Operation Avalanche was part of this plan to put pressure on the German army in the Italian Peninsula, which began on July 10 with the start of the conquest of Sicily. Then, between 3:30 and 3:35 a.m. on September 9, just a few hours after the Armistice between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allied Forces had been announced (September 8, 7:45 p.m.), the operation that would lead to victory over the German army after more than 10 days of fierce fighting was launched.
The Anglo-American forces involved belonged to Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark's Fifth Army, which was divided into two corps, one American and the other British. Although the operation went down in history as the “Salerno landing,” the area chosen for the military operation was the Piana del Sele, which, with its wide open spaces and flat coastline, would have facilitated movement. Salerno, with its crossroads of connections (north towards Naples and then Rome, inland towards the Apennines and south towards Reggio Calabria), whose control was crucial to the outcome of the war, represented the fundamental second stage. In fact, the British would take care of the northern area, from the mouth of the Sele upwards, while the Americans would take care of the southern area.
On the other side, the Germans under the command of Major General Rudolph Sieckenius had established themselves near Eboli and, with the task of guarding the coast, had set up several strongholds and fortifications between Salerno and Agropoli. Among the divisions was the 16th Panzer Division, which had survived the terrible siege of Stalingrad.
During preliminary operations, a serious tragedy struck the Italian navy: on September 7, the submarine Velella was sunk, taking the entire crew with it. It was not until 2003 that the wreck was recovered off the coast of Punta Licosa.
After the news of the Armistice, the Wehrmacht proceeded to disarm its former ally and requisition all positions useful for coastal defense, killing General Ferrante Gonzaga, who had opposed the surrender.
To the north, the commandos landed and managed to occupy Maiori and Vietri, although the latter with difficulty. Due to German resistance, British forces coming from southeast of Salerno were only able to link up with the commandos the day after the landing. The city, previously almost completely abandoned by the Germans and Italian civil authorities, was occupied by the Anglo-Americans. Col. Thomas Aloysius Lane was appointed governor of the city and soon made contact with the only authority remaining in Salerno: Archbishop Nicola Monterisi.
The calm was only apparent: since September 11, the city had been attacked by numerous counteroffensives by General Hube's troops. The fighting was particularly fierce in the Sanatorio area (now part of the “Giovanni da Procida” hospital complex). In addition, the Allied forces were slowed down by a famous episode of mutiny by two divisions, brought to Salerno at the last minute to replace the terrible losses the Anglo-Americans were suffering.
Even in the area south of Salerno, the Wehrmacht launched fierce counterattacks along the Tusciano River, on whose banks the opposing forces fought for a week, between September 10 and 16. Fierce battles broke out in the area between the Calore River, Altavilla Silentina, and Quota 424, a hill behind the town.
Finally, at 5:00 p.m. on September 17, General von Vietinghoff gave the order to retreat. The troops withdrew gradually, starting from the south, followed by the center near Battipaglia; the German forces in the north remained stationary at first, then took up position with the others behind the Volturno River, north of Naples. The retreat began that evening, although the soldiers on Quota 424 remained there until the following morning to discourage a possible attack by the Americans near the Sele bridge.
The retreat was carried out with such stealth and efficiency that the Allies did not discover the Germans' departure until late in the morning of September 18, when they realized that their opponents had abandoned the Tabacchificio, an area considered to be of fundamental importance, which the Germans had defended vigorously until then. Here, all the explosives were defused and the place was occupied without a single shot being fired.
Operation Avalanche had been successful, although the Wehrmacht would continue to resist in the territories behind Salerno for days to come. By now, however, it was only a matter of time for the German troops. With Naples rebelling in the famous Four Days, the road to Rome was open to the Allied forces.
Mario Loffredo
