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{{EngvarB|date=March 2022}}
{{Short description|1943 Allied amphibious assault on Italy across the Straits of Messina}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}

{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Operation Baytown
| partof = the [[Allied invasion of Italy]]
| image = The Allied Landings in Italy, September 1943- Reggio, Taranto and Salerno NA6258.jpg
| image_size = 300px
| caption = British troops, presumably of the [[5th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|5th Infantry Division]], come ashore at Reggio, during the [[Allied invasion of Italy]], September 1943.
| coordinates ={{coord|38|06|35.0|N|15|38|31.3|E|type:event_scale:10000_region:IT|display=inline}}
| date = 3 September 1943
| place = [[Reggio Calabria]], [[Italy]]
| result = British victory
| combatant1 = {{flag|United Kingdom}} {{flag|Canada|1921}}
| combatant2 = {{flagcountry|Nazi Germany}} {{flagcountry|Fascist Italy (1922-1943)}}
| commander1 = {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Bernard Montgomery]] {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Miles Dempsey|Miles C. Dempsey]] {{flagicon|Canada|1921}} [[Guy Simonds]]
| commander2 = {{flagicon|Nazi Germany|1935}} [[Traugott Herr]]
| units1 ={{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[XIII Corps (United Kingdom)|XIII Corps]]
| units2 ={{flagicon|Nazi Germany|1935}} [[LXXVI Panzer Corps]] {{flagicon|Fascist Italy (1922-1943)}} [[184th Paratroopers Division Nembo]]
| strength1 =
| strength2 =
| casualties1 =
| casualties2 =
| notes
| campaignbox={{Campaignbox Italy}}
}}

'''Operation Baytown''' was an [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] [[Amphibious warfare|amphibious landing]] on the mainland of [[Italy]] that took place on 3 September 1943, part of the [[Allied invasion of Italy]], itself part of the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian Campaign]], during the [[World War II|Second World War]].

==Planning==
The attack was made by [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-General]] [[Miles Dempsey|Miles C. Dempsey]]'s [[XIII Corps (United Kingdom)|British XIII Corps]], which had under command the [[1st Canadian Division|1st Canadian Infantry Division]] ([[Major general#Canada|Major-General]] [[Guy Simonds]]) and the [[5th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|British 5th Infantry Division]] ([[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] [[Gerard Bucknall|Gerard C. Bucknall]]). XIII Corps was part of the [[Eighth Army (United Kingdom)|British Eighth Army]], commanded by [[General (United Kingdom)|General]] [[Bernard Montgomery|Sir Bernard Montgomery]]. XIII Corps crossed the [[Strait of Messina|Straits of Messina]] from [[Sicily]] to [[Reggio di Calabria]], covered by a heavy artillery barrage from Sicily and air cover from the [[Desert Air Force]] operating from Sicilian airfields. The intent was to tie down [[German Army (Wehrmacht)|German forces]] in the area and gain an Allied foothold at the 'toe' of Italy.<ref>Molony, pp. 223, 231–6, 238.</ref> Montgomery had objected to ''Baytown'' as ineffective, preferring to prioritise [[Allied invasion of Italy#Salerno landings|Operation Avalanche]], but followed orders and prepared to carry it out anyway. However, when essential landing craft and naval resources were diverted to ''Avalanche'' he complained again.<ref>Montgomery, pp. 190–2.</ref>

The German commander, ''[[Generalfeldmarschall]]'' [[Albert Kesselring]], and his staff did not believe the [[Calabria]] landing was the main Allied attack, which they expected at [[Salerno]], or possibly north of [[Naples]], or even near [[Rome]]. He therefore ordered ''[[General der Panzertruppe]]'' [[Traugott Herr]]'s [[LXXVI Panzer Corps]], part of the [[10th Army (Wehrmacht)|German 10th Army]] under ''[[Generaloberst]]'' [[Heinrich von Vietinghoff]] to pull back from engagement with the Eighth Army and delay them by the demolition of bridges and other infrastructure. A single German regiment was left at the southernmost tip of Italy to support the Italian [[211th Coastal Division (Italy)|211th Coastal Division]] and 185th Paratroopers Regiment "Folgore".<ref name = Molony239>Molony, pp. 23–42.</ref>

[[File:The Invasion of Italy September 1943 NA6204.jpg|thumb|right|A [[M3 Half-track|half-track]] and [[Ordnance QF 6-pounder|6-pounder anti-tank gun]] coming ashore from landing craft at Reggio, Italy, 3 September 1943.]]

==Execution==
Montgomery's objections were proved correct: German troops refused battle and the Eighth Army tied down none of them. The main obstacle to the Allied advance was the terrain and German demolitions.<ref name = Molony239/><ref>Anon, ''Lewisham Gunners'', p. 40.</ref><ref>Montgomery, p. 194.</ref>

Opposition to the landings was very light, because the few German troops in the area rapidly withdrew northward.<ref name = Molony239/> Italian troops on the coast, belonging to the coastal divisions, were poorly equipped, demoralized by the political situation and the massive Allied bombardment; they offered no resistance to the landing. An exception was the [[185th Paratroopers Regiment "Nembo"]] of the [[184th Paratroopers Division "Nembo"]], which provided more determined resistance on the [[Aspromonte]] massif, but was eventually overcome on 8 September 1943. During the fighting, the Canadians killed six and took 57 prisoners, suffering two officers killed.<ref>Nicholson, p. 211: "The action marked the last Canadian encounter with the Italian Army".</ref>

==Aftermath==
Operation Baytown was followed by [[Operation Slapstick]], with the [[1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|British 1st Airborne Division]] (Major-General [[George F. Hopkinson|George Hopkinson]]), and Operation Avalanche, the main landings at Salerno by elements of [[Lieutenant general (United States)|Lieutenant General]] [[Mark W. Clark|Mark Clark]]'s [[United States Army North|U.S. Fifth Army]]. Both operations took place on 9 September, following the [[Armistice of Cassibile|Italian surrender]] the day before. The surrender had been agreed on 3 September, but was not publicly announced until 8 September, and had no direct effect on ''Baytown''.<ref>Montgomery, pp. 194–5.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Allied invasion of Italy order of battle]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*''Lewisham Gunners: A Centenary History of 291st (4th London) Field Regiment R.A. (T.A.) formerly 2nd Kent R.G.A. (Volunteers)'', Chatham: W & J Mackay, 1962.
*C. J. C. Molony, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East'', Vol V: ''The Campaign in Sicily 1943 and the Campaign in Italy 3rd September 1943 to 31st March 1944'', London: HMSO, 1973/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, {{ISBN|1-845740-69-6}}.
* ''The Memoirs of Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of Alamein'', London: Collins, 1958.
*G. W. L. Nicholson, ''[[Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War]], [https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/themes/defence/caf/militaryhistory/dhh/official/book-1956-army-ww2-2-en.pdf Volume II: The Canadians in Italy, 1943–1945]''. 1956.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Operation Baytown}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090503114041/http://www.remuseum.org.uk/corpshistory/rem_corps_part16.htm Royal Engineers Museum] Royal Engineers and Second World War (Italian Campaign)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baytown, Operation}}
[[Category:World War II operations and battles of the Italian Campaign]]
[[Category:1943 in Italy]]
[[Category:Battles of World War II involving Canada]]
[[Category:September 1943 events]]
[[Category:Amphibious operations involving Canada]]

Operation Baytown - Revision history

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