Hi all, What I'm looking at right now about 1st Canadian Infantry Division in NE Italy (October 1944) touches on the use of Route 9. How well made were Italy's major road routes during the war, and when were they constructed? What materials were used and how much better were they than ordinary roads? How important were they for Allied supply transportation? (On a scale of "useful" to "vital"?) Mostly just curious! Chris
This is a fascinating subject and I've given it a bit of thought to try and imagine the sorts of roads and conditions that my father would have driven over in the RASC. Probably the best source so far has been actual photos from the campaign and the legend of the maps I have available. Here is an extract from the 1:100000 GSGS Map Sheet 88, Imola that has Route 9 (I believe) crossing it. The legend specifically mentions Route 9 and it would appear to fall in the category of 6m wide metalled. The higher grade immediately above are rarely seen on this map series so must have been pretty unusual although having said that where did the Italians drive their wonderful pre war cars! I have tried to work out exactly which routes my father would have driven and its still a work in progress, most though, would probably fall in the second and third group on the legend and I suspect they also had to use the 'other roads and cart tracks' as well. I have some route maps in an AGRA diary that actually sets out the route to be used by the Regiments and their RASC support and I have also found maps in the Corp of Millitary Police diaries and it is obvious that where routes were particularly constrained, one way systems or limits on the types of vehicles allowed to use them were defined. These were then policed with significant penalties over and above the usual rules governing convoy traffic. Its a fascinating area and with a bit more attention I think I can progress my research further. As for when they were constructed, I suspect there would have been an impetus by Mussolini in his drive to modernise the country but I'm not an expert on Italian road building history. As for value, I'd put them on the scale as 'vital' and again I have seen evidence that the RE were constantly having to keep pace to ensure they were passable either after German demolition or simple damage through heavy allied traffic, especially if it was unavoidable for tanks to traverse them. Somewhere I think I have seen something to suggest that tanks were often forbidden so the presumption must have been that they were transported by lorry wherever possible and in terms of simple mechanical preservation, I guess that makes sense.
Fascinating insights, Hutt, thank you for sharing them! I haven't found anything online about when the road would have been upgraded, but I gather that you are right to label that road as such in your map - it is still "SS9" and runs from Milan to Rimini. And in Roman times it was the Via Aemilia, Via Emilia today.
Vital I would say if you are trying to get an infantry division on the move. My father was in the Reconnaissance Regiment for the 78th Infantry Division and his war diaries contain countless examples of them having to find routes around demolished bridges that the Germans had blown on their retreat.
Good day Chris......the best source to research road routes (or to answer your “just curious” question.....are RCE and RE sources. In specific, the History of the Royal Canadian Engineers Vol II, give you a lot of information on routes, bridges, maintenance, culverts etc etc in support of the movements of the Canadian Corps in Italy.....I’ve posted a few maps from that source......but the War Diaries of CRE in Italy also gives you more maps etc that show you the priority routes in the Corps/Division areas Just a couple of maps below from Vol II......but if you are “MORE curious”.....I can give you more information from the War Diaries This first map shows you ALL the Engineer bridges, culverts, road repairs etc etc for the MSR and other roads in the Lori Valley This is a more “general map”......but shows you the ROUTE NAMES etc of the MSR etc Some more “fun facts” about the Italy Campaign in respect to Engineers Between 1943 and 1945 the combined British/Commonwealth and US 15th Army Group completed 2,832 fixed span Bailey bridges of some 45 miles long, 120 floating Bailey or Treadway bridges, 490 railway viaducts and an incredible 430 permanent bridges. The longest bridge completed during the Italian campaign was the 343m (1,126ft) high level Class 30 Bailey Bridge over the River Sangro Sangro high level bridge under construction One of my favourite “bridge stories” in the Italian Campaign was the “Impossible bridge” The 69th Field Company Bengal Sappers carried out an incredible feat of military bridging over the River Moro, the Impossible Bridge (as it was called) was built by crossing over to the enemy side and building the bridge in reverse direction, to overcome a lack of construction space on the home bank. The word ‘impossible’ stems from the opinion of Royal Canadian Engineers who did the initial “Recce” on the bridge site; the Indians of course saw this as a challenge and resorted to manhandling all the parts of the bridge across the river. Bengal Sapper pride retained, signage with appropriate wording completed! AND, importantly, their just wasn’t “roads” that required repair and use, the Railway System was Integral in moving supply’s etc. The link below is an excellent source detailing the Railway Repairs, bridges and operation during the Italian campaign Railway reconstruction Italy 1943-1946 - Contents
Here you go Chris, pdf attached, pre-war construction, politics, and a couple of pictures within. More than "jerry built"! Kind regards, always, Jim.
Thank you everyone especially Jim for the PDF This all stemmed from seeing the Carleton and Yorks reporting that Route 9 was available up to Cesena for two-way traffic.
Mussolini boasted a lot about his showpiece public works, including the roads. Perhaps this book would be helpful to you: https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/31281/632447.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
From The Royal Engineers Journal in September 1946 issue, in an article 'An Outline of Engineering Work in the Italian Campaign': References to road building and yes, bridges abound. Later there is this passage: Link: https://www.nzsappers.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/1946-September.pdf There is a good map too of roads etc, not suitable to copy to here - with my skill level. I expect there could be other Journal articles, I only searched for Italy.
For information as to its date, here is the corner of Sheet 88. Details of the Italian series maps, their sources and other details are in a booklet called Notes on G.S.G.S Maps of Italy. https://library.mcmaster.ca/maps/ww2/Italy_notes.pdf Here is a snippet from 505 Provost Company, October 1944, mentioning Canadians and RE inspecting main routes. Several other references to bridges becoming unusable and requiring diversionary routes. Also there is quite a lot in 'The Campaign in Italy' British War Office 1945. Published by Military Library Research Service.
Returning to this subject. Does anyone know if History of the Royal Canadian Engineers Vol II is available online? (Free and legally, that is.) It doesn't seem to be the case, which is a shame. It just occurred to me that it would be interesting to know about Canadian bridging efforts at Cesena after it was captured. It looks like I will have to add this to my list of library reference books to consult when COVID is over.
Students of the movements of 1st British Infantry Division will be aware of Arrow Route so called due to the American monopoly of the main Route 65 Florence to Bologna. EVERYONE else had to use minor roads via routes marked by Divisional signs (Arrows) unless they had express permission from the Americans. Anyone going north to Faenza (Modern SR302) Lamone Valley (Marradi), Palazzuolo sul Senio (SR306) through the Senio Valley or north to Monte Grande (Sillaro Valley) or all stops to the Gothic Line from Florence should be aware of it. Does anyone have an official map showing this route (or routes).
Uncle Target, you might try looking at page 45 of the NZ Sappers' PDF in post #9. It does seem to show the major roads. I guess that's not an official map though.
Hi, and hope you don't mind this response. My father was in the RASC as a driver in WW2, first in Algeria and then in Italy. One diary entry mentions driving from Italy into Switzerland and the convoy being given lots of beer by local villagers. I'd hugely appreciate any help in identifying possible locations for this, and also routes which may have been taken. I'm guessing north of Milan in the lakes region, but that really is a guess. Sincere thanks for any suggestions.
Hi Colin, That sounds really interesting. I am going to guess that someone else will ask this: could you possibly provide the full text of the relevant diary entry or entries? Do you know more specifically which unit he was in? Often these little bits of information will help posters here to pull in more information which will help to answer the question.
Thanks very much for getting back to me. Yes, I'll certainly look out the details of his service then, and also the original diary entry and post these. Incidentally, his original diaries are in the Vytautas the Great War Museum in Kaunas, Lithuania (I have scanned them so I have copies here). My grandparents came to Glasgow from Lithuania in 1905, escaping from the Russian Empire. The war museum in Kaunas is undertaking a huge project to list every Lithuanian, or person of Lithuanian origin, who served in the allied forces in WW2 and beyond.
Here are a few short diary extracts from August 1945. I'll post his service number and relevant record details later.
Milan was the point of exit for all troops being returned to the UK from the Mediterranean area. Regards Frank
