One of Many

Operation “Avalanche” Salerno, Italy

Detailed Account

46 Division Landing

One of the first wave companies to reach Uncle Sector was the 272 Field Company Royal Engineers, with orders to open up the beach and clear lanes through a minefield. After the navy minesweepers had ensured a safe passage to the beach, the German defences were fully alert, and batteries of 88mm guns opened fire on the LST’s including LST 356 which was hit. The USS Biscayne laid down a smoke screen between the LST’s and the shore, to cover the backup wave of embarking troops. Three Hunt class destroyers moved to within 1 mile of the shore to bombard the German positions.

Just before the first wave landed on the beach Rocket Ships (LCR’s) each carrying 1000 x 5 inch rockets, fired in salvo. The leading waves of troops  were ordered to land on the beaches cleared by these rocket ships. On the left hand (Uncle Red) the 1/4^th Hampshire’s experienced casualties as the German positions were out of the range of the LCR’s attack. An order was given that companies were only to be placed on beaches cleared by the rockets, but an order that was to help, was soon to create havoc. The LCR supporting 2^nd Hampshire’s fired their salvo’s on Sugar/Amber instead of Uncle/Green,therefore following orders they were landed on the wrong beach out of position, south of the Asa river and onto the beach used by the Queens Brigade 56 Division.

This resulted in Sugar/Amber becoming overcrowded and the 5^th Hampshire’s also followed their 2^nd Battalion onto the wrong beach. The latter waves with heavy weapons and vehicles attempted to land on the correct beach. However, this resulted in the rifle companies, being separated from their own urgently required supporting mortars, anti-tank guns and heavy machine guns. These were furtherdelayed as the Uncle/Green beach had not been cleared of German defenders by the rocket ships, until the rifle companies moved out of position.

A main target not cleared by the rocket ships was a German stronghold at Magazzino.Uncle / Amber beach became more congested with each successive landing craft beaching their loads. Some craft were unwilling to await their turn to land, when under heavy fire landed,  north of the Asa river, so the Hampshire’s had companies on both sides of this river, while the German defenders blasted these beaches from the Magazzino (Lilientha) stronghold, this quickly caused the Hampshire’s casualty rate to increase.

Mines had been laid from every exit off of the beach, in the surrounding dunes, and were being cleared by the Royal Engineers. Some of the mines were the Schutzenmine or S mine, which were anti personel types. When these were tripped they forced the container containing steel balls into the air to about a 3 feet height. They then exploded and had about a 200 yard lethal range.

56 Division

The Queens Brigade was first for dispatch and landed at 03:40 about 10 minutes late. The main problem in Sugar Sector was the overcrowding and congestion as men and machines meant for Uncle Sector had been landed incorrectly in this area. However, the Queens were able to push inshore against light but stubborn resistance. The beaches were the quietest in Salerno Bay, and by 06:30 the LST’s were coming right up to the shore and unloading directly onto the beach.

A problem did occur in Roger Sector at both Amber and Green beaches, here the first waves onto the beaches had a quiet passage, and were able to run directly up to the dunes, and onwards to their first objective of the Coast road. However, it soon became clear that they had been dispatched onto the wrong beach by some 1500 yards south. They then came under fire from 88mm mortars and heavy machine guns. The approaching landing craft were also coming under heavy fire and sustaining damage. Three of the LCT’s were carrying Sherman tanks of “A” Squadron Royal Scots Greys, with each tank pulling a Bedford army truck ashore.  One  was hit while still abeam to the beach,  and another circled to avoid trouble rather than swing beam onto the beach. A British destroyer HMS Laforey spotted the problem and came alongside, its 4.7 inch shells engaged the German battery. However, before the battery was silenced the destroyer received a shell in the boiler room, and was replaced by HMS Lookout. The LCT’s continued to the beach, a quantity of mortar and small arms fire swept the area causing high numbers of casualties, but eventually the Sherman tanks, lorries and bulldozers were offloaded.

US 36 Division

In order to cover the four beaches in the US sectors , 16 Panzer Division had two reinforced companies, many in strong points constructed near the shoreline. These troops normally operated with the tanks, but now occupied a static role with machine guns and mortars covering the likely exits from the beaches. Field artillery was dug in around the foothills of Monte Soprano, and had a commanding view of the shore and beaches.

The American command did not advocate  a naval barrage prior to landing , and so the Landing Craft approached the shore line with the beaches remaining quiet. The first landing assault was by the 142^nd Infantry, and had begun their final run in at 03:30. As soon as they began to offload the troops, the German defence began to fire with heavy machine gun and mortar fire. The plywood construction of the Landing Craft, rapidly began to disintegrate under this hail of fire. Although the first assault was decimated by very accurate fire they gradually worked their way into the dunes where they became pinned down.

At sea four Landing Craft Support Small (LCS (s)) opened fire on the German positions but lacked sufficient fire power. These were then supported by USS Ludlow some 1500 yards offshore, who opened fire with 5 inch shells. This proved limited in success as they were unable to pinpoint the German positions, and did not know how far forward their own troops had advanced up the beach. To further compound the problems for 36 Division, the second wave of troops had not yet arrived, due to concern over mines, and it was decided to withhold further landings until daylight one hour distant.

Daylight began to break, and some of the LCT’s began letting off smoke pots to conceal their positions from the enemy fire. This practice was rapidly adopted by the rest of the LCT’s which created a fog  so thick that many craft became lost. Some of the craft when approaching the beaches came under heavy fire. These refusing to risk destruction of their craft and passengers, off loaded them into too greater depth of water, so that they had to wade ashore soaking all radio equipment and supplies in salt water. This caused communications failure between ship and shore further exacerbating the confusion.

The high buildings of Paestrum were put to good use by the Germans. A 50 foot mediaeval watch tower, which was too close to the shore landings for the Allied Navy to bombard, was used by the Panzer Grenadiers to mount machine guns for sweeping the beach area, while observers corrected the artillery and mortar bombardment of the beaches. The American infantry ran for cover in the scrub, and irrigation ditches, but most were pinned down for much of the day by the German fire, while the railway objective remained some one and a half miles inland. Slowly some progress was made by sections of 141^st, but again most were pinned down for much of the day by German fire which eventually closed the beaches in that sector for further landings. With daylight breaking the Germans began local counter strikes spearheaded with tanks. The Americans were thus hit with a German resistance far greater than anticipated and in consequence the movement inland was far from the planned operation.