D Day. 22 January 1944: "As the Allied Armada approached the darkened shoreline, the men in the first wave of Operation Shingle repeatedly fingered the safeties on their rifles and wondered what they were about to experience: A full-fledged enemy attempt to destroy them at the water's edge? Or would the Germans wait until they were all congregated ashore before pounding them into oblivion? Or would the Germans, being caught totally by surprise, make no response at all? Of all the possibilities, the latter seemed to be the least likely." "Desperate Valour, Triumph at Anzio" - Flint Whitlock, page 21. Dave
The 449th Bomb Group provided direct support to the landing by closing the coastal road at Terracino to delay the German response to the landing. The steep hillside above the road was targeted with the intent of causing landslides over the road. The strike photo was taken by combat photographer Lucien Fugere flying with the Dale Rogers crew aboard a B-24 named "Pistol Packin Mamma".
1st Ranger visiting his brother who was an aircraft mechanic in the 449th Bomb Group. Grottaglie, Italy Feb(?) 1944
Arrival of VI Corps Units at Anzio The plan: VI Corps was to land and “secure the beaches extending north and south of Anzio, for a distance of about six miles in each direction. After securing the initial objectives it was to be prepared to advance across the flat hinterland in the direction of the Colli Laziali (Alban) hill mass which rises to a height of 3,000 feet and controls all routes from the south toward Rome.” 22 January: H-Hour 0200-0230 initial wave: 1st (Br.) Div – 2nd Brigade Group 6615th Ranger Force – 1st, 3rd and 4th Rangers, 509th PIB 3rd (US) Div – 1-7th Inf, 3-15th Inf, 2-30th Inf, 3rd Div Cavalry Troop By 0730: 509th PIB seized Nettuno By 0600 ashore were: 1st (Br.) Div – 3 infantry battalions 6615th Rangers – 2 infantry battalions 3rd US Div – 7 (?) infantry battalions, 4 artillery battalions, 1 tank company, 1 TD company, 2 AAA-AW batteries By evening ashore were: 1st Division – 2nd SS Bde., 24th Gds Bde, 2nd Bde, 1st Recce Rgt 3rd Division – all Ranger Force – all, including 509th PIB and 504th PIR During the day: Encountered elements of Pz.Gren.Rgt. 71, 29 Pz.Gren.Div. and HG Pz.Div. Reserves: During the day the bulk of 1st Division was held as a floating reserve, including 3rd and 24th Guards Brigade Groups, 24th Field and 80th Medium Regiment, RA, and 46th RTR, along with the 504th PIR. German reaction to SHINGLE Initial forces: Between Tarquina and Rome: KG von Bohr (elms 90 Pz.Gren.Div.) II/Pz.Gren.Rgt. 200 III/Pz.Art.Rgt. 190 FEB 190 Between the mouth of the Tiber and the Astura Rivers (Anzio-Nettuno area): I Fsch.Jg.Korps LW-Pi.Btl. 22 (2 companies). 29 Pz.Gren.Div. II/Pz.Gren.Rgt. 71 9/Art.Rgt. 29 2/Pz.Pi.Kp. Between the mouth of the Astura to Terracina: 29 Pz.Gren.Div. Pz.Aufkl.Abtl. 129 Alban Hills: Pz.Kp. (Tiger) Schwebbach one Bttr. Stu.Abtl.XI Fl.Korps (Italian StuG) one leichte Flak.Bttr. Vicinity of Rome: 4. Fsch.Jg.Div. Stab Fsch.Jg.-Sturm-Rgt. (I, II, III) Fsch.Jg.Rgt. 10 (II, III) Fsch.Jg.Rgt. 11 (I, II) Pak Bttr. (12 3.7cm Pak) Art.Abtl.XI Fl.Korps (1. and 2. Bttr., each 4 LG2) Fsch.Jg.-Lehr-Btl. SS-Pol.Btl.-Rome FEB HG Preparing to counterattack on the Garigliano under command of 10 AOK: I Fsch.Jg. Korps 29 Pz.Gren.Div. (- Aufkl.Abtl. 129) 90 Pz.Gren Div. (- II/Pz.Gren.Rgt. 200, III/Pz.Art.Rgt. 190 and FEB 190?) Reinforcements: Ordered by OKW as of 0600 22 January 1944, departure began 23-24 January: From OB-West (France): 715 Inf.Div. (mot) Stab Gren.Rgt. 725 (I, II, III) Gren.Rgt. 735 (I, II, III) Art.Rgt. 671 (I, II) Pi.Btl. 715 Pz.Jg.Abtl. 715 (- one Kp.) – with 12 s.Pak (mot) Pz.Rgt.Stab 69 I./Pz.Rgt. 4 (Panther) Pz.Abtl. 301 (FKL) H.Art.Abtl. 998 (22cm-f) From OB-Suedost (Balkans): 114 Jgr.Div. Stab Jg.Rgt. 721 (I, II, III) Jg.Rgt. 741 (I, II, III) Art.Rgt. 661 (II, III) Fus.Btl. 114 Pi.Btl. 114 Pz.Jg.Abtl. 114 (- one Kp.) – 6 s.Pak (mot) H.K.Art.Abtl. 677 (?) H.Art.Abtl. 764 (?) From the Ersatz-Heer (Germany): Inf.-Lehr-Rgt. – with Pi.Kp. and Pak Kp. with 6 s.Pak (mot.) Gren.Rgt. 1026 Pz.Gren.Rgt. 1027 – with Art.Bttr. with 4 10.5cm l.F.H. and Pak Kp. with 14 Pak (Sfl.) Pz.Gren.Rgt. 1028 – with Art.Bttr. with 4 10.5cm l.F.H. and Pak Kp. with 14 Pak (Sfl.) Pz.Abtl. 508 (Tiger) Sturm-Panzer Abtl. 216 1/Pz,Jg.Abtl. 653 (Elefant) Pz.Pi.Kp. 811 and 813 (Goliath) III./Art.-Lehr-Rgt. 1 (I/Art.-Lehr-Rgt. 1 was also ordered to Italy, but never arrived?) I./Art.-Lehr-Rgt. 2 IV./Art.-Lehr-Rgt. 2 Nebelwerfer-Lehr-Abtl. (18 15cm NW) LS Btl. 527 LS Btl. 676 Sich.Btl. 936 Sich.Btl. 939 Stell.Bau.Btl. 736 (five other pionier battalions were ordered to Italy, but they have not been identified) (two Ost battalions were ordered to Italy, but they have not been identified) Ordered transferred from 14 AOK to command of I Fsch.Jg. Korps at 0710 22 January, departure of the troops in northern Italy began at 1900 22 January: I Fsch.Jg. Korps Stab (Rome) Flak-Rgts.Stab 105 (mot) I/Flak-Rgt. 12 (mot) II/Flak-Rgt. 241 (mot) I/Flak-Rgt. 37 (mot) II/Flak-Abtl. 37 (mot) Le.Flak-Abtl. 99 (mot) Flak-KG Prentel 65 Inf.Div. (Genoa) Stab Gren.Rgt. 145 (I, II, III) Gren.Rgt 147 (I, II, III) Art.Rgt. 165 (- III) Pi.Btl. 165 s.Pak Kp. (mot.)/Pz.Jg.Abtl. 165 356 Inf.Div. Fus.Abtl. 356 362 Inf.Div. (Rimini) Stab Fus.Abtl. 362 Gren.Rgt. 355 (I, II) Gren.Rgt. 356 (I, II) Art.Rgt. 362 Pi.Btl. 362 s.Pak.Kp. (mot.)/Pz.Jg.Abtl. 362 16 SS-Pz.Gren.Div. (Livorno and Lubiano) II/SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt. 35 II/SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt. 36 4./SS-Art.Rgt. 16 (4 10.5cm l.F.H.) 3./SS-Stu.Abtl. 16 (10 Pak Sfl.) Ordered transferred from 10 AOK to command of I Fsch.Jg.K. at 0830 22 January: 71 Inf.Div. Stab Fus.Btl. 171 Gren.Rgt. 191 (elements) Gren.Rgt. 194 (I, II) Art.Rgt. 171 (Stab, II, III, 11., and 12.) Pz.Jg.Abtl. 171 (with elements from Inf.Div. H.u.D.) Pi.Btl. 171 FEB 171 3 Pz.Gren.Div. Stab Pz.Abtl. 103 Pz.Gren.Rgt. 29 (I, II, III) Pz.Art.Rgt. 3 (Stab, I, III) Pz.Pi.Btl. 103 Pz.FEB 3 H.Flak-Abtl. 312 HG Pz.Div. Stab Pz.Aufkl.Abtl. HG Art.Abt. (Stab and probably three batteries, identity unknown) I/Flak Abtl. HG (+ 1./Flak 49) 26 Pz.Div. Pz.Aufkl.Abtl. 26 KG Schulz (1 Fsch.Jg.Div.) Fsch.Jg.Rgt. 1 (Stab and III) Fsch.Jg. MG Btl. 1 H.Pz.Jg.Abtl. 525 (38 8.8 cm Pak 43 auf Sfl. (Hornisse)) H.Pz.Jg.Abtl. 590 (9 7.62 cm and 7.5 cm Pak, at least 6 of which were Sfl.) H.Art.Abt. 450 (9 15 cm s.F.H.) H.Art.Abt. 451 (8 15 cm s.F.H. and 4 10cm s.F.K.) H.Art.Abt. 764 (6 17 cm K.i.Mrs.Laf.) Ordered transferred from 10 AOK to command of I Fsch.Jg.K. evening 22 January: HG Pz.Div. Pz.Rgt. HG (- II and III) Sch.Rgt. 1 HG (II, 9., and 10.) Sch.Rgt. 2 HG (Stab, I, 9., and 10.) Pz.Art.Rgt. HG – the rest of the regiment, including 13. Bttr. (Panzer-Werfer) Pz.Pi.Btl. HG H.Pi.Btl. (mot.) 60 Brandenburg Rgt. 3
