead running from the mouth of the river Tiber just south of Rome through Albano, skirting south of the Alban Hills to Valmontone and across Italy to the Adriatic coast at Pescara, behind which 14th Army and, to their left, 10th Army might withdraw when the need arose. The Caesar Line was the last German line of defence in Italy before Rome during the Second World War. The Tiber ( Latin Tiberis, Italian Tevere) is the third-longest River in Italy, rising in the Apennine mountains Tim Parks, from On the Beach Italian Style on Daily Telegraph, 6 January 2007 |The genius of Pescara [11] Meanwhile, Lucian Truscott, who had been promoted from the command of U. Lucian King Truscott Jr ( January 9, 1895 &ndash September 12, 1965) was a US Army General, who successively commanded S. 3rd Infantry Division to replace Lucas as commander of VI Corps on February 22, worked with his staff on the plans for a decisive attack as part of a general offensive which General Harold Alexander, commander of Allied forces in Italy, was planning for May and which would include a major offensive on the Gustav Line, Operation Diadem (which was later to be called the fourth Battle of Cassino). Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis KG OM GCB GCMG CSI DSO Monte Cassino has made it the repeated scene of battles and Sieges from antiquity. The Objective of the plan was that a major offensive would fully engage Kesselring's armies and remove any prospect of the Germans withdrawing forces from Italy to use elsewhere. It was also intended to trap the bulk of the German Tenth Army between the Allied forces advancing through the Gustav Line and VI Corps thrusting inland from Anzio.

In the meantime the 2nd Italian SS "Vendetta" Battalion and 29th Italian SS Rifle Battalion in March were sent to fight against the Anglo-American invaders at the Anzio/Nettuno beachhead. Dispersed among German battalions, the German commanding officers later gave the Italians companies favourable reports. Because of the demonstration of courage and sense of duty displayed by the volunteers of the Italian SS, they are designated as units of the Waffen-SS with all the duties and rights that that entailed. [12]

In March U.S. 34th Infantry Division and in early May U.S. 36th Infantry Division had arrived at Anzio whilst British 56th Infantry Division had been relieved by British 5th Infantry Division. The 34th Infantry Division is an Army division of the United States National Guard that participated in World War I, World War II The 36th Infantry Division —also known as the Fighting 36th, the Panther Division, or the Texas Division —is a modular division of the The British 5th Infantry Division was established by Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of Wellington for service in the Peninsula War and has been active for most of the By late May there were some 150,000 Allied troops in the bridgehead[13] including 5 U. S. and 2 British divisions facing 5 German divisions. The German divisions were well dug into prepared defenses but were weak in officer and NCO numbers and by the time of the late May offensive lacked any reserves (which had all been sent south to the Gustav fighting). [14]

The Allied breakout from Anzio and advance from the Gustav Line May 1944
The Allied breakout from Anzio and advance from the Gustav Line May 1944

Despite Alexander's overall plan for Diadem requiring VI Corps to strike inland and cut Route 6, Clark asked Truscott to prepare alternatives and be ready to switch from one to another at 48 hours' notice. Of the four scenarios prepared by Truscott, Operation Buffalo called for an attack through Cisterna, into the gap in the hills and to cut Route 6 at Valmontone. Operation Turtle on the other hand foresaw a main thrust to the left of the Alban Hills taking Campoleone, Albano and on to Rome. On May 5 Alexander selected Buffalo and issued Clark with orders to this effect. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John [15]

However, Clark was determined that VI Corps should strike directly for Rome as evidenced in his later writing: "We not only wanted the honour of capturing Rome, but felt that we deserved it. . . Not only did we intend to become the first army to seize Rome from the south, but we intended to see that people at home knew that it was the Fifth Army that did the job, and knew the price that had been paid for it. ". [16] He argued to Alexander that VI Corps did not have the strength to trap the German 10th Army and Alexander, instead of making his requirements clear, was conciliatory and gave the impression that a push on Rome was still a possibility if Buffalo ran into difficulties. [17] On May 6 Clark informed Truscott that ". . the capture of Rome is the only important objective and to be ready to execute Turtle as well as Buffalo". [18]

Truscott's planning for Buffalo was meticulous: British 5th Division and 1st Division on the left were to attack along the coast and up the Via Anziate to pin the German's 4th Parachute, 65th Infantry and 3rd Panzergrenadier in place whilst the U. S. 45th Infantry, 1st Armored and 3rd Infantry Divisions would launch the main assault, engaging the German 362nd and 715th Infantry Divisions and striking towards Campoleone, Velletri and Cisterna respectively. Velletri is a Comune in the Province of Rome, on the Alban Hills, in Lazio ( Latium) - Italy On the Allies' far right the 1st Special Service Force would protect the U. Properly designated as the 1st Special Service Force, The Devil's Brigade was a joint World War II American - Canadian S. assault's flank. [19]

Breakout

At 05:45 on May 23, 1944, 1,500 Allied artillery pieces commenced bombardment. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Forty minutes later the guns paused as attacks were made by close air support and then resumed as the infantry and armour moved forward. [20] The first day's fighting was intense: 1st Armored Division lost 100 tanks and 3rd Infantry Division suffered 955 casualties, the highest single day figure for any U. S. division during World War II. The Germans suffered too, with 362nd Infantry Division estimated to have lost 50% of its fighting strength. [21]

Mackensen had been convinced that the Allies' main thrust would be up the Via Anziate, and the ferocity of the British feint on May 23 and May 24 did nothing to persuade him otherwise. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Kesselring, however, was convinced that the Allies' intentions were to gain Route 6 and ordered the Hermann Göring Panzer Division, resting 150 miles (240 km) away at Livorno[22], to Valmontone to hold open Route 6 for the Tenth Army, which was retreating up this road from Cassino. "Leghorn" redirects here For the breed of chicken see Leghorn chicken. [23]

In the afternoon of May 25 Cisterna finally fell to 3rd Division who had had to go house to house winkling out the German 362nd Infantry which had refused to withdraw and, as a consequence, had virtually ceased to exist by the end of the day. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. By the end of May 25, 3rd Infantry were heading into the Velletri gap near Cori, and elements of 1st Armored had reached within 3 miles (5 km) of Valmontone and were in contact with units of the Herman Göring Division which were just starting to arrive from Leghorn[22]. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Although VI Corps had suffered over 3,300 casualties in the three days fighting, Operation Buffalo was going to plan, and Truscott was confident that a concerted attack by 1st Armored and 3rd Infantry Divisions the next day would get his troops astride Route 6. [24]

The final move on Rome
The final move on Rome

On the evening of May 25 Truscott received new orders from Clark via his Operations Officer, Brigadier Don Brand. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. These were, in effect, to implement Operation Turtle and turn the main line of attack ninety degrees to the left. Most importantly, although the attack towards Valmontone and Route 6 would continue, 1st Armored were to withdraw to prepare to exploit the planned breakthrough along the new line of attack leaving 3rd Division to continue towards Valmontone with 1st Special Service Force in support. [25] Clark informed Alexander of these developments late in the morning of May 26 by which time the change of orders was a fait accompli. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place [26]

At the time, Truscott was shocked, writing later ". . . I was dumbfounded. This was no time to drive to the north-west where the enemy was still strong; we should pour our maximum power into the Valmontone Gap to insure the destruction of the retreating German Army. I would not comply with the order without first talking to General Clark in person. . . . [However] he was not on the beachhead and could not be reached even by radio. . . . such was the order that turned the main effort of the beachhead forces from the Valmontone Gap and prevented destruction of the German Tenth Army. On the 26th the order was put into effect. ". [27] He went on to write "There has never been any doubt in my mind that had General Clark held loyally to General Alexander's instructions, had he not changed the direction of my attack to the north-west on May 26, the strategic objectives of Anzio would have been accomplished in full. To be first in Rome was a poor compensation for this lost opportunity". [28]

On May 26, whilst VI Corps was initiating its difficult maneuver, Kesselring threw elements of 4 divisions into the Velletri gap to stall the advance on Route 6. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place For four days they slugged it out against 3rd Division until finally withdrawing on May 30, having kept Route 6 open and allowed 7 divisions from 10th Army to withdraw and head north of Rome. Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following [29]

On the new axis of attack little progress was made until 1st Armored were in position on May 29, when the front advanced to the main Caesar C Line defences. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Nevertheless, an early breakthrough seemed unlikely until on May 30 Major-General Fred Walker's 36th Division found a gap in the Caesar Line at the join between 1st Parachute Corps and LXXVI Panzer Corps. Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Fred Walker may refer to Fred Walker (entrepreneur (1884-1935 Australian businessman original producer of Vegemite Fred Walker (Basketball The 36th Infantry Division —also known as the Fighting 36th, the Panther Division, or the Texas Division —is a modular division of the Climbing the steep slopes of Monte Artemisio they threatened Velletri from the rear and obliged the defenders to withdraw. This was a key turning point, and von Mackensen offered his resignation which Kesselring accepted. [30]

Raising the pressure further, Clark assigned U. S. II Corps which, fighting its way along the coast from the Gustav Line, had joined up with VI Corps on May 25 to attack around the right hand side of the Alban Hills and advance along the line of Route 6 to Rome. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors.

On June 2 the Caesar Line collapsed under the mounting pressure, and 14th Army commenced a fighting withdrawal through Rome. Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks On the same day Hitler, fearing another Battle of Stalingrad, had ordered Kesslering that there should be "no defence of Rome". [31] Over the next three days the rearguards were gradually overwhelmed, and Rome was entered in the early hours of June 5 with Clark holding an impromptu press conference on the steps of the Town Hall on the Capitoline Hill that morning. Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem The Capitoline Hill, between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the seven hills of Rome. He ensured the event was a strictly American affair by stationing military police at road junctions to refuse entry to the city by British military personnel. [32]

Aftermath

Although controversy continues regarding what may have happened had General Lucas been more aggressive from the start, most commentators agree that the initial Anzio plan was flawed, questioning whether the initial landing of just over two infantry divisions with no supporting armour had had the strength to achieve the objective of cutting Route 6 and then holding off the inevitable counterattacks which would come as Kesselring re-deployed his forces. What is clear is that because of Clark's change of plan, Operation Diadem (during which U. S. 5th and British 8th Armies sustained 44,000 casualties) failed in its objective of destroying the German 10th Army and condemned the Allies to a further year of brutal combat notably around the Gothic Line from August 1944 to May 1945. The Gothic Line, also known as Linea Gotica, formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring 's last major line of defence in the final stages of

Churchill however, defended the Anzio operation. [33] In his view, sufficient forces were available. He had clearly made great political efforts to procure certain resources, especially the extra LSTs needed to deliver a second division to shore, but also specific units useful to the attack such as U. Landing Ship Tank ( LST) was the military designation for naval vessels created during World War II to support Amphibious operations by carrying significant S. 504th Parachute Regiment. He argued that even regardless of the tactical outcome of the operation, there was immediate strategic benefit with regard to the wider war. Following the landings, the German High Command dropped plans to transfer five of Kesselring's best divisions to North West Europe. This gave obvious benefit with regard to the upcoming Operation Overlord. Churchill also had to ensure the British dominated forces in Italy were contributing to the war at a time when the Russians were suffering tremendous losses on the Eastern Front.

Noted participants

See also

References

External links

Notes

  1. ^ a b Lamson & Stetson (1948), p116
  2. ^ Laurie in CMH Publication 72-19, p. 9
  3. ^ Lloyd Clark, p83
  4. ^ Lloyd Clark, p101
  5. ^ Lloyd Clark, p123
  6. ^ Lloyd Clark, pp. 134 & 136
  7. ^ Lloyd Clark, p. 146
  8. ^ Lloyd Clark, p158
  9. ^ Lloyd Clark, pp175-197
  10. ^ Lloyd Clark, pp209-216
  11. ^ Lloyd Clark, pp219-220
  12. ^ Williamson, Gordon; Andrew, Stephen (2004). The Waffen-SS. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1841765929.   pp. 18-19
  13. ^ Lloyd Clark, p281
  14. ^ Lloyd Clark, p271
  15. ^ Lloyd Clark, pp271-272
  16. ^ Lloyd Clark, p272
  17. ^ Lloyd Clark, p273
  18. ^ Lloyd Clark, p273
  19. ^ Lloyd Clark, p277
  20. ^ Lloyd Clark, pp281-2
  21. ^ Lloyd Clark, p287
  22. ^ a b Livorno is referred to as "Leghorn" in contemporary Allied maps and documents
  23. ^ Lloyd Clark, p291
  24. ^ Lloyd Clark, p300
  25. ^ Lloyd Clark, p301
  26. ^ Lloyd Clark, p302
  27. ^ Majdalany, p256
  28. ^ Majdalany, p259
  29. ^ Lloyd Clark, p304
  30. ^ Lloyd Clark, p307
  31. ^ Lloyd Clark, p311
  32. ^ Lloyd Clark, pp309-319
  33. ^ Churchill, Winston: The Second World War, Volume 5, p436
  34. ^ Dodge City Globe story on Angelita. "Leghorn" redirects here For the breed of chicken see Leghorn chicken. Here it is claimed she was adopted by U. S. troops.
  35. ^ Angelita di Anzio (Angelita from Anzio) song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvJaY4uJ_nE
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