Operation Baytown: Difference between revisions
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'''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]]. |
'''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]]. |
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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- |
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. The intent was to tie down [[German Army (Wehrmacht)|German forces]] in the area and gain an Allied foothold at the 'toe' of Italy. Montgomery had objected to ''Baytown'' as ineffective, but carried it out anyway. |
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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 demolition of bridges and other infrastructure. A single German regiment was left to defend 17 miles of coast. |
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 demolition of bridges and other infrastructure. A single German regiment was left to defend 17 miles of coast. |
Revision as of 01:14, 17 March 2016
This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (February 2012) |
Operation Slapstick | |||||||
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Part of the Allied invasion of Italy | |||||||
British troops, presumably of the British 5th Infantry Division, come ashore at Reggio, during the Allied invasion of Italy, September 1943. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United Kingdom Canada |
Germany Italy | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Bernard Montgomery Miles C. Dempsey | Traugott Herr | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
XIII Corps | LXXVI Panzer Corps |
Operation Baytown was an Allied 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, during the Second World War.
The attack was made by Lieutenant-General Miles C. Dempsey's British XIII Corps, which had under command the 1st Canadian Infantry Division (Major-General Guy Simonds) and the British 5th Infantry Division (Major-General Gerard C. Bucknall). XIII Corps was part of the British Eighth Army, commanded by General Sir Bernard Montgomery. XIII Corps crossed the Straits of Messina from Sicily to Reggio di Calabria, covered by a heavy artillery barrage from Sicily. The intent was to tie down German forces in the area and gain an Allied foothold at the 'toe' of Italy. Montgomery had objected to Baytown as ineffective, but carried it out anyway.
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 German 10th Army under Generaloberst Heinrich von Vietinghoff to pull back from engagement with the Eighth Army and delay them by demolition of bridges and other infrastructure. A single German regiment was left to defend 17 miles of coast.
Montgomery's objections were proved correct: German troops refused battle and the Eighth Army tied down none of them, and the main obstacle to Allied advance was the terrain and German demolitions.
Opposition to the landings was very light, because the few German troops in the area rapidly withdrew northward. Italian troops were poorly equipped, and demoralized by the political situation and the massive Allied bombardment; they offered no resistance.
Operation Baytown was followed by Operation Slapstick, by the British 1st Airborne Division (Major-General George Hopkinson), and Operation Avalanche, the main landings at Salerno by elements of Lieutenant General Mark Clark' s U.S. Fifth Army. Both operations took place on 9 September, following the Italian surrender the day before. The surrender had been agreed on 3 September, but was not announced until 8 September, and had no direct effect on Baytown.
See also
External links
- Royal Engineers Museum Royal Engineers and Second World War (Italian Campaign)