Post by Cpl. Thomas West on Jul 11, 2011 18:51:10 GMT
This is an article I wrote for my Reenacting Unit's Website under the Research Section.
The Mediterranean Theatre of Operations, or MTO, is an often over looked part of World War Two. Many events outside of the Mediterranean such as Operation Overlord and various Pacific Battles garnered more headlines and recognition. But the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations was an important part of the overall Allied War Effort. It tied up large amounts of German Forces and supplies which otherwise would have been used to strike against the Allies in the Eastern and Western Fronts. The Allies fought in the Mediterranean from 1943 all the way to the German surrender in May of 1945. The Mediterranean Theatre also gave the Russians further assurance that the U.S., and other forces were ready to go onto the offensive against German Forces. It sent a message that the U.S. was in this too, and that Russia's long, hard years of fighting had not gone unnoticed.
Within the context of the Mediterranean, lies one battle in particular which seems to be lost in the mires of this Theatre of Operations. It became overshadowed by battles like Anzio and Cassino. The Mediterranean Theatre of Operations had to have its start somewhere. Code named Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily was meant to be a precursor to the invasion of Italy and to cut off German and Italian Forces on the island. Study of this battle gives one the impression almost of a small scale version of Operation Overlord. Further study of this invasion yields some interesting findings. If it weren't for Operation Husky, the United States, and other countries, would not have learned about Amphibious Warfare, Airborne Warfare, and Joint Operations, well enough in order to breach the Atlantic Wall almost a year later in 1944. This is apparent by the failures at Dunkirk and Dieppe – both of which resulted in staggering losses for the Allies. If it were not for this, the invasion of Normandy could have been a very differently fought battle. The landings in Italy later were fiercely opposed, and the U.S. almost lost its beachhead. This was an important lesson that needed to be learned before Operation Overlord could have taken place.
Paratroopers were put to their first real test. It was their testing ground, and they showed what they could do. The 82nd Airborne Division's 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment's 3rd Battalion dropped into Sicily, and although badly scattered (some paratroopers landing as far as 25 miles from their assigned dropzones) they were able to wreak such havoc against the Germans that it bought the Allies valuable time to establish their beachhead. They cut crucial communication lines, and caused great confusion among the enemy. At Biazza Ridge, James M. Gavin, along with some 250 men he was able to gather, was fatefully placed between the beachhead and fearsome German Herman Goering Armoured Division. (The paratroopers were told not to expect German armor) They fought off Tiger Tanks with a single pack-howitzer being used for direct fire and bazookas. Without question, their anti-armour capabilities were lacking, which lead to men storming tanks in order to put them out of action. This was a very critical skirmish which led the Allies being able to hold their beachhead. If it were not for the Paratroopers’ stand at Biazza Ridge, the beachhead would have been overrun, and the entire invasion would have been in peril. Commanders learned how the enemy would contest an invasion against their troops, and how Germans also use their armour in battle.
The disaster at Farello airfield, where Navy anti-aircraft gunners shot down paratroopers attempting to jump in and reinforce the island was important as well. There were about 300 paratroopers, and aircrew hurt in the incident, and no more than 25% of the troops landed in their Drop zone (DZ). This was due to the Navy not being able to identify the Allied aircraft above them. This disaster led to the black and white stripes being painted onto the wings of aircraft for Operation Overlord, and the rest of the war. (An interesting side note – because of the amount of paint required to paint all of the planes, all of the white paint in England was used!!)
When Allied Forces landed in Italy at Salerno, Operation Avalanche, their beachhead was threatened, and the Paratroopers were dropped in, and were able to keep the Germans from breaking through the battered American lines; an example and lesson learned, no doubt, from the stance of Paratroopers at Biazza Ridge. Airborne troops would play an important role throughout the war.
U.S. Soldiers advancing along a highway in Sicily, during Operation Husky.
The fighting throughout the Mediterranean Theatre also provided Infantry Divisions with critical fighting experience, as well as amphibious assault experience. The 1st Infantry Division, who would later spearhead the assault on Omaha Beach in Normandy along with elements of the 29th Infantry Division, were some of the first troops ashore on D-Day in Sicily. They fought with great distinction. These battlefields in Sicily, and Italy would prove invaluable in the coming invasions later on in the war. It was because of their experience in mountain fighting, gained in the mountainous terrain of Italy’s interior, that the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was chosen to rescue the lost battalion of the 36th Infantry Division. The United States Navy would also learn valuable lessons in coordinating ground fire which was very crucial to successes in establish beachhead defences quickly, and beating off counter-attacks. Accidental naval shelling was used as a bluff to get around 200 enemy defenders of a critical crossroads (Objective Y) to surrender to an outnumbered Paratrooper group.
The Army Air Corps was able to get a better grasp on flying missions of air-cover, and got a better taste of engaging targets on the ground. This would be something very important later on in the war, and especially in Operation Overlord and future warfare in France and the European Continent. [Remember, one of the reasons why the Ardennes Offensive (Battle of the Bulge) was so successful in the beginning for German Forces was because of Allied air cover being grounded because of such bad weather conditions.]
In Conclusion, not only was the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations a valuable training and learning ground, but the Invasion of Sicily was a crucial moment for the Allied war effort. To over look it would be a terrible mistake.
Here are some books that would also be great for researching this invaluable theatre of operations:
Combat Jump: The Young Men Who Led the Assault into Fortress Europe, July 1943 - By Ed Ruggero.
Descending from the Clouds: A Memoir of Combat in the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division - By Spencer F. Wurst & Gayle Wurst
Spearhead book series - 82nd Airborne Division 'All American' - By Mike Verger
Spearhead book series - 1st Infantry Division 'Big Red One' - By Ian Westwell
Airborne: A Combat History of American Airborne Forces - By E.M. Flanagan Jr.
Anzio: Italy and the Battle for Rome-1944 - By Lloyd ClarkThe Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 (Volume II of the Liberation Trilogy) – Rick Atkinson
Recon Scout – Fred H. Salter
*The last book is my favorite WWII memoir.*
Operation Husky
Corporal Brett Hodgson
The Mediterranean Theatre of Operations, or MTO, is an often over looked part of World War Two. Many events outside of the Mediterranean such as Operation Overlord and various Pacific Battles garnered more headlines and recognition. But the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations was an important part of the overall Allied War Effort. It tied up large amounts of German Forces and supplies which otherwise would have been used to strike against the Allies in the Eastern and Western Fronts. The Allies fought in the Mediterranean from 1943 all the way to the German surrender in May of 1945. The Mediterranean Theatre also gave the Russians further assurance that the U.S., and other forces were ready to go onto the offensive against German Forces. It sent a message that the U.S. was in this too, and that Russia's long, hard years of fighting had not gone unnoticed.
Within the context of the Mediterranean, lies one battle in particular which seems to be lost in the mires of this Theatre of Operations. It became overshadowed by battles like Anzio and Cassino. The Mediterranean Theatre of Operations had to have its start somewhere. Code named Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily was meant to be a precursor to the invasion of Italy and to cut off German and Italian Forces on the island. Study of this battle gives one the impression almost of a small scale version of Operation Overlord. Further study of this invasion yields some interesting findings. If it weren't for Operation Husky, the United States, and other countries, would not have learned about Amphibious Warfare, Airborne Warfare, and Joint Operations, well enough in order to breach the Atlantic Wall almost a year later in 1944. This is apparent by the failures at Dunkirk and Dieppe – both of which resulted in staggering losses for the Allies. If it were not for this, the invasion of Normandy could have been a very differently fought battle. The landings in Italy later were fiercely opposed, and the U.S. almost lost its beachhead. This was an important lesson that needed to be learned before Operation Overlord could have taken place.
Paratroopers were put to their first real test. It was their testing ground, and they showed what they could do. The 82nd Airborne Division's 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment's 3rd Battalion dropped into Sicily, and although badly scattered (some paratroopers landing as far as 25 miles from their assigned dropzones) they were able to wreak such havoc against the Germans that it bought the Allies valuable time to establish their beachhead. They cut crucial communication lines, and caused great confusion among the enemy. At Biazza Ridge, James M. Gavin, along with some 250 men he was able to gather, was fatefully placed between the beachhead and fearsome German Herman Goering Armoured Division. (The paratroopers were told not to expect German armor) They fought off Tiger Tanks with a single pack-howitzer being used for direct fire and bazookas. Without question, their anti-armour capabilities were lacking, which lead to men storming tanks in order to put them out of action. This was a very critical skirmish which led the Allies being able to hold their beachhead. If it were not for the Paratroopers’ stand at Biazza Ridge, the beachhead would have been overrun, and the entire invasion would have been in peril. Commanders learned how the enemy would contest an invasion against their troops, and how Germans also use their armour in battle.
The disaster at Farello airfield, where Navy anti-aircraft gunners shot down paratroopers attempting to jump in and reinforce the island was important as well. There were about 300 paratroopers, and aircrew hurt in the incident, and no more than 25% of the troops landed in their Drop zone (DZ). This was due to the Navy not being able to identify the Allied aircraft above them. This disaster led to the black and white stripes being painted onto the wings of aircraft for Operation Overlord, and the rest of the war. (An interesting side note – because of the amount of paint required to paint all of the planes, all of the white paint in England was used!!)
When Allied Forces landed in Italy at Salerno, Operation Avalanche, their beachhead was threatened, and the Paratroopers were dropped in, and were able to keep the Germans from breaking through the battered American lines; an example and lesson learned, no doubt, from the stance of Paratroopers at Biazza Ridge. Airborne troops would play an important role throughout the war.
U.S. Soldiers advancing along a highway in Sicily, during Operation Husky.
The fighting throughout the Mediterranean Theatre also provided Infantry Divisions with critical fighting experience, as well as amphibious assault experience. The 1st Infantry Division, who would later spearhead the assault on Omaha Beach in Normandy along with elements of the 29th Infantry Division, were some of the first troops ashore on D-Day in Sicily. They fought with great distinction. These battlefields in Sicily, and Italy would prove invaluable in the coming invasions later on in the war. It was because of their experience in mountain fighting, gained in the mountainous terrain of Italy’s interior, that the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was chosen to rescue the lost battalion of the 36th Infantry Division. The United States Navy would also learn valuable lessons in coordinating ground fire which was very crucial to successes in establish beachhead defences quickly, and beating off counter-attacks. Accidental naval shelling was used as a bluff to get around 200 enemy defenders of a critical crossroads (Objective Y) to surrender to an outnumbered Paratrooper group.
The Army Air Corps was able to get a better grasp on flying missions of air-cover, and got a better taste of engaging targets on the ground. This would be something very important later on in the war, and especially in Operation Overlord and future warfare in France and the European Continent. [Remember, one of the reasons why the Ardennes Offensive (Battle of the Bulge) was so successful in the beginning for German Forces was because of Allied air cover being grounded because of such bad weather conditions.]
In Conclusion, not only was the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations a valuable training and learning ground, but the Invasion of Sicily was a crucial moment for the Allied war effort. To over look it would be a terrible mistake.
Here are some books that would also be great for researching this invaluable theatre of operations:
Combat Jump: The Young Men Who Led the Assault into Fortress Europe, July 1943 - By Ed Ruggero.
Descending from the Clouds: A Memoir of Combat in the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division - By Spencer F. Wurst & Gayle Wurst
Spearhead book series - 82nd Airborne Division 'All American' - By Mike Verger
Spearhead book series - 1st Infantry Division 'Big Red One' - By Ian Westwell
Airborne: A Combat History of American Airborne Forces - By E.M. Flanagan Jr.
Anzio: Italy and the Battle for Rome-1944 - By Lloyd ClarkThe Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 (Volume II of the Liberation Trilogy) – Rick Atkinson
Recon Scout – Fred H. Salter
*The last book is my favorite WWII memoir.*
. Thanks for the recommendations!
