Two Survivors At Anzio

[KriegsmarineFreak]

I work at a rec. center and one of my old employee friends noticed me reading a World War II book. She told me her ex-husband had fought in World War II. She told me how her husband and one of his buddies were storming the Anzio beachead with their company. As they got onto the beach the Germans started blasting the beach with machine gun bullets, killing scores of American soldiers instantly. Her husband and his friend ducked behind a rock as the machine gunning continued. They turned out to be the only survivors from their whole company. Right after the war her husband was killed in a car accident.

[spidge]

Another one of the good and bad luck stories.

[Ron Goldstein]

Reading of the good luck/bad luck syndrome I am reminded of Len Baynes:
Len Baynes, Author
Here was a man who survived life in a Japanese POW camp only to suffer a grievous injury a few years later.
Truly an amazing man who is worth learning more about.

[Owen]

Welcome to the Forum Kriegsmarinefreak.
Nice story but it falls down as the landings at Anzio were unopposed.
She must have got her story muddled.

The first Allied waves landed unopposed and moved rapidly inland.

with casualties of 13 killed, 97 wounded, and 44 missing

ANZIO 1944

[spidge]

Originally Posted by Owen D

Welcome to the Forum Kriegsmarinefreak.
Nice story but it falls down as the landings at Anzio were unopposed.
She must have got her story muddled.


ANZIO 1944

Anzio always seems to be a muddled affair. They would have been machine gunned somewhere.

Maybe the soldiers say Anzio because the other areas of the invasion are not as well known and so the story sticks.

[Owen]

I'm sure the incident happened later at Anzio, I'm not saying anyone is lying, just I doubt very much it was on the beach.
I'm not having a go at kriegsmarinefreak, either, just saying sometimes, second hand stories need to be taken with a pinch of salt.

As the first wave of craft hit the beach and men rushed for the cover of the dunes behind, there was no enemy to greet them. Pushing rapidly inland the astonished troops soon realized that the highly unexpected had happened. They had caught the enemy completely off guard. Although the Germans knew an amphibious landing was impending, they believed that it would not occur until somewhat later. The two divisions that had been assigned to guard this coast had been sent to the southern front only three days before, and the coastal sector and area south of Rome were held by only skeleton forces. Consequently, except for a few small coast artillery and antiaircraft detachments, the only immediate resistance to the Anzio landing came from scattered elements of the 29th Panzer Grenadier Division. Only three engineer companies and the 2d Battalion, 71st Panzer Grenadier Regiment, had been left to guard the coast from the mouth of the Tiber River through Anzio to the Mussolini Canal; one 9-mile stretch of the coast was occupied by a single company. Furthermore, the troops in the Anzio area had not been warned that an Allied landing was imminent. The coastal defenses were limited to scattered mine fields along Peter Beach used by the British 1 Division; some pillboxes, most of which were not even manned; and scattered artillery pieces-a few 88's and several old Italian,French, and Yugoslav pieces-most of which were not even fired against the attackers

On the right, the US 3d Division swept in over the beaches east of Nettuno. Brushing aside a few dazed enemy patrols, they pushed rapidly inland, established themselves on the initial phase line, and dug in to repel any counterattack.

HyperWar: American Forces in Action: Anzio Beachhead: The Anzio Landing (22-29 January)

[spidge]

[quote]

Originally Posted by Owen D

I'm sure the incident happened later at Anzio, I'm not saying anyone is lying, just I doubt very much it was on the beach.
I'm not having a go at kriegsmarinefreak, either, just saying sometimes, second hand stories need to be taken with a pinch of salt.

I am agreeing with you!

[Owen]

[quote=spidge;96496]

I am agreeing with you!

Oh sorry, Geoff. So you are.
Opps, misread your post.
Maybe it was the beaches of Salerno. That was an opposed landing.

[KriegsmarineFreak]

I must have misunderstood where she said this story occured. All I know is that it happened in Italy. I really need to brush up on my World War II history. I guess I should have done some research on Anzio and the Italian campaign before posting that story. Sorry for the mix up. And thanks for welcoming me to this WW2 forum by the way! I am dying to learn more about World War II and I'm glad that I'll have this forum to post all my questions about World War II! Thanks!