British Army: 58 dead 154 wounded Royal Navy: 48 dead HMS Abdiel sunk
none during initial landing
The Field Ambulance units in the division treated 2,150 casualties, between the landing and being withdrawn. Not all of these were from the 1st Airborne Division.[1]
Planned at short notice, the mission followed an offer by the Italian government to open the ports of Taranto and Brindisi on the heel of Italy to the Allies. The airborne division was selected to undertake the mission, but at the time they were located in North Africa. A shortage of transport aircraft meant the division could not land in their traditional way by parachute and glider, and all the landing craft in the area were already allocated to the other landings: Operation Avalanche at Salerno on the western coast, and Operation Baytown at Calabria. Instead, the division had to be transported across the Mediterranean by ships of the Royal Navy. The landing was unopposed and the airborne division successfully captured the ports of Taranto, and later Brindisi on the Adriatic coast in working order.
The only German forces in the area were elements of the 1st Parachute Division (1. Fallschirmjäger Division),[note 1] which engaged the advancing British in ambushes and at roadblocks during a fighting withdrawal north. Eventually, by the end of September, the British 1st Airborne Division advanced 125 miles (201km) to Foggia. Reinforcements from two infantry divisions had by then been landed behind them, which allowed the airborne troops to be withdrawn to Taranto. Soon after, the division, minus the 2nd Parachute Brigade, sailed for England in preparation for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy.
During secret surrender negotiations with the Allies in early September, the Italian government offered to open the ports of Taranto and Brindisi on the eastern coast.[6] German forces in that area were very weak and would be expected to withdraw rather than fight if the Allies landed there.[6]GeneralDwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean, quickly planned a third landing, codenamed Slapstick, to take advantage of the offer.[6]
Slapstick was in part an operation of deception, to divert German forces away from the main Allied landings at Salerno on the same day, while also attempting to capture Taranto and Brindisi intact.[7] The main value of Taranto was its large port. Its seizure would, with the expected capture of Naples in the west by the Americans, give the Allies supply points on both Italian coasts.[8]
This military operation had a major political role, since the leaders of the government, including King Vittorio Emanuele III and his family, and Prime Minister Badoglio, fled from Rome to Brindisi after the surrender. Brindisi at the time was controlled only by the Italian Army, but its quick occupation by British troops secured the safety of the Italian leaders and allowed the declaration of war by Italy against Germany.
Taranto
Taranto naval base in the 1930s.
Taranto is the capital city of the Province of Taranto in the region of Apulia and has a large harbor.[9] It includes the two islets of St. Peter and St. Paul, which protect the bay, called the Mar Grande ("Big Sea"), where the commercial port is located.[10] After the unification of Italy, Taranto became the main base of the Italian Navy.[11] The military port was located in another bay, the Mar Piccolo.[10] In November 1940, the Royal Navy attacked the naval base in Taranto, sinking some Italian battleships.[9]
Prelude
German forces
The German High Command fully expected Italy to surrender and, in preparation, had secretly established a new Army group headquarters commanded by GeneralfeldmarschallErwin Rommel at Munich. Rommel would have six divisions transferred from the Eastern Front, two divisions from France that had just been reformed, and two parachute divisions based in Germany in his new command. However, a Russian offensive in the east prevented the release of all the units promised. Adolf Hitler came to the conclusion that, without the backing of the Italian Army, it would be impossible for the Germans to defend the whole of Italy.[12]
In Italy, German GeneralfeldmarschallAlbert Kesselring, unaware of what was happening in Germany, had been building up the strength of his forces.[12] He was aided in this by the escape from Sicily of three divisions, which managed to cross the Strait of Messina without serious loss of men or equipment.[13] In August, five infantry and two panzer divisions moved into northern Italy.[14] After the loss of Sicily, Hitler amended the German plans, deciding to hold the Salerno-Naples area with five infantry divisions,[15] while the 1st Parachute Division was ordered to the Apulia region.[16]
Commanded by GeneralmajorRichard Heidrich, the 1st Parachute Division consisted of the 1st, 3rd and 4th Parachute Regiments, with an artillery regiment, tank-destroyer, anti-aircraft, and engineer battalions, and other support units.[17] The division was the successor of the original German airborne force, the 7th Air Division, and was highly experienced. It had spearheaded the German invasion in the west in 1940, and fought in the battles of Greece and Crete, and in the Soviet Union.[18] Withdrawn from the Soviet Union in 1943, the division had already fought against British paratroops during operations in Sicily.[19] However, on 9 September only three combat battalions and the headquarters were in Apulia.[note 1]
British forces
Plans were formulated on 6 September to transport the British 1st Airborne Division to Taranto from their base in North Africa.[13] They would take advantage of the Italian surrender to capture the port and establish anti-aircraft defences. What was left of the Italian fleet still using the harbour was expected to have left beforehand.[6] The Allies believed that the division would face only minimal opposition and would be able to overcome any resistance with the limited naval support available, as Taranto was outside the range of Allied fighter aircraft based in Sicily.[20]
Although it had been formed in October 1941, the British 1st Airborne Division, commanded by Major-GeneralGeorge Hopkinson, had never before fought as a complete division. The only units with any combat experience were the 1st Parachute Brigade, which had fought with distinction as an independent brigade in North Africa and in Operation Fustian during the Allied invasion of Sicily,[21][22] and the 1st Airlanding Brigade, understrength with only two battalions, which had also fought in Sicily during Operation Ladbroke.[22] Both brigades had suffered heavy casualties in Sicily and were in no condition to undertake any further assault landings.[23] Of the division's other brigades, the 2nd and 4th Para Brigades, were untried in battle. Also, the 2nd Parachute Brigade was the only full strength unit, as the 4th Parachute Brigade had only two battalions, with its third battalion still forming in Palestine.[24]
To support the British landings early on 9 September, Scanzano was attacked by American B-26 Marauders from the 17th and 310th Bombardment Groups.[30] Then, just as the Allied flotilla approached Taranto, the Italian battleships Andrea Doria and Duilio and three cruisers were observed leaving the harbour. The flotilla went to action stations, but the Italian ships just sailed past them en route to Malta to surrender in accordance with the agreement between the Allies and the Italian government.[31] At 15:00, the flotilla reached the minefield guarding the entrance to Taranto. The destroyer HMS Javelin negotiated the minefield and entered the harbour. Two hours later, Javelin returned with an Italian harbour pilot on board. HMS Penelope and USS Boise were guided safely into the harbour and alongside the jetty, where they disembarked the troops they were carrying, while the other ships in the flotilla remained outside the port and used small ship's boats to take their soldiers ashore.[26] The port's facilities were all in working order and were soon unloading the ships.[32]
The first units ashore were the headquarters of the 4th Parachute Brigade and the 10th Parachute Battalion, which were directed to move inland to guard against a German attack.[33] When the airborne division troops entered the city, they were welcomed by the Italian garrison and informed that the German forces had already departed.[32] When the two brigades were offloaded, they passed through the city and set up defensive positions to the north.[26] At the same time, Major-GeneralGeorge F. Hopkinson, established his divisional headquarters in the Albergo Europa Hotel and accepted the Italian surrender from the military governor.[26]
After safely landing the first half of the division, the 12th Cruiser Squadron returned to Bizerta to collect the remaining troops, consisting of the 2nd Parachute Brigade, the 1st Airlanding Brigade and the Glider Pilot Regiment.[27] The only casualties in the landing occurred on 10 September when HMS Abdiel, while manoeuvring alongside the dock, struck a mine and sank. Casualties totaled 58 killed and 154 wounded from the 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion,[33] and 48 dead among Abdiel's crew.[34]Abdiel was also carrying twelve 6pounder anti-tank guns of the 2nd Anti-tank Battery, and the division's reserve ammunition supply.[26]
Overnight, the 4th Parachute Brigade led the advance inland.[26] By daybreak on 10 September, they had reached Massafra, where they were welcomed by the population. The next town they reached was Mottola, which was still occupied by the Germans. The Germans put up some resistance to the 156th Parachute Battalion's assault, but withdrew soon after. The division's first combat casualties resulted from this action. The wounded were evacuated to Taranto, where the 133rd (Parachute) Field Ambulance had established an 80-bed main dressing station at the Rendinella hospital.[35]
The German paratroop rearguard tried to delay the British advance with several ambushes and roadblocks. At a roadblock beside the town of Castellaneta, Major-General Hopkinton, the 1st Airborne Division's GOC, was hit by a burst of German machine gun fire while observing the 10th Parachute Battalion's attack. He died of his wounds the following day.[36] Hopkinson was replaced as the divisional commander by BrigadierErnest Down, previously the commander of the 2nd Parachute Brigade.[37]
Within 48 hours of landing at Taranto, the airborne division reached and occupied the port of Brindisi and Bari on the Adriatic coast without opposition since both cities were still under control of the italian royal army.[27][32] On 11 September on the division's left, contact was made with the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, the leading unit of the British Eighth Army which had arrived in the area from Calabria.[38] By the evening of 12 September, the 1st Airborne Division had advanced 20 miles (32km) inland on foot.[39]
The airborne division's next objective was now the airfield at Gioia del Colle. The Royal Air Force needed the airfield to bring in fighter aircraft from Sicily and support the landings at Salerno, which had not gone as expected.[40] The Germans continued their withdrawal, and Gioia was reached over the night of the 16/17 September, by the 10th and 156th Parachute battalions.[41] The Royal Air Force took over the airfield and 48 hours later, six squadrons were flying from the base in support of Allied operations.[41][42] Between 20 and 24 September, the 1st Airborne Division was ordered to halt and construct defences on the approaches to Taranto, due to concerns that the Germans might launch a counterattack against the overextended unit.[41]
The V Corps headquarters landed at Taranto on 18 September and prepared for the arrival of its two divisions.[43] The first was the British 78th Infantry Division, which started arriving at Bari on 22 September,[44] followed by the 8th Indian Infantry Division at Taranto the next day.[45] On 24 September, the 1st Parachute and 1st Airlanding brigades took over the advance for the airborne division.[42] By 27 September, they and the 78th Division reached Foggia, 125 miles (201km) from Taranto.[44] From there, the airborne division was withdrawn to Taranto. By November, most of the 1st Airborne Division had left for England.[42]
Aftermath
Operation Slapstick did not provide the diversion GeneralEisenhower had hoped for. The decision by Heidrich not to oppose the landings was made without reference to Kesselring's headquarters. Heidrich had expected to be confronted by an overwhelming Allied force and had withdrawn his units north, although he endeavoured to delay the Allied advance where possible by ambushes and roadblocks.[32] The German division went on to frustrate the Allied attempt to advance on Rome during the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944.[17]
The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as the Battle of Sicily and Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis powers. It began with a large amphibious and airborne operation, followed by a six-week land campaign, and initiated the Italian campaign.
Operation Ladbroke was a glider landing by British airborne troops during the Second World War near Syracuse, Sicily, that began on 9 July 1943 as part of Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily. The first Allied mission using large numbers of the aircraft, the operation was carried out from Tunisia by glider infantry of the British 1st Airlanding Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Philip Hicks, with a force of 136 Hadrians and eight Airspeed Horsas. The objective was to establish a large invasion force on the ground near the town of Syracuse, secure the Ponte Grande Bridge and ultimately take control of the city itself with its strategically vital docks, as a prelude to the full-scale invasion of Sicily.
Operation Fustian was an airborne forces operation undertaken during the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943 in the Second World War. The operation was carried out by Brigadier Gerald Lathbury's 1st Parachute Brigade, part of the British 1st Airborne Division. Their objective was the Primosole Bridge across the Simeto River. The intention was for the brigade, with glider-borne forces in support, to land on both sides of the river. They would then capture the bridge and secure the surrounding area until relieved by the advance of British XIII Corps, which had landed on the south eastern coast three days previously. Because the bridge was the only crossing on the river and would give the British Eighth Army access to the Catania plain, its capture was expected to speed the advance and lead to the defeat of the Axis forces in Sicily.
The 1st Airborne Division was an airborne infantry division of the British Army during the Second World War. The division was formed in late 1941 during the Second World War, after the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, demanded an airborne force, and was initially under command of Major-General Frederick A. M. "Boy" Browning. The division was one of two airborne divisions raised by the British Army during the war, with the other being the 6th Airborne Division, created in May 1943, using former units of the 1st Airborne Division.
Operation Avalanche was the codename for the Allied landings near the port of Salerno, executed on 9 September 1943, part of the Allied invasion of Italy during World War II. The Italians withdrew from the war the day before the invasion, but the Allies landed in an area defended by German troops. Planned under the name Top Hat, it was supported by the deception plan Operation Boardman.
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied amphibious landing on mainland Italy that took place from 3 September 1943, during the Italian campaign of World War II. The operation was undertaken by General Sir Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group and followed the successful Allied invasion of Sicily. The main invasion force landed on the west coast of Italy at Salerno on September 9 as part of Operation Avalanche, while two supporting operations took place in Calabria and Taranto.
In military organizations, a pathfinder is a specialized soldier inserted or dropped into place in order to set up and operate drop zones, pickup zones, and helicopter landing sites for airborne operations, air resupply operations, or other air operations in support of the ground unit commander. Pathfinders first appeared in World War II, and continue to serve an important role in today's modern armed forces, providing commanders with the option of flexibly employing air assets. There was a group of pilots who were also designated pathfinders. They flew C-47 (DC-3) aircraft and were the lead planes followed by paratroop transports, used for dropping paratroopers into designate drop zones such as on D day, the Normandy Invasion.
The 504th Infantry Regiment, originally the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, is an airborne forces regiment of the United States Army, part of the 82nd Airborne Division, with a long and distinguished history. The regiment was first formed in mid-1942 during World War II as part of the 82nd Airborne Division and saw service in Sicily, Italy, Anzio, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The 1st Parachute Brigade was an airborne forces brigade formed by the British Army during the Second World War. As its name indicates, the unit was the first parachute infantry brigade formation in the British Army.
The 2nd Parachute Brigade was an airborne forces brigade formed by the British Army during the Second World War.
The 4th Parachute Brigade was an airborne, specifically a parachute infantry, brigade formation of the British Army during the Second World War. Formed in late 1942 in the Mediterranean and Middle East, the brigade was composed of three parachute infantry units, the 10th, 11th and 156th Parachute Battalions.
The British 2nd Parachute Brigade was part of the Operation Rugby airborne landings in August 1944. The operation was carried out by an ad hoc airborne formation called the 1st Airborne Task Force. Operation Rugby was itself part of the Operation Dragoon invasion of Southern France by the American 7th Army. The airborne task force landed in the River Argens valley with the objective of preventing German reinforcements from reaching the landing beaches. The landings were mainly an American operation and the brigade was the only British Army formation involved.
The Allied invasion of Italy, a phase of the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, took place on 3 September at Reggio di Calabria, and on 9 September 1943 at Taranto and Salerno. Allied naval forces landed American and Commonwealth troops on the beaches of southern Italy where they faced resistance from Axis forces.
The 16th (Parachute) Field Ambulance was a Royal Army Medical Corps unit of the British airborne forces during the Second World War. The unit was the first parachute field ambulance unit of the British Army. Their first deployment was in Operation Torch the Allied landings in North Africa. This was followed by Operation Fustian during the Allied invasion of Sicily. Their third mission was Operation Slapstick, a seaborne landing at Taranto in Italy.
The 127th (Parachute) Field Ambulance was a Royal Army Medical Corps unit of the British airborne forces during the Second World War.
The 10th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, originally raised as the 10th (Sussex) Battalion by the British Army during the Second World War.
The 181st (Airlanding) Field Ambulance was a Royal Army Medical Corps unit of the British airborne forces during the Second World War.
The 6th Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment raised by the British Army during the Second World War.
The 133rd (Parachute) Field Ambulance was a Royal Army Medical Corps unit of the British Army's airborne forces during the Second World War.
The 1st Airlanding Light Regiment was an airborne forces unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery during the Second World War.
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