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[edit | edit source]

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Sir Harold Alexander

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

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)

Mediterranean Air Command (Allied) (Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder)^{[lower-alpha 1]}

Allied 15th Army Group
General Harold Alexander

Operation Baytown – 3 September[edit | edit source]

Landings across Strait of Messina

British Eighth Army[edit | edit source]

Bernard Montgomery

Sir Miles Dempsey

General Bernard Law Montgomery

British XIII Corps[edit | edit source]

Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempsey

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 22^e Régiment
  - 1st Battalion, The Carleton and York Regiment
  - 1st Battalion, The West Nova Scotia Regiment
- 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade (Brigadier R.A. Wyman)
- 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
Corps artillery
- 6th Army Group, Royal Artillery
- 2nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade
Corps troops
- 1st Special Reconnaissance Squadron
- No. 3 Commando
- No. 40 (Royal Marine) Commando
Also supporting XIII Corps
- 5th Army Group, Royal Artillery
- XXX Corps Artillery

Operation Slapstick – 9 September[edit | edit source]

Landings at Taranto

British Eighth Army[edit | edit source]

General Sir Bernard Law Montgomery

British 1st Airborne Division^[4]

Major-General George F. Hopkinson; killed in action 9 September replaced by Major-General Ernest Down

1st Parachute Brigade (Brigadier G.W. Lathbury)
2nd Parachute Brigade (Brigadier Ernest Down)
4th Parachute Brigade (Brigadier J.W. Hackett)
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[edit | edit source]

Landings at Salerno

U.S. Fifth Army[edit | edit source]

Mark W. Clark

Richard L. McCreery

Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark

British X Corps[edit | edit source]

Northern landing beaches

Lieutenant-General Richard L. McCreery

46th Infantry Division^[5] (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^[6] (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^[7] (Major-General George Erskine)
- 22nd Armoured Brigade (Brigadier W.R.N. Hinde)
- 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
Corps Troops
- Royal Scots Greys (Sherman tanks, attached to 56th Division)^[8]
- 40th Royal Tank Regiment (attached to British 46th Infantry Division)^[5]
British Special Service Brigade (Brigadier Robert Laycock)
- No. 2 (Army) Commando
- No. 41 (Royal Marine) Commando
U.S. Ranger Force (Lieutenant Colonel William O. Darby)^{[lower-alpha 2]}

U.S. VI Corps[edit | edit source]

Ernest J. Dawley

Southern landing beaches

Major General Ernest J. Dawley

U.S. 3rd Infantry "Rock of the Marne" Division (Major General Lucian K. Truscott)^{[lower-alpha 3]}
- 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
U.S. 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (Major General Charles W. Ryder)^{[lower-alpha 4]}
U.S. 36th Infantry "Arrowhead" Division (Major General Fred L. Walker)
U.S. 45th Infantry "Thunderbird" Division (Major General Troy H. Middleton)

Army Group Reserve[edit | edit source]

These units were available to Fifth Army

U.S. 82nd Airborne "All-American" Division (Major General Matthew B. Ridgway)
U.S. 1st Armored "Old Ironsides" Division (Major General Ernest N. Harmon)^{[lower-alpha 5]}

German Forces[edit | edit source]

Army Command South[edit | edit source]

Albert Kesselring

Heinrich von Vietinghoff

Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring^[9]

Armeeoberkommando (AOK) 10[edit | edit source]

Generaloberst Heinrich von Vietinghoff

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)^{[lower-alpha 6]}

Kampfgruppe Haas
Kampfgruppe Becker

16th Panzer Division (Generalleutnant Rudolf Sieckenius)^{[lower-alpha 7]}

Kampfgruppe Dörnemann
Kampfgruppe Stempel
Kampfgruppe von Holtey
Kampfgruppe von Doering

LXXVI Panzer Corps

General der Panzertruppen Traugott Herr

Deployed in Calabria and Apulia:

26th Panzer Division (Generalleutnant Smilo Freiherr von Lüttwitz)

Kampfgruppe^{[lower-alpha 8]}

3rd Panzergrenadier Division (Generalleutnant Fritz-Hubert Gräser)

Kampfgruppe Moldenhaur

29th Panzergrenadier Division (Generalleutnant Walter Fries)

Kampfgruppe Ulich
Kampfgruppe Krüger

Notes[edit | edit source]

↑ Headquarters at Algiers, Algeria^[1]
↑ Under British X Corps for this operation.
↑ Did not take part in initial landings
↑ Did not take part in initial landings
↑ 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.
↑ CO Generalleutnant Paul Conrath was on leave at the time of the Salerno landings.^[10]
↑ Absorbed the initial Allied assault
↑ CO unknown

Citations[edit | edit source]

↑ Secret Document 161, Location of units in the Royal Air Force, 34th issue, July 1943, Royal Air Force Museum accession number PR02859.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Molony, p. 234n.
↑ Molony, pp. 117 & 234.
↑ Molony, pp. 242, 244 & 245.
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Molony, p. 278n.
↑ Molony, p. 277n.
↑ Molony, p. 337n.
↑ Molony, p. 276n.
↑ Konstam 2013, p. 25
↑ Konstam 2013, pp. 21-22

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

Print[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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.

[2] Headquarters at Algiers, Algeria^[1]

[10] Under British X Corps for this operation.

[11] Did not take part in initial landings

[12] Did not take part in initial landings

[13] 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.

[16] CO Generalleutnant Paul Conrath was on leave at the time of the Salerno landings.^[10]

[17] Absorbed the initial Allied assault

[18] CO unknown

[Royal_Air_Force_1943-1] Secret Document 161, Location of units in the Royal Air Force, 34th issue, July 1943, Royal Air Force Museum accession number PR02859.

[Molony234-3] 2.0 ^2.1 Molony, p. 234n.

[4] Molony, pp. 117 & 234.

[5] Molony, pp. 242, 244 & 245.

[Molony,_p._278n-6] 5.0 ^5.1 Molony, p. 278n.

[7] Molony, p. 277n.

[8] Molony, p. 337n.

[9] Molony, p. 276n.

[14] Konstam 2013, p. 25

[15] Konstam 2013, pp. 21-22

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