The Italian Campaign: Training
Ground for D-Day
Adithya, Owen, Eleni, Sam
Period 5/6
Thesis
After an Allied success in the North African campaign,
both the United States and Great Britain wanted to set up
another front on mainland Europe and divert the Nazi
forces in the Eastern front. The American and British
forces met at the Casablanca Conference and agreed to
invade Italy. During this campaign, the Allies utilized
many new airborne methods and amphibious attacking,
allowing them to easily destroy German property. The
Italian forces lost faith in the Axis as a result and
executed Mussolini when Germany retreated from Rome.
The Italian campaign laid the foundation for their success
in D-Day.
Timeline
• July 1943 – Operation HuskyAllies invade Sicily, capture
Palermo; Italians arrest
Mussolini
• August 1943 – Allies take
complete control over Sicily
and the Mediterranean Sea
with the invasion of Messina
• September 1943 – Operation
Avalanche- Allies (under
direction of Clark) invade all
of Italy up to Salerno on the
way to Cassino
• May 1944 – Allies finish
attacking Cassino after
months of failed attempts
• Summer 1944 – Allied
attacks fail right before
Bologna
• April 1945 – After Allies
make it past Gothic Line,
Britain attacks in East,
America attacks in West;
they capture Verona.
German forces surrender
and the Italians execute
Mussolini
North Africa
• Context: Great Britain defeated the Axis at the
Suez Canal to retain its access to Middle
Eastern Oil
• Allies wanted to drive away the Nazis from the
Eastern Front to help the Soviets by opening
second front on Continental Europe
– Americans wanted to directly invade France
– British wanted to attack using its navy
– Compromise: Invade Sicily
BBC UK Interactive Map of Italian
Campaign
American General George
Patton
● C
—ontroversial figure who
often upset superiors in the
U.S. Army
● —
Started as a leader of
cavalry troops and
eventually got promoted to
general during WW2
● —
His work helped liberate
Germany from the Nazi
Party
American General Mark
Clark
● —
NOT a controversial
army figure
● —
Censored all “bad”
about him
● —
Inexperienced general
Sicily Operation Husky
July 10 1943
Patton in Gela
Montgomery in South East
Object was the take the beach
Little resistance from Axis forces
Naval force used to support beach due to
difficulty with tanks
• Problems in the air with paratroops
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sicily: Early Problems
• Missed drops
• Friendly fire: anti aircraft gunners shot at
american transport planes during and air
raid (by Germany)
• Air, Land and Sea forces upset with each
other for mistakes
Operation Husky
• Patton was told to keep north to protect
Montgomery’s flank
–
–
Instead he decided to go to Palermo
He then went toward Messina and got caught up in
the rugged terrain (mountains)
• Montgomery faced strong resistance on his
way to Messina
• Patton made it before Montgomery (within
hours of each other)
Operation Husky Quick
Summary
• —
Gliders were used for the first time to deploy
troopers to the battlefield
• —
First major allied airborne operation
• —
Poorly executed strategy by Patton and
Montgomery led to escape of Axis soldiers across
Strait of Menessa but nevertheless took control of
Sicily
• —
The planning and logistics lessons learned paid off
in the next steps of the Italian campaign
Axis Evacuated
• Realize that they were going to be defeated
• Escaped through the strait of Messina to the
mainland
• A significant amount of equipment and Axis
troops were able to escape
Importance and Aftermath
• Allied success/combined arms
• Mistakes led to improvements (paratroopers and
speed)
• People of Sicily supported the Allies
• Broke Axis
• Blitzkrieg wasn’t effective enough for mechanized
warfare
• Mechanized warfare was efficient with the allies
• Patton slapped two shell shocked soldiers and
didn’t go to mainland Italy and was excluded from
Normandy
Action Report: Mechanized Warfare
The high degree of efficiency achieved in these landings, which were undertaken
without bomber support or shore artillery support, and which were executed on
schedule and without confusion, was due largely to the employment of experienced
naval commanders and crews and well-trained troops. This fact made it possible to
launch these operations with little preparation and on short notice. Because of the
ever-present enemy bombers, these operations were so planned that the landing
craft would be in the landing area a maximum of 31/2 hours, and be withdrawn
prior to daylight. This time element necessitated loading the heavy mechanized
equipment in LCTs, and carrying in LSTs the assault troops and DUKWs loaded
with supplies. With experienced forces and some knowledge of the beach
approaches, the existence of exits and roads for vehicles and suitable terrain for a
beachhead, the task groups were dependent upon the offensive spirit and the will to
win brought into the operations.
Patton quotes
“There are four hundred neatly marked graves in Sicily, all because one man went to
sleep on the job—but they are German graves, because we caught the bastard asleep
before his officer did.”
“I don't want to get any messages saying, 'I am holding my position.' We are not holding a
Goddamned thing. Let the Germans do that. We are advancing constantly and we are not
interested in holding onto anything, except the enemy's balls. We are going to twist his
balls and kick the living shit out of him all of the time. Our basic plan of operation is to
advance and to keep on advancing regardless of whether we have to go over, under, or
through the enemy. We are going to go through him like crap through a goose; like shit
through a tin horn!”
Salerno: Operation Avalanche
(September 9)
• This turned out to be almost a defeat for Allies
because of General Clark’s flawed strategy
• Strategic blunder: landing of the British and
American troops separated by River Sele.
Germans took advantage of the gap between
troops and Allies suffered heavy casualties
• Allies lost time and men, two critical resources
• Lesson: Never separate troops in an amphibious
landing
Monte Cassino: Operation Diadem
• “Italy is a boot – you have to enter it at the top” –
Napoleon
• Battle 1 – Failure for Allies due to treacherous
mountains
• Battle 2 – Failure for Allies because they accidentally
bombed a monastery, giving the Germans a defense
base
• Battle 3 – Failure for Allies because they unnecessarily
bombed Venafro
• Battle 2 – Success for Allies because the Germans
surrendered to the Polish troops
• Success – Allies ready to invade Rome
Rome
—
•
Delay between last two events on timeline caused by Clark’s indecisiveness
—
•
3 Axis Defense Lines:
—
–
—
Barbara Line: Monte Massico à Matese Mountains
–
Reinhard Line: Naples à Garigliano River
—
–
—
Gustav Line (as shown on the map)
•
Disagreement and Disorganization with this invasion as the “all-or-nothing” situation
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Allied Strategy
—
•
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Cut Axis communication lines
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Amphibious attack
–
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Burn down Axis supply lines
Significance
—
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Germans retreated
—
–
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Italians captured Mussolini again and executed him
–
—
Less troops and equipment for D-Day
–
Best practice for Operation Overlord
Conclusion: Results and Impact
• —
Diverted powerful German forces from the Eastern
front, relieving pressure on the Russians
• —
Allies got control of Mediterranean Sea route,
helping with trade and safe passage
• —
Patton and Montgomery succeeded at mainland
fighting while Clark failed due to lack of experience
• —
Airborne fighting allowed the Allies to easily destroy
German buildings in Italy
• —
This experience prepared the Allies well for D-Day