General Mark W. Clark was the youngest general in the Army. He served in WWI as well as WWII. Prior to the United States getting involved in WWII Clark was awarded the brigadier general title. In 1942 he wore several hats during the early years of the war. His previous experience in the military allowed him to be the commanding general of the United States Fifth Army. His task at hand was to train these soldiers for the upcoming attack on Italy and this Italian invasion was named ‘Operation Avalanche’. Some historians cite poor planning may be the cause of his failure when he landed in Salerno, Italy. Also he would be criticized for his attack on the Abbey of Monte Cassino. However it was his senior officers who gave the order for the
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Hitler ordered his troops to destroy the Allied forces as soon as possible or before they reached the shore. His order was seen as unrealistic but when Hitler gave an order one did not question his reasoning. General Lucas secured the beachhead close to Nettuno and Anzio but his soldiers were stopped by Albert Kessselring, the German Field Marshall. Heavy attacks and causalities were encountered from both Germany and the Allied powers. This appeared to be the road to failure as the Allies had only two divisions of soldiers while the Germans had six divisions. Also the battle would include ground troops as well as naval power The Allies thought if their forces seized the Alban Hills it would block Cassino impeding the delivery of supplied to the German forces. What he did not consider was his forces could not man the Alban Hills and the part of Anzio. Therefore he concluded the need for a beachhead outside of Nettuno and Anzio. Hitler ordered his troops to destroy the Allied beachhead and there were ferrous attacks. However the Germans failed to break through. No ground was made by either side for four months and it appeared this was a no win battle resulting in a stalemate. The Allied losses included seven thousand killed, thirty-six thousand wounded or missing and forty-four thousand hospitalized. The end of the stalemate would come on May 23 1944 when the Allies launched an offensive breakout. The Allied forces would be stopped at the German held Gustave line between Naples and Rome. The Allies would attempt to lure German forces away from the Gustave line allowing the Allies to break through and move onward, and finally capture the city. Churchill felt this would be a fast task for the Allied powers but he found Anzio heavily fortified by the German troops. This tactic was Churchill’s baby as President Eisenhower was not in
Hitler ordered his troops to destroy the Allied forces as soon as possible or before they reached the shore. His order was seen as unrealistic but when Hitler gave an order one did not question his reasoning. General Lucas secured the beachhead close to Nettuno and Anzio but his soldiers were stopped by Albert Kessselring, the German Field Marshall. Heavy attacks and causalities were encountered from both Germany and the Allied powers. This appeared to be the road to failure as the Allies had only two divisions of soldiers while the Germans had six divisions. Also the battle would include ground troops as well as naval power The Allies thought if their forces seized the Alban Hills it would block Cassino impeding the delivery of supplied to the German forces. What he did not consider was his forces could not man the Alban Hills and the part of Anzio. Therefore he concluded the need for a beachhead outside of Nettuno and Anzio. Hitler ordered his troops to destroy the Allied beachhead and there were ferrous attacks. However the Germans failed to break through. No ground was made by either side for four months and it appeared this was a no win battle resulting in a stalemate. The Allied losses included seven thousand killed, thirty-six thousand wounded or missing and forty-four thousand hospitalized. The end of the stalemate would come on May 23 1944 when the Allies launched an offensive breakout. The Allied forces would be stopped at the German held Gustave line between Naples and Rome. The Allies would attempt to lure German forces away from the Gustave line allowing the Allies to break through and move onward, and finally capture the city. Churchill felt this would be a fast task for the Allied powers but he found Anzio heavily fortified by the German troops. This tactic was Churchill’s baby as President Eisenhower was not in