One of Many

Operation “Avalanche” Salerno, Italy

Detailed Account

During the night of the 14^th as the ground offensives died down, the air was filled with Allied Aircraft bombing and strafing the main highways from Salerno to Naples, and Castellommare, and the rail network behind Battipaglia.

On the morning of the 15^th, HMS “Offa” carried General Alexander to the beach head, accompanied by the American Chief of Staff General Lemnitzer and Air Marshal Conningham commander of air support for the beach head. When Alexander was appraised of the situation, he immediately ordered the US sector beaches open again. Reinforcements for the 5^th Army were now arriving from Sicily and North Africa, and by the 16^th , Clark had some 170,000 under his command.

Clark met with Alexander, and expressed his concerns regarding Dawley’s combat performance. Alexander then went to see Dawley with General Lemnitzer, and after discussing the future for the mission, reluctantly realised that Dawley had suffered badly from the stress of the last few days. Later, Clark and Alexander met with the British commander Mc.Creery in the British sector.

During the evening of the 15^th after a naval barrage on Altavilla, a battalion of US 179^th  Infantry 45 Division, plus supporting tanks and self propelled artillery re-entered the Sele corridor and advanced inland close to the Sele river, meeting little German resistance.

Later Alexander reported to Eisenhower by cable that he was impressed by Clark’s handling of the situation but that Dawley was adversely affected by the strain of  the campaign.

To the south of Salerno a strong German attack enabled them to capture the village of Pigoletti and the three surrounding hills. “White Cross”, “The Pimple” and “The Crag” (41 Commando hill). These hills were a specific objective as they gave an excellent view of the British held positions on the beach head, and as such it was vital for the British to regain them.

Mc.Creery sought out Colonel Jack Churchill of the Commandos, both Army and Marine sections. He required the Army Commandos to sweep up the valley to Pigoletti and then infiltrate into the hills., while the Marines were to attack “The Pimple” and “The Crag”.

When darkness began to fall on the 15^th, the assault began. One group of Marines of 41 Commando took “Pimple” and dug in, while the second group did the same on the “Crag”.

Six Groups of the Army Commandos fanned out across the valley, and began their advance. On reaching the village of Pigoletti, the unsuspecting Germans were overrun, and the other groups reported their objectives taken, and the valley clear of German troops.

When dawn of the 16^th came, so did the German counter attack, they stormed the “Pimple” with a large force, and forced the outnumbered Marines to fall back to the “Crag”. Fighting around Pigoletti was very heavy, the first assault repulsed, but with heavy casualties on both sides. Later in the morning a second major assault, from the captured “Pimple” and the front, continued with the persistent onslaughts repelled by the defending Commandos.

On the 16^th September, the British 8^th  Army was 50 miles from Dawley’s troops at Paestrum, and the advance battalions were forcing their way through the rear guard roadblocks of the 26^th Panzer Division at Lagonegro.

General Von Vientinghoff ordered the German rear guard to fall back to the north of Salerno immediately, so as not to get caught between the two allied armies. Kesselring agreed with the decision, and ordered a general German withdrawal behind the Volturno River to begin no later than September 18^th .

Many of the troops moved to Salerno as the later reserves came from holding camps in North Africa. They were originally told by the British Officers at the embarkation point, that they were to rejoin their original units. Many had served in the North Africa and Sicily campaigns, and held great loyalties and fierce pride in their units. However, once aboard the transport ships they were informed that they were to be a reinforcement unit for Salerno, and not rejoining their units in Sicily. Upon landing at Salerno they were of mixed emotions, some puzzled by the lack of organisation, a few fiercely angry, and others simply dismayed.

 Due to overcrowding on the beach heads and the constant influx of reserves and materials, half the men were taken to the 46 Division sector and simply sited in a field immediately behind the sand dunes, and left to themselves. When night fell, some of the men were in an ugly mood, and talk spread of standing firm, and demanding to rejoin their original units.

Clark’s evening message to Eisenhower on the 16^th, informed him that Dawley

 “ Should not be continued in his present job. “

Walker, at this time was directing two battalions of the 504^th Parachute Infantry to take the high ground of Hill 424,as part of re-gaining Altavilla. However, the Germans were resisting bitterly, and it took a further 24 hours to clear Altavilla, and climb on to Hill 424. The Germans counter attacked with a Panzer Mk IV tank, and followed assault guns with infantry. The Americans only had 60mm mortars, until field artillery support was provided, which forced the Germans back. Repeated German attacks to regain this important high ground advantage of Altavilla were defeated.

On Friday the 17^th at 01:30 Royal Marines of 41 Commando moved from “The Crag” to begin an assault on the “Pimple”, to recapture the loss of the previous night, where they  had suffered 40% losses to their original strength. The Army Marines still held Pigoletti. At 02:00 the barrage from the 46 Infantry division began, but the eleven minute barrage fell in the wrong place. Owing to an error of a Divisional Staff junior officer, due to extreme fatigue, the bombardment co-ordinates were incorrectly given as the Marines start location. The Marines suffering high casualties fell back to “ The Crag” once again.

General Eisenhower visited he beachhead on September 17^th.

A German withdrawal was reported by Allied Intelligence Services on September 18^th. Reconn patrols reported that in many areas the Germans had gone already. Patrols from the US 45^th Division had moved through the corridor, and had reached the objective of Ponte Sele.

US 36^th Infantry had come down the hills above Altavilla, and a reccon troop from British 56 Division had begun patrolling from Battipaglia. It now meant that after ten days of fierce fighting, the Allied 5^th Army had met all of it’s day one objectives.

The Afternoon saw the British 5^th Infantry Division of the 8^th Army arrive at Walker’s command post. The 8^th Army had marched and fought over 200 miles in 13 days. The official link up of the two armies was to be at Vallo on Sunday the 19^th September.

It was some weeks before the Allies were to break completely free of their beach head, as the German 10^th Army withdrawal was arranged to inflict heavy casualties on the advancing Allied units. They were withdrawing to previously prepared defensive lines, the first of which was Salerno to Cerignola. It was September 26^th before Salerno finally ceased to be in German artillery range.

On the 20^th of September, many of the British discontented reserves had not rejoined their original units, and had not moved to their new units or duties. Some 300 of the original 1500 were now given a parade ground order to do so. However, 192 men stood their ground and stayed. These men were then officially read the mutiny articles and charged. They were then shipped to North Africa and court marshalled in Constantine.

Their previous exemplary behaviour, and bad treatment by inexperienced officialdom helped their cause. However, the private soldiers were sentenced to 7 years penal servitude, corporals 10 years, and the Sergeants were given the death sentence. Their sentences were then suspended if the men rejoined their allocated units, which they all did, but in abject disgrace.

It is now officially thought (1999) that the situation was wrongly handled from the start in North Africa, by inexperienced officers who had no understanding of dealing with veteran fighting men , or what their stong bond and loyalties units meant to them.

Army Psychiatrist Col. Robert Ahrenfeldt who investigated the case described it as

“ A tragedy of errors…there was a complete absence of clear direction, precise information, or firm leadership throughout. There was a total disregard of well established loyalties in experienced fighting men of previously high morale.”

General Dawley was relieved of duty, and replaced by command of Washington,  with Major General L Truscott. Jr. who arrived at Salerno on the 20^th September..

The Casualties up to the 18^th September for the Salerno Landings were:

                             British        American      German

Wounded                      2734             2002                835

Dead                             725               840                  225

Missing                         1800             630                  589

Total                              5,259           3,472              1,649