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145 Chapter 9 Anzio and the Road to Rome On November 13 Truscott, along with Generals Lucas, Middleton, and Ryder , attended a commanders’ conference with General Clark at the VI Corps command post to discuss future plans. At that time the Allied advance up the boot had spent its force, leaving Montgomery’s Eighth Army on the Adriatic side of the peninsula deployed along the Sangro River from the coast inland to the crest of the Apennines near Isernia and the Fifth Army on the Winter line. Roughly twelve miles to the north were the Garigliano and Rapido Rivers , along which the Germans were busily constructing a formidable defensive position, the Gustav line. Clark informed the assembled generals that General Eisenhower had agreed to delay until December 15 the departure of the LSTs that were scheduled to leave for England to prepare for the cross-Channel attack the following spring. That delay would allow Alexander to bring from Africa another division for Eighth Army and Gen. Alphonse Juin’s French corps for Fifth Army. In addition , the 36th ID would replace the 3d Division in the line. Alexander’s plan for continuing the offensive was to take place in three phases : Beginning about November 20 Eighth Army was to cross the Sangro River near the coast and drive northward across Highway 5 to“threaten communications with German forces opposing the Fifth Army.”About the end of November Fifth Army was to drive to and cross the Rapido River, and then continue northward up the Liri and Sacco valleys toward Frosinone and Rome. The third phase, designated SHINGLE and assigned to the 3d Division, possibly supported by an airborne RCT, was to make an amphibious landing south of Rome when the advancing Fifth Army forces had reached a point within supporting distance of the landing beaches. Alexander had chosen Anzio, a resort town on the Tyrrhenian Sea about thirty-five miles south of Rome and roughly sixty 146 Dogface Soldier miles behind the Gustav line, as the landing site. The plan was to land Truscott’s division with a seven-day load of supplies and ammunition, with the hope that a linkup between the beachhead force and the Fifth Army advancing from the south would occur within a week. Alexander hoped to launch the operation shortly after the middle of December and was hopeful that he could convince Eisenhower to delay the departure of the landing craft long enough to use them to carry Truscott’s forces to Anzio.1 Clark had disposed his forces along the Winter line with 10 Corps on the west, II Corps immediately to its east, and VI Corps extending the front line westward from the right flank of II Corps to the Eighth Army boundary.2 Clark’s plan, issued on November 24, directed the 10th and II Corps to capture Monte Camino, Monte la Difensa, and Monte Maggiore west of Highway 6 and south of the Rapido and Garigliano Rivers, while VI Corps held the enemy to its front with harassing attacks. Following the capture of the peaks, 10 Corps would relieve II Corps in that sector, freeing up II Corps to join VI Corps in Clark’s second phase, the capture of Monte Lungo and Monte Sammucro west and east of Highway 6, respectively, and the clearing of the Mignano Gap. In the third phase II Corps was to attack toward Cassino along Highway 6 and develop the town’s defenses, after which the corps was to force a crossing of the Rapido River below Cassino. The 1st AD would then attack through the corps and begin its advance up the Liri valley, while II and VI Corps captured the mountains north and northwest of Cassino. If landing craft were available, the 3d Division would “in due course” land at Anzio; “if not, the Division would receive some other mission.”3 The operation began the afternoon of December 2 with a massive artillery barrage. That night the 56th Division attacked toward Monte Camino, while on its right Col. Robert T. Frederick’s 1st Special Service Force (SSF) assaulted the base of Monte la Difensa, reaching the summit by dawn. Their attack continued on toward Monte la Remetanea, which they captured on the sixth, the same day that the 56th Division occupied Monte Camino. To the east the rested and refitted 36th ID had attacked in driving rain on December 3 along a ridge leading to Monte Maggiore. With supporting artillery fire blasting the...

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