Allied invasion of Italy order of battle

The Allied invasion of Italy, a phase of the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, took place on 3 September at Reggio di Calabria (Operation Baytown), and on 9 September 1943 at Taranto and Salerno (Operation Slapstick and Operation Avalanche respectively). Allied naval forces landed American and Commonwealth troops on the beaches of southern Italy where they faced resistance from Axis forces.

Allied Forces

Theatre and army group commanders

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Sir Harold Alexander

Allied Forces Headquarters (AFHQ), Mediterranean
General Dwight D. Eisenhower

Ground forces

Allied 15th Army Group

General Harold Alexander

Naval forces

Allied Naval Forces, Mediterranean (Admiral Andrew Cunningham)

Western Task Force (Operation Avalanche) (Vice Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, USN)

Force H (Vice Admiral Sir Algernon Willis, RN)

Naval Task Force, Operation Slapstick (Vice Admiral Arthur Power, RN)

Air forces

Mediterranean Air Command (Allied) (Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder) ^[a]

Operation Baytown – 3 September

Landings across Strait of Messina

British Eighth Army

Sir Bernard Law Montgomery

Sir Miles Dempsey

Main article: Eighth Army (United Kingdom)

General Bernard Law Montgomery

British XIII Corps

Main article: XIII Corps (United Kingdom)

Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempsey

Corps troops

1st Special Reconnaissance Squadron

No. 3 Commando

No. 40 (Royal Marine) Commando

Corps artillery

6th Army Group, Royal Artillery

2nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade

Also supporting XIII Corps

5th Army Group, Royal Artillery

XXX Corps Artillery

British 5th Infantry Division [2] Major-General Gerard Bucknall 13th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier L.M. Campbell) 2nd Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 2nd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 2nd Battalion Wiltshire Regiment 15th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier E.O. Martin) 1st Battalion Green Howards 1st Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment 17th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier Dudley Ward) 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers 2nd Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment 6th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders Divisional troops 7th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment (Machine Gun Battalion) 5th Reconnaissance Regiment, Reconnaissance Corps 91st (4th London) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 92nd (5th London) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 156th (Lanarkshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 52nd (6th London) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery 18th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery 38th Field Company, Royal Engineers 245th Field Company, Royal Engineers 252nd Field Company, Royal Engineers 254th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers

Canadian 1st Infantry Division [3] Major-General Guy Simonds 1st Infantry Brigade (Brigadier Howard Graham) The Royal Canadian Regiment 1st Battalion, The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment 1st Battalion, 48th Highlanders of Canada 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier Chris Vokes) Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry 1st Battalion, The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada 1st Battalion, The Loyal Edmonton Regiment 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier M.H.S. Penhale) Royal 22e Régiment 1st Battalion, The Carleton and York Regiment 1st Battalion, The West Nova Scotia Regiment 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade (Brigadier R.A. Wyman) 11th Armoured Regiment (The Ontario Regiment) 12th Armoured Regiment (Three Rivers Regiment) 14th Armoured Regiment (The Calgary Regiment) Divisional troops 4th Reconnaissance Regiment (4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards) 1st Infantry Division Support Battalion (The Saskatoon Light Infantry) (Machine Gun Battalion) 1st Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery 2nd Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery 3rd Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery 1st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery 1st Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers 3rd Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers 4th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers 2nd Field Park Company, Royal Canadian Engineers British 231st Infantry Brigade Group (Brigadier Roy Urquhart) [2] 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment 1st Battalion Hampshire Regiment 1st Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment 165th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 295th Field Company, Royal Engineers

Operation Slapstick – 9 September

Landings at Taranto

British Eighth Army

Main article: Eighth Army (United Kingdom)

General Sir Bernard Law Montgomery

British 1st Airborne Division ^[4]

Major-General George F. Hopkinson killed in action 9 Sep,
then Major-General Ernest Down

1st Parachute Brigade (Brigadier G.W. Lathbury)

1st Parachute Battalion

2nd Parachute Battalion

3rd Parachute Battalion

16th (Parachute) Field Ambulance

2nd Parachute Brigade (Brigadier Ernest Down)

4th Parachute Battalion

5th Parachute Battalion

6th Parachute Battalion

127th (Parachute) Field Ambulance

4th Parachute Brigade (Brigadier J.W. Hackett)

10th Parachute Battalion

11th Parachute Battalion

156th Parachute Battalion

133rd (Parachute) Field Ambulance

1st Airlanding Brigade (Brigadier Pip Hicks)

1st Battalion Border Regiment

2nd Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment

181st (Airlanding) Field Ambulance

Glider Pilot Regiment

Operation Avalanche – 9 September

Landings at Salerno

US Fifth Army

Main article: United States Army North

Mark W. Clark

Richard L. McCreery

Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark

Army Group Reserve ^[b]

US 82nd Airborne ("All-American") Division

Major General Matthew B. Ridgway

504th Parachute Infantry Regiment

505th Parachute Infantry Regiment

325th Glider Infantry Regiment

US 1st Armored ("Old Ironsides") Division ^[c]

Major General Ernest N. Harmon

British X Corps

Main article: X Corps (United Kingdom)

Lieutenant-General Richard L. McCreery

Northern landing beaches

Corps troops

Royal Scots Greys (Sherman tanks, attached to 56th Division) ^[5]

40th Royal Tank Regiment (attached to British 46th Infantry Division) ^[6]

British Special Service Brigade (Brigadier Robert Laycock)

No. 2 (Army) Commando

No. 41 (Royal Marine) Commando

US Ranger Force (Lieutenant Colonel William O. Darby) ^[d]

1st Ranger Battalion

3rd Ranger Battalion

4th Ranger Battalion

British 46th Infantry Division [6] Major-General John Hawkesworth 128th (Hampshire) Infantry Brigade (Brigadier M.A. James) 2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment 1/4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment 5th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment 138th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier G.P. Harding) 6th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment 2/4th Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 6th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment 139th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier R.E.H. Stott) 2/5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment 5th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters 16th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry Divisional Troops 2nd Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (Machine Gun Battalion) 46th Reconnaissance Regiment, Reconnaissance Corps 70th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 71st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 172nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 58th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery 5th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery 115th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery 270th Field Company, Royal Engineers 271st Field Company, Royal Engineers 272nd Field Company, Royal Engineers 273rd Field Park Company, Royal Engineers

56th (London) Infantry Division [7] Major-General Douglas Graham 167th (London) Infantry Brigade (Brigadier C.E.A. Firth) 8th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers 9th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers 7th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry 169th (London) Infantry Brigade (Brigadier L.O. Lyne) 2/5th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) 2/6th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) 2/7th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) 201st Guards Brigade (Brigadier J.A. Gascoigne) 6th Battalion, Grenadier Guards 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards Divisional Troops 6th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment (Machine Gun Battalion) 44th Reconnaissance Regiment, Reconnaissance Corps 64th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 65th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 113th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 67th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery 69th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery 57th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery 100th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery 220th Field Company, Royal Engineers 221st Field Company, Royal Engineers 42nd Field Company, Royal Engineers 563rd Field Park Company, Royal Engineers

British 7th Armoured Division [8] Major-General George Erskine 22nd Armoured Brigade (Brigadier W.R.N. Hinde) 1st Royal Tank Regiment 5th Royal Tank Regiment 4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) 131st Infantry Brigade (Brigadier Lashmer Whistler) 1/5th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) 1/6th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) 1/7th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) Divisional Troops 11th Hussars 3rd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery 5th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery 146th Field Battery, Royal Artillery 65th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery 15th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery 4th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers 621st Field Squadron, Royal Engineers 143rd Field Park Squadron, Royal Engineers

US VI Corps

Ernest J. Dawley

Main article: VI Corps (United States)

Major General Ernest J. Dawley

Southern landing beaches

US 3rd Infantry ("Rock of the Marne") Division

Major General Lucian K. Truscott ^[e]

7th Infantry Regiment

15th Infantry Regiment

30th Infantry Regiment

HHB 3rd DIVARTY

9th Field Artillery Battalion

10th Field Artillery Battalion

39th Field Artillery Battalion

41st Field Artillery Battalion

3rd Reconnaissance Troop

10th Engineer Combat Battalion

3rd Medical Battalion

Headquarters, 3rd Special Troops

HHC, 3rd Infantry Division

703rd Ordnance Light Maintenance Company

3rd Signal Company

3rd Quartermaster Company

US 34th Infantry ("Red Bull") Division ^[f]

Major General Charles W. Ryder

133rd Infantry Regiment

135th Infantry Regiment

168th Infantry Regiment

US 36th Infantry ("Arrowhead") Division

Major General Fred L. Walker

141st Infantry Regiment

142nd Infantry Regiment

143rd Infantry Regiment

US 45th Infantry ("Thunderbird") Division

Major General Troy H. Middleton

157th Infantry Regiment

179th Infantry Regiment

180th Infantry Regiment

Axis Forces

Army Command South

Main article: OB Süd

Albert Kesselring

Heinrich von Vietinghoff

Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring ^[9]

Armeeoberkommando (AOK) 10

Main article: 10th Army (Wehrmacht)

Generaloberst Heinrich von Vietinghoff

XIV Panzer Corps

Main article: XIV Panzer Corps

General der Panzertruppen Hermann Balck

Deployed along coast from north to south of Naples:

15th Panzergrenadier Division (Generalleutnant Eberhard Rodt)

Kampfgruppe Stroh

Panzer Division Hermann Göring (Generalmajor Wilhelm Schmalz) ^[g]

Kampfgruppe Haas

Kampfgruppe Becker

16th Panzer Division (Generalleutnant Rudolf Sieckenius) ^[h]

Kampfgruppe Dörnemann

Kampfgruppe Stempel

Kampfgruppe von Holtey

Kampfgruppe von Doering

LXXVI Panzer Corps

Main article: LXXVI Panzer Corps

General der Panzertruppen Traugott Herr

Deployed in Calabria and Apulia:

26th Panzer Division (Generalleutnant Smilo Freiherr von Lüttwitz)

Kampfgruppe ^[i]

3rd Panzergrenadier Division (Generalleutnant Fritz-Hubert Gräser)

Kampfgruppe Moldenhaur

29th Panzergrenadier Division (Generalleutnant Walter Fries)

Kampfgruppe Ulich

Kampfgruppe Krüger

Italian 7th Army

Main article: 7th Army (Italy)

Generale d'Armata Mario Arisio

XXXI Army Corps

Main article: XXXI Army Corps (Italy)

Tenente Generale Camillo Mercalli

211th Coastal Division (Generale d'Brigata Felice Gonnella) ^[11]

185th Paratroopers Regiment 'Nembo'

Notes

1. Headquarters at Algiers, Algeria ^[1]
2. Available to Fifth Army
3. 1st Armored Division was in Morocco being reorganized in the new "light armored division" organization. It began to arrive at Naples on 28 October 1943 and thus was not in the Army Group reserve for the landings in Italy.
4. Under British X Corps for this operation.
5. Did not take part in initial landings
6. Did not take part in initial landings
7. CO Generalleutnant Paul Conrath was on leave at the time of the Salerno landings. ^[10]
8. Absorbed the initial Allied assault
9. CO unknown

Citations

1. Secret Document 161, Location of units in the Royal Air Force, 34th issue, July 1943, Royal Air Force Museum accession number PR02859.
2. Molony, p. 234n.
3. Molony, pp. 117 & 234.
4. Molony, pp. 242, 244 & 245.
5. Molony, p. 276n.
6. Molony, p. 278n.
7. Molony, p. 277n.
8. Molony, p. 337n.
9. Konstam 2013, p. 25
10. Konstam 2013, pp. 21-22
11. The 211th Coastal Division was the only notable Italian division that fought during the Allied invasion of Italy. The remaining divisions of the 7th Army surrendered to the Allies, or disbanded by the Germans.

Bibliography

Print

• Konstam, Angus (2013). Salerno 1943: The Allies invade southern Italy. Osprey Publishing. ISBN   978-1-78096-249-8.
• Molony, Brigadier C.J.C.; with Flynn, Captain F.C. (R.N.); Davies, Major-General H.L. & Gleave, Group Captain T.P. (2004) [1st. pub. HMSO:1973]. Butler, Sir James (ed.). The Mediterranean and Middle East. History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series. Vol. V: The Campaign in Sicily 1943 and The Campaign in Italy 3rd September 1943 to 31st March 1944. Uckfield, UK: Naval & Military Press. ISBN   1-84574-069-6.

Web

• Houterman, Hans; Koppes, Jeroen. "World War II unit histories and officers". Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
• "Orders of Battle.com". Archived from the original on 17 July 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2010.