The Battle of Anzio
Introduction
The Battle of Anzio began on January 22nd and ended on 5th June 1944 with the fall of Rome. The invasion of Italy was a calculated effort aimed at pinning down German forces that would otherwise be deployed to the Russian Front or be sent to France to counter the progress made by the cross-channel invasion planned for the next year.
The Battle of Anzio is considered one of the bloodiest battles because of the massive casualties on both sides of the conflict.
Background of the Battle of Anzio
The 1940’s was mired with controversy and conflict between the Axis (Italy, Germany, and Japan) and Allied powers(America, Britain, and Russia). The conflict was a consequence of the punitive Treaty of Versailles imposed on Germany at the end of World war 1.
In 1921, Adolf Hitler became the leader of Germany and was seen as the cure to the economic crisis. Hitler developed a narrative blaming the depression on Jews, the narrative was believed by the majority of the German population; he led propaganda that promised a stronger Germany, jobs and the promise of claiming the lost national glory and pride (Bains, 2017).Hitler went forth to actualize his plan of advancing German troops into other countries and taking occupation. It is this disregard of independence and supremacy by Hitler that led to the formation of the Axis and Allied powers. It followed that during world war II , Italy, Germany and Japan governments were led by military regimes.
Invading Italy
The allied powers invaded Italy in September 1943, American and British Forces forged their way up the Peninsula and came to a halt at the Gustav leading to a deadlock between the Allied and the Germans. The deadlock was caused by the rough Italian geographical terrain, dominated by the Apennine Mountains that form a rugged spine down the center of the Peninsula (Fehrenbach, 2014).The roads are extremely narrow thereby inhibiting effective communication and free movement. The German forces had taken advantage of the terrain by strategically positioning their defenses to inhibit any further invasion towards Cassino which was a key strategic objective of the Allied forces.
Operation Shingle
In an attempt to break the deadlock, the Allied forces developed operation shingle. The plan was to have clark’s fifth army attack along the Gustav line to draw enemy forces south while the Lucas ‘ VI Corps landed at Anzio and drove northeast into Alban Hills to weaken the German rear. The reasoning behind this plan was that the German response to the landings would weaken the Gustav line thereby granting the much-needed breakthrough and if they did not respond the Shingle troops would be strategically placed to threaten Rome.
However, the plan was not full proof because of the commander’s reluctance in the implementation of the plan. Clark argued that effective implementation of the plan required at least two corps or a full army, Lucas shared in this uncertainty and went ashore knowing that he had strained resources and insufficient forces.
Landing
Despite the reservations of the senior commanders, operation shingle moved forward as planned. The British 1st infantry landed north of Anzio, Colonel William O. Darby’s 6615th Ranger Force attacking the port, and Major General Lucian K. Truscott’s US 3rd Infantry Division landing south of the town. During landing, the Allied Forces met minimal resistance and progressed inland. However, things did not go as planned instead of attacking the German rear, Lucas strengthened his parameter.
German Response
German forces led by Kesselring had anticipated landings and had made contingency plans at several locations. The German forces took immediate action through dispatching mobile reaction units. Additionally, the German forces received reinforcements of three additional divisions in Italy.
Battle for the Beachhead
Led by U.S Major General John P Lucas, the allied forces secured the Gustav line. Having been reinforced by the US 45th infantry division and US 1st Armored division, the allied forces made a two-pronged attack with the British attacking up through Anziate towards Campoleone and the US 3rd infantry division and Rangers assaulting Cisterna. This attack proved futile because the attack on Cisterna was repulsed. The US led attack took massive losses, two battalions were destroyed. On the other hand, the British led offensive gained ground through Anziate but failed to capture the town.
Operation Buffalo and Operation Turtle
Operation Buffalo was a response to the failure of Operation Shingle aimed at aiding in the capture of the German 10th army, while operation turtle was designed for an advance through Campoleione and Albano towards Rome.
The offensive began on May 23rd with Allied troops attacking the Gustav line and beach head defenses (Lunteren, 2016).The British forces pinned the German troops through Anziate, while the American forces took Cisterna on May 25th. As a result of the coordinated attacks, the German defense collapsed forcing the Kesselring led forces to retreat north of Rome on June 2nd. The American forces entered the city three days later.
Conclusion
The Battle of Azio saw allied forces sustain approximately 7000 killed, and 36,000 wounded/ missing. On the other hand, the German losses were estimated at 5000 killed, 30,500 wounded missing and 4,500 captured. Due to this staggering number casualties operation shingle has been subject of much criticism revolving around poor planning and implementation.
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