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 Headquarters (AFHQ), Mediterranean
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Ground forces
General Harold AlexanderNaval forces
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)Air forces
Mediterranean Air Command (Allied) (Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder)
Landings across Strait of Messina
See main article: Eighth Army (United Kingdom). General Bernard Law Montgomery
See main article: XIII Corps (United Kingdom). Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempsey
Corps troops
1st Special Reconnaissance Squadron
No. 40 (Royal Marine) Commando
Corps artillery
6th Army Group, Royal Artillery
2nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade
Also supporting XIII Corps
5th Army Group, Royal Artillery
XXX Corps Artillery
British 5th Infantry Division[1]
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[2]
Major-General Guy Simonds
1st Infantry Brigade (Brigadier Howard Graham)
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)
1st Battalion, The Carleton and York Regiment
1st Battalion, The West Nova Scotia Regiment
1st Canadian Armoured Brigade (Brigadier R.A. Wyman)
11th Armoured Regiment (The Ontario Regiment)
12th Armoured Regiment (Three Rivers Regiment)
14th Armoured Regiment (The Calgary Regiment)
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)[1]
2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment
1st Battalion Hampshire Regiment
1st Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment
165th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
295th Field Company, Royal Engineers
Landings at Taranto
See main article: Eighth Army (United Kingdom). General Sir Bernard Law Montgomery
British 1st Airborne Division[3]
Major-General George F. Hopkinson killed in action 9 Sep,
then Major-General Ernest Down
1st Parachute Brigade (Brigadier G.W. Lathbury)
16th (Parachute) Field Ambulance
2nd Parachute Brigade (Brigadier Ernest Down)
127th (Parachute) Field Ambulance
4th Parachute Brigade (Brigadier J.W. Hackett)
133rd (Parachute) Field Ambulance
1st Airlanding Brigade (Brigadier Pip Hicks)
1st Battalion Border Regiment
2nd Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment
181st (Airlanding) Field Ambulance
Landings at Salerno
See main article: United States Army North. Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark
Army Group Reserve
US 82nd Airborne ("All-American") Division
Major General Matthew B. Ridgway
504th Parachute Infantry Regiment
505th Parachute Infantry Regiment
325th Glider Infantry Regiment
US 1st Armored ("Old Ironsides") Division
Major General Ernest N. Harmon
See main article: X Corps (United Kingdom). Lieutenant-General Richard L. McCreery
Northern landing beaches
Corps troops
Royal Scots Greys (Sherman tanks, attached to 56th Division)[4]
40th Royal Tank Regiment (attached to British 46th Infantry Division)
British Special Service Brigade (Brigadier Robert Laycock)
No. 41 (Royal Marine) Commando
US Ranger Force (Lieutenant Colonel William O. Darby)
British 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)
4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)
1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
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
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
See main article: VI Corps (United States). Major General Ernest J. Dawley
Southern landing beaches
US 3rd Infantry ("Rock of the Marne") Division
Major General Lucian K. Truscott
HHB 3rd DIVARTY
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
US 34th Infantry ("Red Bull") Division
Major General Charles W. Ryder
US 36th Infantry ("Arrowhead") Division
Major General Fred L. Walker
US 45th Infantry ("Thunderbird") Division
Major General Troy H. Middleton
See main article: OB Süd. Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring[8]
See main article: 10th Army (Wehrmacht). Generaloberst Heinrich von Vietinghoff
XIV Panzer Corps
See main article: 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)
Kampfgruppe Haas
Kampfgruppe Becker
16th Panzer Division (Generalleutnant Rudolf Sieckenius)
Kampfgruppe Dörnemann
Kampfgruppe Stempel
Kampfgruppe von Holtey
Kampfgruppe von Doering
LXXVI Panzer Corps
See main article: LXXVI Panzer Corps.
General der Panzertruppen Traugott Herr
Deployed in Calabria and Apulia:
26th Panzer Division (Generalleutnant Smilo Freiherr von Lüttwitz)
Kampfgruppe
3rd Panzergrenadier Division (Generalleutnant Fritz-Hubert Gräser)
Kampfgruppe Moldenhaur
29th Panzergrenadier Division (Generalleutnant Walter Fries)
Kampfgruppe Ulich
Kampfgruppe Krüger
See main article: 7th Army (Italy).
Generale d'Armata Mario Arisio[9]
XXXI Army Corps
See main article: XXXI Army Corps (Italy).
Tenente Generale Camillo Mercalli
211th Coastal Division (Generale d'Brigata Felice Gonnella)
185th Paratroopers Regiment 'Nembo'
. Angus Konstam . Salerno 1943: The Allies invade southern Italy . 2013 . . 978-1-78096-249-8.