A Mountain Hike

The village of Velletri was part of the so-called ‘Caesar Line’ (which stretched from Lanuvio to Valmontone), and was defended by troops of the 362nd Infantry Division. The commander of the 36th, General ‘Fred’ Walker, spotted a weak point in …

1944-06-01

38

The village of Velletri was part of the so-called ‘Caesar Line’ (which stretched from Lanuvio to Valmontone), and was defended by troops of the 362nd Infantry Division. The commander of the 36th, General ‘Fred’ Walker, spotted a weak point in the German defenses between Velletri and Valmontone by which the 36th infiltrated around Velletri to Mount Artemisio and its wooded slopes. From Mount Artemisio American artillery observers would have an unfettered view of the German supply routes below. On the night of the 30th May the 142nd Regiment led the infiltration, followed by the 143rd and finally the 141st. Engineer bulldozers cleared a trail up the slopes and American tanks followed close behind. While the 142nd and 143rd Regiments continued northwest to unhinge the German defenses and open the gates to the advance on Rome, the 141st descended to take Velletri in close house-to-house fighting. As they approached, they came under tank fire and a duel with American tank destroyers ensued.

Velletri, Italy

The Battle of Anzio was a battle of the Italian Campaign of World War II that took place from January 22, 1944 (beginning with the Allied amphibious landing known as Operation Shingle) to June 5, 1944 (ending with the capture of Rome). The operation was opposed by German forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno. The operation was initially commanded by Major General John P. Lucas, of the U.S. Army, commanding U.S. VI Corps with the intention being to outflank German forces at the Winter Line and enable an attack on Rome. The success of an amphibious landing at that location, in a basin consisting substantially of reclaimed marshland and surrounded by mountains, depended on the element of surprise and the swiftness with which the invaders could build up strength and move inland relative to the reaction time and strength of the defenders. Any delay could result in the occupation of the mountains by the defenders and the consequent entrapment of the invaders. Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, commander of the U.S. Fifth Army, understood that risk, but he did not pass on his appreciation of the situation to his subordinate,[citation needed] Lucas, who preferred to take time to entrench against an expected counterattack. The initial landing achieved complete surprise with no opposition and a jeep patrol even made it as far as the outskirts of Rome. However, Lucas, who had little confidence in the operation as planned, failed to capitalize on the element of surprise and delayed his advance until he judged his position was sufficiently consolidated and he had sufficient strength.

Wikipedia: Battle of Anzio

German

American