Watch the full film: http://thefilmarchived.blogspot.com/2010/10/world-war-ii-operation-shingle.html
Although controversy continues regarding what might have happened had General Lucas been more aggressive from the start, most commentators agree that the initial Anzio plan was flawed, questioning whether the initial landing of just over two infantry divisions with no supporting armour had had the strength to achieve the objective of cutting Route 6 and then holding off the inevitable counterattacks which would come as Kesselring re-deployed his forces.
Volume 5 of Churchill's The Second World War is riddled with implied criticism of Lucas, blaming the failure of Operation Shingle on his caution. However, Kesselring after the war was to opine it would have been the Anglo-American doom to over-extend themselves. The landing force was initially weak, only a division or so of infantry, and without armour. It was a half-way measure of an offensive that was your basic error.
Furthermore, Alexander in his Official Despatch was to say "the actual course of events was probably the most advantageous in the end."
Churchill defended the Anzio operation. In his view, sufficient forces were available. He had clearly made great political efforts to procure certain resources, especially the extra LSTs needed to deliver a second division to shore, but also specific units useful to the attack such as U.S. 504th Parachute Regiment. He argued that even regardless of the tactical outcome of the operation, there was immediate strategic benefit with regard to the wider war. Following the landings, the German High Command dropped plans to transfer five of Kesselring's best divisions to North West Europe. This gave obvious benefit with regard to the upcoming Operation Overlord. Churchill also had to ensure the British dominated forces in Italy were contributing to the war at a time when the Russians were suffering tremendous losses on the Eastern Front.
What is clear is that because of Clark's change of plan, Operation Diadem (during which U.S. 5th and British 8th Armies sustained 44,000 casualties) failed in its objective of destroying the German 10th Army and condemned the Allies to a further year of brutal combat notably around the Gothic Line from August 1944 to May 1945. The greatest irony was that if the VI Corps main effort had continued on the Valmontone axis on May 26 and the days following, Clark could undoubtedly have reached Rome more quickly than he was able to do by the route northwest from Cisterna. The VI Corps also could have cut Highway 6 and put far greater pressure on the Tenth Army than it did.
Noted participants - Denis Healey — later a prominent Labour Party politician — was the Military Landing Officer for the British assault brigade at Anzio. - Eric Fletcher Waters, father to Pink Floyd's bassist and songwriter Roger Waters, was killed during Operation Shingle at Anzio. Much of the Pink Floyd album The Wall contains references to this. In particular, the song "When the Tigers Broke Free" (later added to The Wall) recounts these events. - The current controller of BBC Radio 1 Andy Parfitt's father, John Raymond Parfitt was part of the British force landing at Anzio. He was shot in the head and badly wounded in early February. - "Angelita" was the name of a little girl, a war orphan, whom Pte. Christopher S. Hayes of the Royal Scots Fusiliers claimed to have found and about this story he asked for information to the major of Anzio 20 years later. Reportedly, she became the platoon mascot but was killed just a few days later. The story has variations on which army adopted her and how she was killed, leading some to conclude that it could be only a legend; this is the opinion of historian Carlo D'Este who has labeled it a 'myth' of the battle. Regardless, the story has come to symbolize the plight of all the children in all the wars and has been the inspiration for one of the most moving and successful Italian songs in the '60s. The town of Anzio erected a monument in Angelita's memory, unveiled in the International Year of the Child (1979). - James Arness (born May 26, 1923 in Minneapolis, Minnesota as James Aurness) is an actor best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon on the T.V. series Gunsmoke for 20 years. Arness served in the United States Army during World War II, and was severely wounded at the Battle of Anzio, leading to a lifelong slight limp. - Bill Mauldin noted cartoonist and author of the Willie and Joe series which appeared in the American Army newspaper Stars and Stripes was at Anzio, serving with the 45th Infantry Division.
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World War II - Operation Shingle: Beachhead Anzio Part 1 (1963)by thefilmarchive8,943 views
@highway234 in the navy one just throws it over the side, still there for anyone to claim?
brucencalifornia 1 year ago
WoW what a load, looks grim In the viet-nam's we Pitched tons over the side every night only intrest was retrieving the fiberglass canistor the casing's shipped in.. we were still shooting Korean war brass, 5 " so-much tonnage, "We Bent The Ship" every-thing aft in shipfitters and electrial bearthing was x-crossed with damage control beams and braces >>///<< yo-ho-ho
brucencalifornia 1 year ago
man, that looks like NO fun. i'm always surprised how grim these supposed war propaganda films are.
highway234 1 year ago